Football followers the world over are familiar with the name Ze Roberto. The man responsible for this spent a trophy-laden nine-year period in Europe, serving Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, before a return to his homeland following Brazil's exit from the FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006. Ze Roberto was, in fact, the only Brazilian to make the tournament's All-Star team, and after resurfacing in South America in the Santos No10 jersey sanctified by the great Pele, he duly enjoyed, in his own words, "the best spell" of his celebrated career.

When Bayern tempted the 33-year-old into a reunion in June, domestic football in Brazil was shorn of its then transcendent performer. Nevertheless, the name Ze Roberto continues to command the headlines in the country.

Step forward Jose Roberto de Oliveira, or simply Ze Roberto, whose sublime playmaking is spearheading Botafogo's assault on the Brazilian Championship crown. Three points clear at the summit, with a game in hand on the three teams directly beneath them, O Fogão are in the driving seat with around one third of the season played.

Great things were expected of Ze Roberto when he joined Benfica in 2000, however, his stay with the Portuguese giants was abrupt and, thereafter, his ascent stagnated somewhat. A mid-2005 switch to Botafogo revivified his career, though, and the following year the Itumbiara native helped his employers end a nine-year wait for the Carioca State Championship trophy. It is now the Rio de Janeiro side's mission to arrest a 12-year wait for their second Brasileiro title that is drawing Ze Roberto's focus.

Favourably for coach Cuca, the 26-year-old is not his only charge at the top of his game. The elegant Lucio Flavio has been sharing the creative duties with Ze Roberto, while the barricade provided by holding midfielders Leandro Guerreiro and Tulio has afforded the pair freedom to unlock defences. Juninho has provided assurance at the back and has weighed in with five goals, and attackers Dodo and Andre Lima have been on target seven times apiece. With attractive football accompanying a winning formula, it is all smiles in the Caio Martins camp at present.

Big guns in pursuit
Sao Paulo, three points off the pace, lead the chase, and the defending champions' challenge is once again indebted to their infallible skipper Rogerio Ceni. It seems as though each season is destined to bring a new landmark for the former Brazil keeper, and on Sunday he turned out in the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship winners' colours for the 309 th time in the Brasileiro, consequently outranking Vasco legend Roberto Dinamite as the player with the most appearances for the same club in the competition. Ironically, Rogerio achieved the feat against Cruzeiro in the Estadio Mineirao, the same stadium in which he became Sao Paulo's record appearant in 2005 and the world's outright record-scoring keeper last year.

Crucially, the 34-year-old restricted the division's most prolific side to a single goal, incredibly only the fifth O Tricolor Paulista have conceded in 13 outings this campaign, to help his team to a 2-1 victory. Parana, led by the tournament's leading marksman, 12-goal Josiel, tie Sao Paulo on 22 points, although home specialists Vasco, fifth on 20 points, possess a game in hand on the pair.

With one eye on capturing the continental crown, Gremio and Santos made slow starts to the Brasileiro. Since their Copa Libertadores 2007 dreams were ended, however, their respective coaches Mano Menezes and Vanderlei Luxemburgo have hauled them into the title picture. With Marcos Aurelio in a rich vein of form, O Peixe have taken ten points from a testing four-game sequence to climb to 11 th on 18 points, while Gremio have gone seven matches unbeaten since losing out to Boca Juniors for a place at Japan 2007 and now rest in fourth on 21.

Sport shine as giants struggle
Carlinhos Bala was once the scourge of the Sport supporters. It is safe to say that he is no longer. Since arriving at the Ilha do Retiro on loan from Cruzeiro in January, the livewire forward, who previously turned out for the club's two principal rivals, Nautico and Santa Cruz, has fired Sport to a respectable tenth place in their first season back in Serie A. In contrast, America-RN and Nautico, 18 th and 19 th in the 20-team league, are finding the going considerably tougher upon their return to the top flight.

Joining them in the relegation zone are Brazil's two most-supporters clubs, Corinthians and Flamengo. O Timão, the 2005 champions, have failed to win in seven attempts, registering just three goals in the process, meantime rock-bottom Fla, six points adrift of safety, have not tasted victory since undoing Goias in Round 2. Having lost star man Renato, O Mengão will be hoping the return to fitness of the talismanic Obina, coupled with the presence of new arrivals Ibson, Roger and Maxi Biancucchi, the cousin of Barcelona's Lionel Messi, can spark an escape from danger.