Soccer-Sao Paulo pair surprised on day of low crowds

By Andrew Downie SAO PAULO, March 29 (Reuters) - Two of Sao Paulo's biggest clubs suffered shock setbacks on Sunday in what was a day of pitifully low attendances in Brazil's biggest state championships. Palmeiras lost 2-0 to Red Bull Brasil in front of just 7,355 fans in Campinas, while Santos could only draw 2-2 with Sao Bento at home. Only 5,149 people watched the game at the Vila Belmiro stadium. The results were a shock for both teams, with Palmeiras' defeat coming just days after they demolished city rivals Sao Paulo 3-0. Santos's draw, meanwhile, was their second game without a win in a week and came after five successive victories for new coach Marcelo Fernandes. The results mean that both teams trail Corinthians, who won 1-0 and have five points more than their nearest challengers. Their win over Bragantino came thanks to Vagner Love, who scored his first goal for the club. Only 6,612 people watched the game in Braganca Paulista. In Rio de Janeiro, just 861 people paid to see Fluminense beat Barra Mansa 4-2. The game, which was played three hours from Rio in Macae due to scheduling conflicts, was halted for 12 minutes in the first half when the floodlights failed. The biggest crowd of the day came at the Maracana, where 25,047 people saw local rivals Botafogo and Vasco share the points in a 1-1 draw. The draw allowed Flamengo, who beat Bonsucesso 2-0 on Saturday, to leapfrog to the top of the state championship table. (Editing by Greg Stutchbury)