Sao Paulo score five, pelted with stones

Sao Paulo players were pelted with stones, sandals and mobile phones by rival supporters as they demolished Atletico Mineiro 5-0 away in the Brazilian championship on Sunday.

There were mixed fortunes for two survivors of Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning team in other games.

Romario was included in the Fluminense side at the request of club president David Fischel but was jeered off the field as they crashed 4-1 at home to Goias while Viola was on target as bottom club Guarani beat defending champions Cruzeiro 2-0.

Sao Paulo's game in Belo Horizonte was interrupted for nearly ten minutes in the second half after defender Fabao was hit in the face by a stone.

"The players aren't safe on the pitch," Fabao told touchline reporters with a blood-spattered shirt.

"It could have been my eye."

Fans threw missiles, which also included cups of water and tennis shoes, onto the pitch throughout the game.

Sao Paulo, third with 62 points, raced to a 4-0 lead in half an hour with forward Grafite scoring a hat-trick and Danilo adding the other. Danilo completed the scoring after halftime.

The defeat dropped Atletico back into the relegation zone, leaving them 21st in the 24-team table where the bottom four go down.

ROMARIO ROW

Romario, 38, was given his first-match since August for Fluminense despite being involved in a public slanging match last week with coach Alexandre Gama.

Gama, two years Romario's junior, substituted him after an anonymous hour on the field and later said he had only included the temperamental veteran after Fischel intervened.

Ramon gave tenth-placed Fluminense a sixth-minute lead but seventh-placed Goias hit back after halftime through Leandro, Jadilson, an Odvan own goal and Somalia.

Guarani stayed bottom but closed the gap on 23rd-placed Gremio to one point after headed goals by Evandro Roncatto and 35-year-old Viola gave them the points against Cruzeiro, who stayed 13th.

Gremio, twice South American champions, had midfielder Felipe Melo and striker Claudio Pitbull sent off in a 2-0 defeat against Figueirense, who had Jeovanio dismissed.

Atletico Paranaense stayed top with 69 points after drawing 1-1 with local rivals Parana but Santos closed the gap to one point by thumping Ponte Preta 4-0.

Atletico suffered a severe blow when forward Dagoberto, one of the top players in the championship, suffered a knee ligament injury, which is expected to sideline him for five months.