The "Battle" in Aflitos
Read the story of a fan who traveled to Recife to see Flamengo's victory over Náutico
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
By André Dissat
The title "The Battle of the Afflicted," for those who don't remember, was the name given to a match between Náutico and Grêmio for the 2nd Division title of the Brazilian Championship. Several players were sent off, but the team from Rio Grande do Sul took the trophy. Well, this title also has a lot to do with the adventure my brother Daniel and I took to watch the match against Náutico on Sunday, November 15th, in Recife.
The first issue is that there were no guaranteed flights. Both to the capital of Pernambuco and on our way back to Rio de Janeiro. This was because our tickets were available immediately at a much lower price than normal. So, we had to board the flight with available seats. Oh yes, full credit to Ana, my stepmother and flight attendant—that's how we managed this adventure. We left Rio on Saturday, the 14th, at 22:20 p.m. We managed to board, the plane was empty, and the trip was very smooth at first.
We arrived in Recife around midnight. Since there's no daylight saving time there, the clock felt like the trip was an hour slower. Guararapes airport is far from where we were staying, a friend's house. Zeca Jales, known as Zequinha, is a longtime friend of my brother's and was a huge supporter. He just wasn't happy with the result, as he's a Náutico fan. The next day, without much time to explore the city, we went to the game.
Halfway there, we joined a large group of Flamengo fans. When we arrived at the stadium, however, a mile-long line awaited us. We walked and walked, but the end of the line still hadn't arrived. After a long walk and a few turns, we spotted the end of the line. At the time, I thought the first half had already started. But luckily—luck was the word on this trip—we managed to get in, missing only the first 10 minutes. We ran, climbed the packed stands, and watched the game from behind the goal Bruno had defended in the first half.
The fans partied the entire game. There were people from all over: Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, and so on. To top it off, Pet opened the scoring in a melee inside the Náutico penalty area. I confess it was hard to see what had happened from where I was. Still in the first half, Adriano scored the second, following a cross from the right. The party was complete. The second half was manageable, with a few missed goals. But it was okay, game over, Mengão 2-0, with 60 points, in second place, two behind the leader. The trip was worth all the hassle only for the win.
After the undeniable victory, it took us a while to leave. We only managed to do so after the entire Náutico fan base had left the stadium. About 20 minutes after the end of the game, I think, we finally left, amidst some confusion—the crowd was so large and the space was so small. Even on the street, it was difficult to walk.
While we were leaving to meet our friend, I realized I'd lost my driver's license! It was the only photo ID I'd brought. The return trip was a mystery, but Flamengo had won the title race, and I didn't worry too much.
I called Rio to ask for help and figure out what to do. I ran back and forth, called back, my mom hunted down my documents, and emailed a photo of my work permit. In the end, it wasn't even necessary; we bravely went to the airport, filed a police report for the loss of my driver's license, and tried to catch the first available flight. We managed to get one to São Paulo. We arrived at Guarulhos airport at 3:00 a.m. After wandering around the airport for a while, we managed to catch a return flight and arrived in Rio early. This, of course, with almost no sleep. As I said, luck was the key word on this trip, because after all the adventure, going back and forth without any guarantees, we managed to board every flight first thing.
The adventure was complete. I think my brother's words, besides luck, were one of the hallmarks of this trip: "We didn't come here for nothing, man, Mengão 3-0!" He missed by one goal, but he guessed right who would score both.
Some people say things like, "Wow, you're crazy to go to Recife without knowing it, to go there and back in two days without sleeping." But in truth, they don't know what it's like to be passionate about Flamengo.
And as the victory theme sung by the Nação Rubro-Negra says: "Wherever you are, I will be!"
My brother and I were there. Towards the Hexa!
André Dissat, 23, has a degree in Advertising from Veiga de Almeida University. His brother, Daniel, is 20 and a Business Administration student at Cândido Mendes University. They both live in Rio de Janeiro and contribute to the blog www.fimdejogo.com.br.
Collaborate with Nação: http://www.flamengo.com.br/site/conteudo/conteudo.php?id=242
The title "The Battle of the Afflicted," for those who don't remember, was the name given to a match between Náutico and Grêmio for the 2nd Division title of the Brazilian Championship. Several players were sent off, but the team from Rio Grande do Sul took the trophy. Well, this title also has a lot to do with the adventure my brother Daniel and I took to watch the match against Náutico on Sunday, November 15th, in Recife.
The first issue is that there were no guaranteed flights. Both to the capital of Pernambuco and on our way back to Rio de Janeiro. This was because our tickets were available immediately at a much lower price than normal. So, we had to board the flight with available seats. Oh yes, full credit to Ana, my stepmother and flight attendant—that's how we managed this adventure. We left Rio on Saturday, the 14th, at 22:20 p.m. We managed to board, the plane was empty, and the trip was very smooth at first.
We arrived in Recife around midnight. Since there's no daylight saving time there, the clock felt like the trip was an hour slower. Guararapes airport is far from where we were staying, a friend's house. Zeca Jales, known as Zequinha, is a longtime friend of my brother's and was a huge supporter. He just wasn't happy with the result, as he's a Náutico fan. The next day, without much time to explore the city, we went to the game.
Halfway there, we joined a large group of Flamengo fans. When we arrived at the stadium, however, a mile-long line awaited us. We walked and walked, but the end of the line still hadn't arrived. After a long walk and a few turns, we spotted the end of the line. At the time, I thought the first half had already started. But luckily—luck was the word on this trip—we managed to get in, missing only the first 10 minutes. We ran, climbed the packed stands, and watched the game from behind the goal Bruno had defended in the first half.
The fans partied the entire game. There were people from all over: Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, and so on. To top it off, Pet opened the scoring in a melee inside the Náutico penalty area. I confess it was hard to see what had happened from where I was. Still in the first half, Adriano scored the second, following a cross from the right. The party was complete. The second half was manageable, with a few missed goals. But it was okay, game over, Mengão 2-0, with 60 points, in second place, two behind the leader. The trip was worth all the hassle only for the win.
After the undeniable victory, it took us a while to leave. We only managed to do so after the entire Náutico fan base had left the stadium. About 20 minutes after the end of the game, I think, we finally left, amidst some confusion—the crowd was so large and the space was so small. Even on the street, it was difficult to walk.
While we were leaving to meet our friend, I realized I'd lost my driver's license! It was the only photo ID I'd brought. The return trip was a mystery, but Flamengo had won the title race, and I didn't worry too much.
I called Rio to ask for help and figure out what to do. I ran back and forth, called back, my mom hunted down my documents, and emailed a photo of my work permit. In the end, it wasn't even necessary; we bravely went to the airport, filed a police report for the loss of my driver's license, and tried to catch the first available flight. We managed to get one to São Paulo. We arrived at Guarulhos airport at 3:00 a.m. After wandering around the airport for a while, we managed to catch a return flight and arrived in Rio early. This, of course, with almost no sleep. As I said, luck was the key word on this trip, because after all the adventure, going back and forth without any guarantees, we managed to board every flight first thing.
The adventure was complete. I think my brother's words, besides luck, were one of the hallmarks of this trip: "We didn't come here for nothing, man, Mengão 3-0!" He missed by one goal, but he guessed right who would score both.
Some people say things like, "Wow, you're crazy to go to Recife without knowing it, to go there and back in two days without sleeping." But in truth, they don't know what it's like to be passionate about Flamengo.
And as the victory theme sung by the Nação Rubro-Negra says: "Wherever you are, I will be!"
My brother and I were there. Towards the Hexa!
André Dissat, 23, has a degree in Advertising from Veiga de Almeida University. His brother, Daniel, is 20 and a Business Administration student at Cândido Mendes University. They both live in Rio de Janeiro and contribute to the blog www.fimdejogo.com.br.
Collaborate with Nação: http://www.flamengo.com.br/site/conteudo/conteudo.php?id=242