THE GLOBE
In less than five years, from agony to the gates of paradise
\
\
\ Through the eyes of Leonardo Moura, who is in his fifth season at Flamengo, the\ red-black climb from an almost certain relegation to the fight for the sixth title
\
\
\
\ LEONARDO MOURA prepares to head the ball during Flamengo training at\ Ninho do Urubu: witness to a club's turnaround
\
\
\ Carlos Eduardo Mansur
\
The final months of 2005 witnessed the greatest agony in Flamengo's recent history in the Brazilian Championship. From a relegation risk that reached nearly 90% to a miraculous salvation, the club seems to have learned a lesson. Since then, the club has improved its performance year after year. More than the 17 years without national titles, Flamengo found itself unable to even dream of them, such was the distance it maintained from the top spots. Today, after two seasons in the top flight, it could reach its sixth championship.
\
Of the players who will take the field to face Grêmio this afternoon, one of them has been a key figure throughout this entire journey. Leonardo Moura has experienced the worst and the best of playing for a club with Flamengo's unique profile: from the pressure that made him avoid leaving home and that caused his mother to suffer from heart problems to the state and Copa do Brasil titles that led him to the Brazilian national team.
\
\
\ Although it doesn't yet have a training center in ideal condition, Flamengo has moved forward and built four fields, a locker room, and a weight room. It has changed its training center to a five-star hotel, and Gávea, although not yet the dream venue, has improved.
\
"Flamengo has improved its planning and maturity. From one year to the next, it has maintained a foundation. The mentality has changed: today we enter to compete for the title, wanting to be champions," says the full-back, whose outlook on the club confirms the feeling of a Flamengo already trying to exchange megalomaniacal and short-term solutions for homework. "Of course we want a training center of a world champion club. But Ninho do Urubu already gives us privacy and peace to work. The ideal would be to be able to work in two shifts and be able to stay at the training center without having to go."
\
\ At Flamengo
\
\
\
Upon arriving at the club in 2005, Leonardo Moura experienced the sensation of dealing with the most serious threat of relegation Flamengo had ever faced. And he feared being marked.
\
\ - Many fans didn't understand that we tried, but couldn't.\ So, I even avoided leaving the house. My mother even had heart problems -\ he says.
\
A year later, Flamengo moved up a notch. They had a poor state championship, but finished 11th in the Brazilian league, far from the risk of relegation. And they won the Copa do Brasil. For Leonardo Moura, it was the first title of his career.
\
"Being a champion with Flamengo changes anyone's life. It was a very special moment," recalls the full-back.
\
Flamengo's rise continued in 2007. The club returned to the Libertadores and, after having the second-best campaign among all the clubs in the first phase, was eliminated in the round of 16. However, it won the state title and, in the Brazilian Championship, although it did not fight for the title, it finished third.
\
In 2008, after playing in its second consecutive Libertadores Cup (again falling in the round of 16), Flamengo won its second state championship and finished fifth in the Brazilian Championship. Although its position in the national tournament was worse, it still had a chance of winning until the final rounds.
\
"Before winning our second championship, we went to play in Mexico for the Copa Libertadores. We made a plan, and we spent more than two full days at the hotel, resting. We had a strong foundation and a lot of confidence there," he recalls.
\
\ The year 2009, which could even end with the sixth Brazilian championship, began\ with the fifth three-time championship in the red-black history.
\
"I participated in the entire three-time championship, and that emotion will stay with me for the rest of my life. We learned to enter competitions to compete for titles," says the full-back. "At Flamengo, I found a home, I experienced many special things. I lived a beautiful story and I hope to crown it with the Brazilian title. I want to be remembered as the Leonardo Moura of Flamengo. If God allows me to end my career here, at the club of my heart, it will be very special for me."
History of confrontations\ warns of a rival to be respected
\
\
\ Rubro-negros are at a disadvantage in the statistics against the team from Rio Grande do Sul
\
\
\
\ NUNES KICKS to score the second Brazilian goal, at the Olímpico, in 82
\
\
\ Ary Cunha
\
The Emperor was still playing barefoot soccer at Vila Cruzeiro, and Grêmio was already a blister on the heels of every red-and-black fan. Contrary to the mocking campaign that has become the norm in the blue half of Porto Alegre since last Sunday, if there's one thing this afternoon's rival at Maracanã has never done, it's easily handed Flamengo a victory. For those who think the sixth title is a foregone conclusion, it's worth respecting the history of meetings between the teams, which favors the Gauchos.
\
\ Since the first friendly between the two teams, which ended in
\
\
\
\ The red-black fans, however, do not forget the only Brazilian final between the\ two teams, in
\
\ Six years later it was the turn of the Gauchos to eliminate the Cariocas, in the\ quarter-finals. After a draw in
\
\ The last clash between the two teams, by the way, is not a good one for Flamengo. On August 16, Grêmio, which finished its home participation in the Brazilian Championship undefeated, defeated the red-black team at the Olímpico by
\
\ At the time, Flamengo, already under Andrade's command, occupied tenth place in the\ table, six points behind the G-4.
\
In the Libertadores, the only decisive duel between the two teams ended in a Gaucho celebration. It was in 1984. Grêmio, then defending the title, played an extra game against the red-and-black team to decide who would go to the final, against Independiente, from Argentina. The match took place on neutral ground, at Pacaembu. With
\
\ Three disappointments in four duels for the Copa do Brasil
\
\ The Copa do Brasil also holds bad memories for the red-blacks. In 1993,\ Grêmio reached the final after losing the first leg by
\
\ Two years later, Grêmio once again took the regulations under their arm.\ They lost
\
\ For the red-blacks, however, the most traumatic confrontation happened in the 1997 final. The draw in
\
\ The only Rio triumph happened in 1999, with
Grêmio removes Victor and Souza due to 'internal criteria'
\
\
\ Team will only have three considered starters
\
\
\ Carlos Souza
\
\ PORTO ALEGRE. Grêmio, "by internal criteria", left out of the\ game against Flamengo two of its main players, both nominated for\ the award for the best in the Brazilian Championship: goalkeeper Victor and midfielder Souza. The\ team from Rio Grande do Sul will have only three considered starters (Mário Fernandes, Fábio\ Santos and Adilson).
\
Grêmio's football advisor, Alberto Guerreiro, stated that Victor and Souza were removed from the squad "by order of management." In reality, Grêmio wants to protect Victor from any potential failure that could jeopardize his performance on the Brazilian national team, where he is Júlio César's backup. As for Souza, his situation has become more difficult due to statements he made suggesting the team might "slack off." In addition to these two players, starters Rafael Marques, Maxi López, and Réver will also be out due to injury. Fábio Rochemback, meanwhile, is suspended, and Tcheco has left the club.
\
\ In the reserve team, defender Mário Fernandes and forward Douglas Costa stand out. Defender Léo and full-back Fábio Santos have already started. The experienced Túlio and Lúcio play.
History points to a rival to be respected
\
\
\ Rubro-negros are at a disadvantage in the statistics of clashes with the team\ gaúcho
\
\
\ Ary Cunha
\
The Emperor was still playing barefoot soccer at Vila Cruzeiro, and Grêmio was already a blister on the heels of every red-and-black fan. Contrary to the mocking campaign that has become the norm in the blue half of Porto Alegre since last Sunday, if there's one thing this afternoon's rival at Maracanã has never done, it's easily handed Flamengo a victory. For those who think the sixth title is a foregone conclusion, it's worth respecting the Gauchos' favorable record.
\
Since 1937, there have been 86 matches between Flamengo and Grêmio, with 29 wins for the Gauchos, 26 triumphs for the Rio de Janeiro team and 31 draws. The visitors also have the advantage in goal difference (
\
\
\
\ The only Brazilian final between the teams took place in 1982. After two\ draws (
\
\ Three disappointments in four duels for the Copa do Brasil
\
\ In Libertadores, the only duel was in 1984, deciding a place in the final, against\ Independiente, from Argentina. With the
\
\ In the last clash between the two teams, on August 16, Grêmio beat the red-black team, at the Olímpico, by
\
\
\
\
Just one victory is needed to end a 17-year wait
\
\
\ Fla will be six-time Brazilian champion today if they defeat Grêmio at Maracanã
\
\
\
\ PETKOVIC AND ADRIANO at Granja Comary: the greatest red-black hopes are placed on both of them
\
\
\ Marcos Penido and
\ Mauricio Fonseca
\
Seventeen years after winning its fifth national title, Flamengo is just one victory away from securing its sixth championship title. Leading with 64 points, coach Andrade's team only needs to beat Grêmio today at 17 p.m. at the Maracanã to equal São Paulo as the most successful team in the Brazilian Championship. If they draw or lose, they'll need to see setbacks from Internacional, Palmeiras, and São Paulo, all with 62 points.
\
For those who have been in the running for so long, their opponent in the final round couldn't be better. Out of contention even for a spot in the Copa Libertadores, Grêmio comes to Rio with a disfigured team, with only three starters. Not to mention that the team from Rio Grande do Sul has already made it clear that they have no interest in winning and handing the title over to their rivals Internacional.
\
\
\
\ Andrade can win his sixth Brazilian title
\
\
\
Flamengo's biggest opponent today will likely be its own anxiety. At least at the start of the game, the players will have difficulty controlling their nerves in front of a crowd of nearly 100 people, all eager for a great victory.
\
Coach Andrade took advantage of the days in Teresópolis, where the group took refuge before the final round, to finalize the details. Since he won't have defender Álvaro, who is suspended, he opted to bring David into defense alongside Ronaldo Angelim. With this formation, the team's style of play won't change, as one defender has been replaced by another.
\
But it is in the feet of Serbian Petkovic and the goals of top scorer Adriano that the red-and-black fans place their greatest hopes. These two, and Andrade, are the architects of Flamengo's comeback, which has won 14, drawn five and lost five matches since the former midfielder took over.
\
\
Adriano, who missed the match against Corinthians in the penultimate round due to a controversial burn on his left heel, was the standout performer in training at Granja Comary. He scored, delivered sensational passes, and even converted free kicks. He's ready to finish off his first competition since returning to Gávea after ten seasons with a flourish.
\
\ Petkovic, 37, had special preparations for the decisive game.\ He trained separately and only participated in training sessions on Thursday and Friday.
\
"Our team is an example of collective play. When that happens, it makes it easier for some to stand out," said the Serbian, who doesn't hide his excitement at being able to celebrate a title again with the Flamengo fans.
\
For Andrade, the achievement will have double the value. Besides being his first as a coach, the title will be added to five Brazilian Championships won by him as a player. Four with Flamengo (1980, 1982, 1983 and 1987) and one with Vasco (1989).
\
Yesterday, the team trained at the Granja Comary gym because of the rain and, in the early afternoon, returned to Rio.
\
Flamengo: Bruno, Leonardo Moura, David, Ronaldo Angelim and Juan; Aírton, Toró, Willians and Petkovic; Ze Roberto and Adriano. Grêmio: Marcelo Grohe, Mario Fernandes, Thiego, Leo and Fabio Santos; Tulio, Adilson, Maylson and Lucio; Douglas Costa and Roberson. Referee: Héber Roberto Lopes (PR).
\
\
\
\ TRANSMISSION: Rede Globo and Bandeirantes, Sportv and Rádios Globo and CBN/FM
Guardian of history
\
\
\ Zico interviews Andrade, the representative of the world champion generation in the fight for the sixth title
\
\
\
\ ZICO: RESPONSIBLE for the beginning of Andrade's career as a football coach
\
\
\
\ ANDRADE: GRATITUDE to the idol and unshakable serenity at the time of decision
\
\
\ Carlos Eduardo Mansur
\
It's no exaggeration to say that if Andrade is currently leading the Flamengo team that will be the six-time Brazilian champion if they defeat Grêmio at 17 p.m. at the Maracanã, the greatest idol in Flamengo's history has a lot to do with it. It was through Zico's hands that the midfielder of the world champion team, who formed a sort of midfield holy trinity with him and Adílio, took his first steps as a coach at CFZ in 1997.
\
Today, the serene man with a soft voice and thoughtful words is more than just the team's coach. Andrade's image currently symbolizes some of the most beautiful pages in the history of the red and black jersey. At the request of O GLOBO, hours after Flamengo defeated Corinthians and secured its sixth championship title relying solely on its own strength, Zico sent his questions to Andrade. "Reporter Zico" recalled the coach's early steps, Andrade's difficult moments at Flamengo, and the recovery of key players in the current campaign.
\
Andrade, for his part, doesn't forget the support. The 1981 team still exists. It doesn't play on the field, but friendship and cooperation unite those characters as a team.
\
"Zico gave me the chance to start. To this day, that midfielder is remembered. On the street, they tell me you can't mention one name without mentioning the other two. It's like a first and last name: Andrade, Adílio, and Zico.
From Andrade to 'reporter' Zico: 'I've always been honest. God watched over me'
\
\
\ After frustrations at Gávea, coach sees himself 'on the verge of a title'
\
\
\
\
\
\
In his interview with Zico, Andrade recalls the moment he decided to become a coach. He talks about his five years as an assistant at Flamengo and his stints as an interim coach that never turned into a permanent opportunity. During this time, he saw 11 coaches manage the team.
\
\ - I thought I would have to stay here a little longer and wait for a chance at another club\ - he says, giving the squad credit for their run in the Brazilian Championship.
\
\
\
\
ZICO: When CFZ do Rio was created in 1997, you were the coach of the first team, the youth category. In the first game, we lost by a landslide to São Cristóvão. In the return match, we returned the defeat. Did you think that being a coach was what you wanted for your future?
\
\
\
ANDRADE: Yes. When I stopped playing, there was only the academy, but not the CFZ club, which you later founded. I already had in mind that I wanted to pursue a coaching career. Then CFZ was created, and I realized that it could be my starting point. It was the first team I officially managed. And we built a great team. Some of the boys later played for big teams, like Camacho, who played for Botafogo, and Mário César, who played for Paraná. They had valuable players. The defeat in my debut didn't shake me. We then bounced back and qualified first in our group. In the junior team, we won the Octávio Pinto Guimarães tournament one year and finished runner-up the next.
\
\
\
\ How important is it for a coach's work to have experience in the\ youth teams?
\
ANDRADE: It's incredibly important. I spent four years coaching in the youth divisions, and it was crucial. Then, I spent three more years with the CFZ professional team. This allowed me to get to where I am today. It's an experience every coach should go through. You start having to lead 30 players with different mindsets and objectives. One might be thinking about their next contract, another about a transfer, or about the potential they could achieve. And, at the same time, you have to make them all strive for results. I had some great moments at CFZ. When I was coaching the professionals, we were one game away from reaching the top of the state championship. We didn't win the last game, against Portuguesa. Max was their goalkeeper and was inspired in those days. And when he didn't make the save, the ball hit the post. We hit the post three times.
\
\
\
\
\
\
\
\What lessons did you learn in all these years in which you assisted various\ coaches at Flamengo?
\
ANDRADE: I learned something from each of them. From Abel Braga and Celso Roth, for example, I learned about discipline. I hold on to that. If you don't have discipline, you won't succeed. But I also think it's essential to unite the group, to build a family. And these coaches also valued that highly. I compromise on a lot of things, but I think obedience, tactics, and adherence to schedules are mandatory. Here at Flamengo, I think we've managed to create that environment.
\
\
\
\
\
\
\
\ After the second stint in which you were not confirmed as coach, did you believe\ that you would still manage Flamengo again?
\
ANDRADE: In 2004, I took over seven rounds before the end of the Brazilian Championship and with the team in the relegation zone. I didn't do it alone, but together we managed to get out of that situation. There, I thought I had a chance. I would have a preseason and the State Championship to showcase my work, but the club decided to hire Júlio César Leal. I was an employee and had to accept it, but I was frustrated. I was never one to say, "I'm here and I have to become the coach." I didn't have that ambition. I was always honest with the coaches who came in and, above all, loyal to Flamengo. But I thought, naturally, I would have a chance. I even thought the best thing for me was to stay at Flamengo a little longer and wait for a good offer to manage another club. I didn't want to leave for just anything, just a structured project with planning. I even received offers, but they didn't interest me. Today, I think God is watching over me. I've always done the right things, honestly. Things are happening and we are on the verge of a title.
\
\
\
\
\
From the outside, I haven't been able to see more than three Flamengo games. But I think your greatest achievement was bringing back players who were discredited within the club and even out of the team, and who are now playing a crucial role. Was there any major difficulty along the way?
\
ANDRADE: We had a combination of factors working in our favor. Maldonado's arrival helped, as did the growth of Leonardo Moura, who had been criticized but is a crucial player. Zé Roberto understood that to return to a high level, he needed to let go of some things and rethink his approach. Today, he's at the same level he was at Botafogo. Petkovic also arrived with little faith, but he showed what he was capable of. He understood that if he took care of himself, he would be very useful. Not to mention Adriano, who is different. This whole process has helped Flamengo regain respect. I felt like our opponents had lost respect. But the players were much more responsible than I was.
\
\
\
\
Decon started the investigation
\
\
\ Police
\
\
Operation Gol de Mão, which seized 8,000 tickets at the BWA headquarters inside the Maracanã stadium and arrested ten people, was launched in September by the Consumer Protection Department (Decon). Those arrested yesterday—six of them company employees and five scalpers—will be charged with crimes against the public economy and racketeering and could face up to five years in prison. Two of the employees were high-ranking officials. In addition to the tickets, the police also seized two weapons—a .38-caliber revolver and a .42-caliber pistol—computers, cell phones, and documents.
\
\
\
"We didn't want to just target scalpers. We then discovered how the ticket sales process works. The company is responsible for producing the ticket. After that, it's responsible for placing the magnetic strips that identify the ticket and for controlling the ticket offices and turnstiles," explained Chief of Police Rodrigo Oliveira.
\
\
\
\ Since it controlled not only the production, but also the distribution of tickets and\ entry to the stadium, the company could easily divert as much as it wanted, without control. The diversion, according to the police, was carried out not only\ at games, but at concerts and other events.
\
\
\
\ In addition to the ticket embezzlement, investigations reportedly discovered that, in games\ with smaller attendances, half-price tickets were sold to those who were not eligible, allowing ticket scalpers to jump the queue, buying a larger number of tickets than allowed.
\
\
\
This isn't the first time police have identified gangs operating ticket-selling schemes for major matches at the Maracanã. Last year, the Consumer Protection Agency (Decon) discovered that Fluminense's board of directors had sold fewer than half of the more than 68 tickets available for the Copa Libertadores final. Club employees were accused of diverting most of the tickets to scalpers.
Police seize tickets and say they have dismantled gang
\
\ Alleged scheme involved 8 free tickets. Ten arrested
\
\
\
\ POLICE OFFICERS CARRY documents seized in the operation
\
\
\ Simone Candida and
\ Tatiana Furtado
\
Ten people were arrested and 8 tickets for today's game between Flamengo and Grêmio were seized during a Civil Police operation carried out yesterday morning in the capital and Baixada Fluminense. Dubbed Operation Gol de Mão, the police operation dismantled an alleged scheme involving BWA, the firm responsible for manufacturing and selling the tickets. The confiscated tickets were intended for free admission (children under 12, adults over 60, among others) and cannot be sold. The tickets were returned to Flamengo, the home team, and will be available to those who benefit.
\
\
\
\ Fla and company claim there was a mistake
\
\
\
According to police, the seized tickets were to be passed on to scalpers and resold at a premium of up to 500% over the price of the blue seat, the section reserved for beneficiaries, which costs R$30. Since they were diverted, the gang's profits would be total. The possibility of selling the tickets was considered, but this was dismissed by Flamengo's board.
\
"These tickets were set aside for free admission. There was a mistake; the police didn't know their sale was prohibited. The tickets were being held with BWA to be delivered to the club tomorrow," said Flávio Pereira, Flamengo's fundraising coordinator.
\
\
\
According to state law, 10% of tickets must be reserved for children under 12 and over 60. And, according to the Fan Statute, all spectators must enter the stadium with a ticket to comply with the fan insurance, which is the policy for the ticket.
\
\
\
"The home club buys these tickets to comply with the law. They are not distributed. The eligible fan goes to the designated entrance, in this case the blue seats section, identifies themselves, and passes through the turnstile. The ticket is only given after it has been marked," Pereira explained.
\
\
\
\ To guarantee the safety of fans, the head of the Rio Civil Police, Alan\ Turnowski, informed that the police will supervise the entry of the elderly and\ children to know if these tickets will actually be intended for them.
\
\
\
\
According to the director of the Specialized Police Department (DPE), Rodrigo Oliveira, instead of selling tickets to fans at the box office, the company sold them directly to scalpers, who then passed them on at a premium. Police estimate that, for Brazilian Championship games alone, 20% of tickets were stolen, generating a profit of R$4,5 million for the gang.
\
BWA, the company responsible for ticketing, denied that it would sell the eight thousand tickets separately at the organization's base, located inside the Maracanã stadium. According to the company, the tickets were separated to comply with a Rio legislative order and were marked "sale prohibited."
\
BWA stated that the police made a mistake. In a statement, the company's director, Bruno Balsimelli, categorically affirmed that the company will collaborate with the authorities so that they can continue their work in tracking down those committing fraudulent tickets. The Civil Police reported that the investigation will continue.
\
\ COLLABORATED BY Flávia Lima and Karine Tavares
Final test for the title of Brazilian champion
\
\
\ After a lifetime of waiting, a generation that didn't see any achievement in 1992 is ready for the\ emotions of grown-ups
\
\
\
\ JÚLIA FIDELIS, Júlia Pinheiro, Ana Mesquita and Lygia Plastino: divided between the\ decisive game and the Enem
\
\
\
\ WITH THE HEXA engraved on his chest, Harley will reinforce the tattoo today along with the\ fans for the first title
\
\
\
\ WRAPPED IN THE FLAG, Felipe sees new achievements on the horizon
\
\
\ Pedro Motta Gueiros
\
Already on vacation, having entered the second year of high school, Felipe Lipking is preparing for the best summer of his life. Standing in front of the sea at Posto 9, he sees the horizons opening up in all directions. Next year, he'll vote for the first time. The car, college, and a serious relationship are a little further down the road. For now, his fidelity is exclusive to a lifelong passion. Born a year and four days after Flamengo won its last Brazilian Championship on July 19, 1992, Felipe grew up listening to the voice of Flamengo's nostalgia, as if the right to national happiness had been left in the past. At 16, their destinies finally met. For the fan and his team, the best moment is now, yet to come.
\
\
\
\
\
"I feel like the world is opening up to me with Flamengo. It's better than the World Cup," he said with the pure smile of someone ready for their first time. "I know and admire the club's past, but I don't get too attached. I prefer to look at what's yet to come."
\
\
\
\ A young fan base that matures along with the team
\
Judging by the fact that a child begins to understand himself as a person between the ages of six and seven, no Flamengo fan under 24 is aware of what it means to be a Brazilian champion. While the tide of great achievements has dried up, the red-and-black sea has made Rio de Janeiro an island of its hegemony. After 1992, Flamengo won eight state championships, a Copa do Brasil, a Mercosur championship, and a Champions' Cup, which allowed them to compete in the first of three editions of the Libertadores between 2002 and 2008. Just like the generation that spent its entire life waiting for the big day, the Flamengo team has finally matured.
\
\
\
\ - For the past three years, we have had good placements in the Brazilian Championship - said Robyn\ Frant, 21 years old.
\
\
\
As he crossed the Ipanema bike path on a skateboard wearing a Flamengo jersey, the designer was the image of someone ready to experience intense emotions without losing his balance. After so many years and forty minutes trying to get a ticket to the Maracanã, Robyn almost gave up. Motivated by a phone call from a friend, he ran to meet him but didn't dare cut in line at Gávea. Out of respect for the waiting crowd of so many Flamengo fans, he waited for his friend to reach the ticket window and buy the three tickets he was entitled to. Without jostling anyone, having reached the top on his own two feet, the Flamengo party is now more than allowed.
\
\
\
\ - It's a bit of a rare thing, I even joked with my friends that seeing Flamengo at the top of the table deserves a photo - said the designer who started to like football seeing Júnior, the symbol of the last title, playing beach soccer in the second half of the 90s.
\
\ Double decision on football and Enem day
\
\
\
\ Son of a Tricolor family, Robyn is one of the many examples of the growth of the red-and-black faith amidst the fast. Felipe Lipking is a deserter in a Vasco home, just like Fernanda Teodoro, 17, who went against her father, an Atlético-MG fan, to live intensely her Rio de Janeiro romance with Flamengo.
\
\
\
"It's a team with a lot of spirit, a lot of love," he said, facing the sea, waiting for a surprise as good as the one the team brought him. "I wasn't expecting much, the Cariocas always jump in. I wanted to get a ticket."
\
\
\
The party isn't for everyone yet. In the transition from regional to national dominance, between the end of adolescence and the beginning of adulthood, some red-and-blacks are facing a severe test. While the team is playing its luck, third-graders will be confined to the assessment rooms for the National High School Exam (ENEM), which will be administered from 13 p.m. to 18:30 p.m.
\
\
\
"We have a friend who regretted not being able to take the test at UERJ. From there, he could have gone straight to the game," said 18-year-old Lygia Plastino, another who exchanged the influences of a family of Tricolor and Alvinegro fans for the joy of being a Flamengo fan. "Flamengo is like a wave that sweeps everyone away, I went along with it. Because there are so many people, the passion is greater."
\
\
\
\ Like her friends, Júlia Fidélis, Ana Mesquita, and Júlia Pinheiro, Lygia is more concerned with issues related to her age, such as college, affection, and maturity, than with soccer. For them, Flamengo is not the end, the reason for existing, but a means of experiencing the achievements of their generation in all fields:
\
\
\
\ - It's cool because Baixo Gávea is always crowded.
\
\
\
At 15, Harley de Jesus is still in the school of life. At the Geração club, where he plays in Copacabana, the boy, who recently arrived from Bahia this year, has already been swept up in the wave that was building before his birth. He's already been to the stadium three times and has engraved his confidence on his chest. Although the tattoo his brother got a week ago will last 15 days, Harley will reinforce it today so that the sixth title will be even more visible and strong in his heart.
\
\
\
\ - Flamengo got me involved with emotion.
\
\ Red and black design to ward off youthful loneliness
\
For her Generation teammate, Beatriz Marques, involvement came from solidarity. Citing conversations about soccer with the gatekeeper, she attributes Flamengo's power to bring people together. Four kilometers away, 18-year-old Alexandre Rangel is living the decision alone. A resident of Guaratiba, he works at a kiosk in Ipanema and has never been to Maracanã, doesn't like playing soccer, but he's a Flamengo fan, and despite his shyness, he knows why:
\
\
\
"My favorite colors are black and red," he said, before showing his cell phone with its faded Flamengo emblems. "I really like video games and drawing. I made one of Flamengo: it's the vulture eating the dog's eye. I'll bring it for everyone to see."
\
\
\
The most anticipated image is Bruno lifting the trophy. Like the captain, there is a generation ready for new conquests. After a long winter, the best summer of Felipe's life and that of his contemporaries is just beginning.
Competition puts concepts
\
\
\ A
\
\ Flamengo's vice-president of football from 2005 until almost halfway through the 2009 Brazilian Championship,\ Kléber Leite disputes some assessments.
\
- I heard people saying that Flamengo had no place to train. It's absurd. It may not have the best training center in the world, but it's different from having nothing. It has four fields, clean, smelly locker rooms. In 2005, Flamengo was based in a dump.
\
\ But there are opponents with another reading.
\
"As for Atlético-PR, the assessment is wrong. There are business clubs that prioritize sales. If São Paulo were a business club, it would have sold Hernanes and others. Look at Figueirense, how many young players they sell. Cruzeiro sells a lot," says Marco Aurélio Cunha, São Paulo's superintendent. "A club with a strong brand that doesn't succeed is a business club."
\
\ His view of Flamengo is controversial.
\
"Mass clubs have enormous mobilization capacity. And that's why Flamengo exaggerates its right to make mistakes. It thinks its popularity allows anything, that there will always be someone to help because it has support," he says, before talking about the 2009 Brazilian Championship. "There was a very strong movement in favor of Flamengo. We gave it a chance, and we made a lot of mistakes. But there were strict decisions against São Paulo in various instances, from the court to the arbitration. Otherwise, we would be champions."
\
Vasco's executive director, Rodrigo Caetano, says that this Brazilian championship does not change his convictions.
\
- Management isn't just about structure. You can have the best computer and not have the gift of writing. Certainly, those who work at Flamengo have merits, but the work would be made easier by structure. A title can be an isolated event. What isn't an isolated event is São Paulo winning three years in a row.
Fla takes on Pinheiros at the Arena\
\
Flamengo faces Pinheiros today at 13 p.m. at the Arena Multiuso in Barra, in the seventh round of the Novo Basquete Brasil. Flamengo is fourth in the standings with eight points. The São Paulo team is eighth with nine points and a game in hand. The Arena will have a double lineup: fans who wish to watch the Brazilian Championship final there. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. at the Arena and cost R$20.
Column\ Ancelmo Gois
biggest\ crowd...
\
\
\ As the Corinthians-Vasco fan Lula would say, never before in the history of this country has there been\ such a demand for tickets for a football match as for today's Flamengo x Grêmio, which could give the title of Brazilian champion to the red-black team\ (Mengoooooooo!!!).
\
\ ...of the world
\
\ Estimates from Fla's revenue department show that, if Maracanã were\ infinite, the demand for tickets for the match would allow the sale, believe it or not,\ of something between 800 thousand and 1 million tickets.
\
\ In other words, ten Maracanãs would be needed.
Column\Fernando Calazans
End of uncertainties
\
The only reason we're certain that we'll have the 2009 Brazilian champion today is that we've reached the final round of the championship. If it weren't for that, I bet we'd still have things up in the air, as they have been up until now, with four or five title contenders and many others fighting to avoid relegation, in a championship that, at least in the second half, has maintained growing interest.
\
\
All the title contenders—all of them!—missed their best opportunities: Palmeiras, São Paulo, Inter, Atlético Mineiro, and even Goiás, which had its chance to reach first place and, on the very day, spurned it. The verb most used by critics during the competition was "to stumble." And the noun, naturally, was "to stumble."
\
\ But what I want to say is that Flamengo - the last to reach the top - may be the only one to break the record of those who refused to be champions. It is true that it already faltered in the weak little draw of
\
\ Well, today you have your second chance - which will also be your last.
\
Flamengo will depend heavily, as (almost) always, on its top scorer Adriano, if he has indeed recovered from the burn on his foot, which he claims was caused by a lamp in his garden. Adriano, as you know, is the king of unexpected events, almost always the silliest ones. No one defined the burn event better, just as he defined Adriano's entire life, than our own Ary Cunha, the great interviewer, in his article here in GLOBO: "Not everything is rosy in the Emperor's garden."
The last act
\
In the final round, Flamengo plays at home and only needs a win to win its sixth Brazilian championship. The rival's lineup, its poor away record, or the interest of the Grêmio fans shouldn't even be on the agenda for the Flamengo players, who have worked hard to reach their privileged position. It's about winning and lifting the trophy. And with all due merit.
\
\
What Andrade's team (the great revelation as coach this year) will need in the final 90 minutes is for Adriano to be the Emperor who led the scoring charts for practically the entire tournament; Petkovic, the maestro, who surprised everyone with his rebirth; Bruno, the wall of decisive moments; and players like Williams, Aírton and Ronaldo Angelim, perfect expressions of the red-black spirit.
\
\ If, in addition to this, Léo Moura and Juan play, even if only for a moment, the football\ that took them to the national team in the past, Fla will be irresistible and the title\ certain and indisputable.
\
\ Hands (and feet) to work!
\ \
SPORTS JOURNAL
Flamengo beats Atlético-MG in terms of attendance
\ \
Flamengo can now celebrate its first achievement: first place in average attendance. The red-and-black team beat Atlético-MG, which will play against Corinthians in a game without expectations and which did not reach an average of 30 fans. This game will hardly surpass the 5 mark. Flamengo's fans are truly the shirt
Countdown for the hexa
\ \
Bruno Braga - bbraga@jsports.com.br
\ \
Rio de Janeiro: Flamengo fans
\
In the buildings surrounding the hotel where the team's coaching staff is staying, a large number of balconies display flags in the colors of the Gávea team. Many fans wait anxiously to see their idols, who could give Rio de Janeiro its first national title played in a points-based format.
\
Everything is going well for Andrade's team. Coach Marcelo Rospide will be without seven players for the match. Some of the key players will be missing, including Victor, Rever, Souza, Tcheco, and Maxi Lopes.
\
However, for Flamengo's coach, accustomed to making decisions, he needs to be focused to avoid making mistakes. A title-winner, Andrade has already won the tournament four times with Mengão and once with Vasco da Gama. The mystery surrounding the starting lineup also plays a part in the atmosphere of the final.
\
"You have to go in focused, regardless of how they come in. I only reveal the official lineup 45 minutes before the game," the coach exclaims.
Emerson would do anything to play for Flamengo on Sunday
\ \
Emerson, striker for Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates, would do anything to be on the field for the red-and-black team this Sunday, the 6th. The player whose childhood club is the red and black, has his heart set on Rio de Janeiro. The striker feels like he is part of the future conquest, if it comes to pass, and sent messages to several players in the squad wishing them all luck. "I will be cheering from afar, but everyone knows that I would like to be at least in the audience at Maracanã," declared the player who will also take to the field this Sunday hours after the Flamengo game to defend his team Al-Ain.
Andrade only reveals the starting team on Sunday
\ \
Rio de Janeiro: Coach Andrade will only reveal Flamengo's lineup moments before the match against Grêmio. The coach will wait longer to find out how Flamengo will play this Sunday before setting up his team.
I tested a few options and I'll only announce the official lineup on Sunday. I don't know yet how Grêmio will play, so I'll wait a little longer. But we'll continue with the same drive and determination. I'm sure we're ready to put on a good match," he confides.
THE DAY
After 17 years...
\ \
Flamengo has a brilliant reaction and today can celebrate the sixth title
\ \
Rio - It's been 17 years. A lifetime of waiting in search of the country's greatest trophy. Today, at 17 p.m., at the Maracanã, against Grêmio, more than 80 fans who 'fought' for a ticket hope to celebrate the victory and Flamengo's sixth Brazilian title. It will be the final test for a team that was discredited at the beginning of the competition, and which relied on the strength of its fanatical Flamengo fans, the recovery of lost talent, and the determination of football workers to turn things around.
\
\ Considered out of contention even for a place in the Libertadores, Flamengo\ suffered. A draw with Avaí at Maracanã in the first rounds. A\ rout of
\
With Cuca's departure and Andrade's arrival, history began to be rewritten. In their debut, Flamengo defeated Santos at Vila Belmiro, an unprecedented feat in official matches. Adriano began to perform with enthusiasm, the game plan changed, and the players embraced the new coach's efforts. To top it all off, Petkovic got the chance he'd been asking for but hadn't received.
\
\ Thus, with mastery and tranquility, the team turned the game around, achieved important victories and began to see a real possibility of getting closer to the top four in the Brasileirão and dreaming of a place in the Libertadores.
\
In the 27th round, Flamengo had 41 points. Palmeiras led with 53, five ahead of São Paulo. The team was still four points behind Goiás, in fourth place.
\
\ That's when Palmeiras, in four games, lost three and drew one. São Paulo\ went three games without a win. In that sequence, Flamengo beat both rivals\ and changed the history of the Brazilian Championship.
\
But reaching the top four wasn't easy. Even with a streak of three wins and one draw, Flamengo was still in fifth place, and the defeat to Barueri turned a spectacular comeback into frustration and even led the team to be considered out of the title race. Once again, the final surge gave the red-and-blacks the hope they needed. With five wins and one draw in their last six games, Flamengo moved into first place, two points ahead of Internacional. Now, all they need is a win and a chance to celebrate on their home stage.
The Holy Trinity\Red and Black
\ \
Flamengo's standouts throughout the Brazilian Championship, Bruno, Petkovic and Adriano overcame several difficulties during the season and helped the team in its campaign towards its sixth championship title.
\ \
Rio - Bruno, Petkovic and Adriano. Flamengo's holy trinity performed a miracle by overcoming problems off the field, winning on the field and transforming a discredited team into the main contender for this year's Brazilian Championship title.
\
Each of the three had to overcome adversity to make their belief in a good Flamengo campaign a reality in the second half of the competition. Today, in the sacred temple of Maracanã, they will be the protagonists of a story of love, devotion, and overcoming that could end a 17-year drought without a Brazilian title. More than 80 Flamengo fans are awaiting the victory over Grêmio to shout "we are champions." And to say "amen" to Bruno, Pet, and Adriano.
ADRIANO - Matador\ finds happiness
At 27, Adriano recaptured the joy of playing football for Flamengo. Depressed in Italy, the striker returned to Brazil, to Gávea, to the arms and hugs of his family and friends at Vila Cruzeiro, to turn things around. In his return to the Rubro-Negro on May 31, the Emperor scored the second goal in the victory.
\
"I'm living a wonderful moment. From what I've been through from the beginning until now, I can already consider myself a winner. I can be the top scorer and also lift the trophy, I didn't imagine I'd get this far so quickly," he says.
Since returning to Gávea, the striker has been plagued by goals and questions about his conduct. Before signing with Flamengo, Adriano disappeared for two days, and it was discovered that he was at Vila Cruzeiro. At Gávea, he missed training sessions, citing diarrhea, fever, and family issues. The week before the match against Corinthians, Adriano burned himself on a motorcycle. "God knows the person I am on and off the field. I have character and personality."
\
Before Andrade, Adriano was coached by Cuca. The former coach's conduct drew criticism. "I was late, and Cuca started training early to show me that I was late. It was unnecessary," the player recalls.
\
Andrade took over and showered the Emperor with praise, which he reciprocates. "He understands the player, he's humble, and he deserves this achievement." Now, Adriano wants to soar. "My dream is to play in another World Cup," he confesses. The Emperor wants to be king.
PETKOVIC - Serbian seeks new happy ending
Dejan Petkovic is a stubborn Serbian, with a sometimes sarcastic sense of humor, who intensely experiences the emotions that football and life provide him.
\
This sentimentality hidden behind a wall of seriousness has won over a nation that is tireless in applauding and shouting the name of its idol. The story that culminated in 2001 may now have the most unlikely happy ending for anyone who goes back seven months in time.
\
When then-acting president Delair Dumbrosck announced an agreement with Pet to ease the club's coffers, the board split, and Márcio Braga, then on leave, had to intervene. The discussion created a hostile environment for the foreigner.
\
His hiring took place in May, against the wishes of even his father, who lives in Serbia. Elder Petkovic didn't understand his son's return to Gávea. His brother Boban didn't like the idea either, but he understood Petkovic's desire for redemption at 37.
\
Pet was fired by Cuca, who didn't give him opportunities. With Andrade, respect changed the trajectory of the red-and-black team.
\
In Serbia, the father raised his son with strict discipline. To this day, Pet calls Serbia almost every week for advice. On the field, he plays the opposite role with the young players and is called their father.
\
\ It was like that in the replay of the penalty kick in the victory over São Paulo by
\
\ Your understanding with Adriano, the Olympic goals and