Sunday was memorable for three of the approximately 50 fans who attended Maracanã last night. Thiago Pereira, Sabrina Silva, and Simone Lima were fortunate enough to step onto the Maracanã pitch moments before Flamengo's victory over Coritiba. They were three of the 10 winners of the Mascot Cultural Contest. To win the prize, they had the honor of having their quotes selected when answering the question "Why are Flamengo's vultures the most arrogant in football?", an initiative by FlaShop, Flamengo's Marketing Department, and Flashop.

Thiago Pereira, 24, lives in São Gonçalo but works at the Court of Justice, near FlaShop. He took his daughter, Thiana, one year and two months old, to Maracanã. "She always says 'Mengo' and 'The Emperor is back.' The little doll is ugly, but my daughter loved it. She started calling it 'vulture.' Being in the stands is a spectacle. The emotion of how the player feels," he says.

Simone de Lima, 23, a tourism graduate, had her first time on the stadium's pitch. "It was great. Wonderful. The excitement was overwhelming. I was surprised to win because I'm not very lucky. I almost couldn't believe it when I got the phone call because I never win anything."

For Sabrina Fialho da Silva, 19, a law student from São João de Meriti, the feeling of being on one of the biggest stages in world football is inexplicable. "It's impossible to explain. Hearing that crowd roaring from down below. It was truly amazing. And the game didn't turn the score around, it was just a great goal." Sabrina brought her brother-in-law, Ruan, with her.

By the end of the year, the other winners will be taken to experience the same excitement.

For more information about the mascots: http://www.flamengo.com.br/mascote/