BuzzFla: Flamengo at the Monumental de Núñez
Learn a little more about the history of Mais Querido at the legendary River Plate stadium, this Wednesday's opponent
By Lucas Dantas - in
Flamengo vs. River Plate. An international classic will dominate the spotlight this Wednesday, live from Buenos Aires. The Argentine capital will host the match that will determine Group 4 of the 2018 CONMEBOL Libertadores. Both teams are already qualified and can no longer be overtaken by Santa Fe and Emelec, so the match will determine the group leader and, consequently, who will have home advantage in the Round of 16 and, subsequently, the subsequent stages, depending on the opponent.
Playing at Monumental de Núñez is nothing new for Flamengo, who have even played regional derbies there, and also hold a significant record against River Plate. Want to know which one? Follow BuzzFla: Flamengo vs. River Plate to find out.
1) The numbers at the mythical Antonio Vespucio Liberti Monumental Stadium
Flamengo has played its football on that field nine times. Even though it's abroad, their record isn't bad. They've won three, drawn two, and lost four. Interestingly, Mengão scored 13 goals to Mengão's 12. It's extremely evenly matched, and the Mais Querido is no stranger to the pitch of Argentina's largest stadium.
Of the 13 goals scored, the top scorers are Luis Carlos and Rubens. Luiz Carlos played for Mengão from 1957 to 1962 and scored twice, both against River Plate. The legendary Rubens, who scored 83 goals for the Sacred Mantle between 1951 and 1957, also scored twice, both against Botafogo. Huh? Botafogo? Yes, we've explained.
All the other "top scorers" scored only once. They are: Joel; Henrique Frade, Lico, Zico, Nunes, Rogério, Edílson, Juan and Petkovic.
2) The first game
As incredible as it may seem, the first time Flamengo stepped foot in Monumental de Núñez to play was against traditional rival Botafogo. The result? Our victory, of course. Three-nil, not to mention the dance. Besides Rubens' goals, Joel left his mark in the match, which was part of Argentina's Quadrangular Tournament. And not only the victory, Mengão won the tournament with this match, which also featured Boca Juniors and San Lorenzo, with whom Flamengo drew 1-1 and 2-2, respectively.
3) The Brand Breaker
When one thinks of Flamengo vs. River Plate in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, the 1982 clash immediately comes to mind. And not because we won both games, the only meetings in the competition until 2018, but also because of the significance of the first match. In the entire history of the Argentine team in the competition, no Brazilian team had ever beaten the Argentines on their home turf. Zico led the then-World Champion team to a 3-0 victory that will never be forgotten. And it was also the greatest Brazilian victory on that field. Never had another Brazilian team beaten them. Millonarios by such a big difference. And after '82, it took 20 years for another Brazilian team, in this case Grêmio, to defeat River at home.
4) Balance, but the advantage is ours
Flamengo and River Plate have faced off on the football field sixteen times. We've won seven times, compared to theirs, and drawn three times, counting all competitions. The last victory was a while ago. In 1993, Rogério scored the only goal that sent the quarterfinal match to penalties. Flamengo prevailed 6-5. Since then, they've played five matches, with two draws and three losses. Relive Rogério's goal from that 1993 match below.
5) The last game
Eighteen years have passed since Flamengo last played at Monumental de Núñez. It wasn't a good result, but it was a great game. Playing for a spot in the semifinals of the now-defunct Mercosul Cup, the then-champion Mengão faced the Argentines at their home stadium in a wild game. Nothing happened in the first half, everything happened in the second. Seven goals. Nothing less than seven goals.
Before the first minute of the second half, Pet found Edílson, and the Devil opened the scoring. Saviola equalized in the seventh minute. Flamengo needed 10 minutes to score the second, with Juan. Juan... Eighteen years later, Juan won't be in Wednesday's game, but he continues to showcase his talent wearing the Sacred Mantle. In that match, he set up the counterattack with Pet, ran into the box, received the ball from the Serbian, and skillfully tapped it in, dispossessing Bonano. Two to one.
The score was ours, but Aimar's free kick leveled the score again. The Mais Querido needed a goal. And they did. Petkovic, with a masterful free kick, put Mengão ahead once again. However, it wasn't our night, and River still turned the game around. Eighteen years since the last meeting. It was time for a new duel. on the court Argentina. A familiar and unfeared course. This Wednesday, a new chapter of this world classic.