Classic day in futsal
Flamengo and Vasco play tonight, at 20 pm, in Volta Redonda
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
Tuesday night promises to be a thrilling affair at the Rio de Janeiro State Futsal Championship. The biggest rivalry in Rio de Janeiro's sport will be the highlight of the round. At 20 p.m., Flamengo and Vasco face off in Volta Redonda, with the red-and-blacks needing a win to remain in the top four and also thirsting for revenge. After all, in the first round, the São Januário team defeated Flamengo 4-2, snapping a two-year unbeaten streak that the Gávea team had maintained against their biggest rivals.
"Everyone knows about the rivalry between Flamengo and Vasco, and since we already lost the first match, it doesn't even cross our minds to lose again, especially since we hadn't lost to them in over two and a half years before the defeat in the first round," said winger Diego Panazio.
The match will be played on neutral ground to avoid clashes between organized fan groups, as occurred in last year's State Championship match at São Januário Stadium. On that occasion, the match didn't even start because Vasco fans invaded the court and attempted to attack Flamengo's players and coaching staff. Since then, matches between the two teams have been played outside the Marvelous City.
"I think it's a good idea, especially because there are few gyms in Rio de Janeiro that have the infrastructure to accommodate Flamengo and Vasco. Since it wasn't possible to play in these gyms, I support the decision to move the game from here, also to preserve everyone's safety this year," said Panazio, who was at the São Januário match in 2008.
The current Vasco squad includes two former players: Panazio himself and Michel Marques, who competed in the Futsal League and the Metropolitan Championship in the first half of the year. However, the Vasco squad is quite different from the team at the beginning of the year. None of the players from the League squad are still at São Januário. Flamengo, on the other hand, will be fully qualified for the match. The team has strengthened significantly and, despite some setbacks, remains firmly in the fight for its second title. The team currently sits in fourth place, behind Petrópolis, Cabo Frio, and América. The top four teams qualify for the semifinals of the competition.