CARACAS - Some say the Empire of Love is known worldwide. But that's a mistake. While he hasn't yet enjoyed the fame of the Emperor of Gávea, Vagner Love proved, by scoring two of Flamengo's three goals against Caracas (3-1), that this will soon change. Before the match began, the Venezuelans, who turned out in good numbers at the cramped University of Caracas stadium, were leading the party by a duo (a DJ and an entertainer) who were unfamiliar with the Artilheiro do Amor.

Roger Escobar, the person responsible for the music played at the stadium, has worked for the Venezuelan capital's team for eight years and showed some knowledge when asked about Flamengo.

"I know that Flamengo counts on Adriano and that the club's biggest idol is Zico. I really like football and I also know that it's the club with the biggest fan base in Brazil. Plus, I follow the official Twitter account (@CR_flamengo)," said the DJ, without mentioning Vagner Love's name.

"I know he's a striker who's played outside of Brazil and even played for the national team. Nothing more than that. He doesn't intimidate us," Escobar explained before the ball rolled.

The game began, Flamengo won, and Love scored twice—the first from the penalty spot and the second dribbling past the opposing goalkeeper. With a feisty style of play, the Flamengo striker left Venezuela with three points and another member of the fan club.

"Now I know I was wrong about this player. He has a lot of quality, he knows how to play and shows a lot of grit. He ran the entire field," praised Escobar, who had bet on a 2-1 score for the home team.

Before leaving the stadium, the Caracas DJ made a point of learning the nickname of the Flamengo star.

"El matador del Amor? Nice name, but what would it mean?" asked Escobar, who laughed heartily when he heard Vagner Love's story.