"The Maraca is ours, aha-uhu"
The stories of Flamengo and Maracanã have been intertwined in these more than 60 years of the World's Greatest Stadium
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
The sixty-year-old Maracanã is about to undergo a makeover. Although it's still in tip-top shape, the World's Largest Stadium needs some fine-tuning to ensure it's ready to host its second World Cup in 2014. That's why, this Sunday (September 05.09th), the stadium will host its final game before closing for renovations for the World Cup. And the match, of course, couldn't be anything other than Flamengo's.
After all, the histories of the Temple of Football and Brazil's Most Beloved are intertwined. Flamengo's biggest win at the stadium, a 12-2 victory over São Cristóvão in 1956, is credited to the club. Zico is the Maraca's all-time top scorer, with 333 goals. It was there that the Gávea team won many of its titles, including five Brasileirões and a Copa do Brasil, in addition to having played memorable matches, such as the 1981 Libertadores final and the 2001 Rio de Janeiro championship.
Three championships, in fact, four of which were won at the World's Biggest Stadium: 53-54-55, 78-79-79, 99-00-01, and 07-08-09. Having achieved memorable glory at the stadium, the Rubro-Negro has a largely favorable record at Maracanã, which is considered its home. There are 1023 wins, 472 draws, and only 409 losses in 1904 matches, with 3410 goals scored and 1944 conceded: a 62,01% success rate.
"Without a doubt, Maracanã is our main stage, where many teams have played and we have had many glories. It will certainly be missed during this period when it will be closed, but we will try to play the best game possible to leave a good memory," said supporter Renato, who won the 2006 Copa do Brasil at the stadium, in a thrilling final against Vasco.
"It was a very special title. Because of the rivalry, because it was with the Flamengo shirt, because of the fans' celebration... It really was an unforgettable match for me," he recalled.
After all, the histories of the Temple of Football and Brazil's Most Beloved are intertwined. Flamengo's biggest win at the stadium, a 12-2 victory over São Cristóvão in 1956, is credited to the club. Zico is the Maraca's all-time top scorer, with 333 goals. It was there that the Gávea team won many of its titles, including five Brasileirões and a Copa do Brasil, in addition to having played memorable matches, such as the 1981 Libertadores final and the 2001 Rio de Janeiro championship.
Three championships, in fact, four of which were won at the World's Biggest Stadium: 53-54-55, 78-79-79, 99-00-01, and 07-08-09. Having achieved memorable glory at the stadium, the Rubro-Negro has a largely favorable record at Maracanã, which is considered its home. There are 1023 wins, 472 draws, and only 409 losses in 1904 matches, with 3410 goals scored and 1944 conceded: a 62,01% success rate.
"Without a doubt, Maracanã is our main stage, where many teams have played and we have had many glories. It will certainly be missed during this period when it will be closed, but we will try to play the best game possible to leave a good memory," said supporter Renato, who won the 2006 Copa do Brasil at the stadium, in a thrilling final against Vasco.
"It was a very special title. Because of the rivalry, because it was with the Flamengo shirt, because of the fans' celebration... It really was an unforgettable match for me," he recalled.
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