Sunday night's game showed why Fla-Flus are always a "Oh, Jesus." And, in the end, Flamengo came out on top. Fluminense, called a warrior by its fans, was the one who put on a performance that would make any "Spartan 300" envious. Down a man (Alvaro was sent off early in the second half) and after going into halftime down 3-1, the team from Gávea, with grit and the support of the fans, turned the game around, and with three goals from Emperor Adriano, secured a heroic 5-3 victory at the Maracanã.

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It was a victory worthy of a Fla-Flu victory. Therefore, it couldn't have been easy. In the first half, Flamengo didn't play well. Petkovic wasn't having a good afternoon, and the midfield provided little ammunition for the attacking duo of Adriano and Vagner Love. On the other side, a fast and attacking Fluminense team surrounded coach Andrade's team and fared better. Young Alan, Fred's replacement, broke the deadlock in the 14th minute, following a great pass from Diguinho, chipping it past Bruno. In the 40th minute, Alan received the ball in the box and Angelim pushed him. Penalty. Conca fired a lofted shot, leaving Bruno with no chance: 2-0.

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The Tricolor fans were celebrating in the stands and taunting the red-and-blacks when, in the 42nd minute, Petkovic reduced the deficit with a penalty. Flamengo's euphoria was soon quelled, however, in the 45th minute, when defender Cássio capitalized on a rebound in the box and put Fluminense ahead 3-1. The enraged Flamengo fans booed the team, which went to the locker room, urging the players to show grit, while the Tricolor fans praised their "team of warriors."

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But at halftime, a different Flamengo emerged from the Maracanã locker room, both in lineup and in attitude. Vinícius Pacheco and Willians returned in place of Petkovic and Fernando. A masterstroke by the "sinister" Andrade. The number 22 brought more speed and creativity to the Flamengo midfield. In the seventh minute, Vagner Love took advantage of a rebound in the Tricolor defense to reduce the deficit and reignite the game. The Flamengo fans then rallied behind the team, and a minute later, Vinícius Pacheco made a great play down the right wing and found Kleberson at the far post. It was the equalizer.

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At Maracanã, then, the color of hope changed from green to red and black. Even more so after Alvaro's red card in the 17th minute. Down ten men, Flamengo began to come under pressure, but they leveraged their attacking strength to surprise everyone and pull off a heroic victory. In the 37th minute, Vagner Love made a brilliant play from midfield and passed to Vinícius Pacheco. The midfielder found Adriano in the middle of the box, and he simply tapped it into the net. A comeback to drive any Flamengo fan wild.

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And there was more. At 44, Adriano received a superb pass from Vinícius Pacheco, advanced, and tapped the ball past the goalkeeper to score his third, Flamengo's fifth, and seal the Tricolor's coffin. A team of warriors? It's Flamengo, who remain undefeated in the 2010 season, with five wins in five games.

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FLUMINENSE 3 x 5 FLAMENGO

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Stadium: Maracanã
Date: 31 / 01 / 2010
Time: 19:30 p.m.

Referee: Marcelo de Lima Henrique
Assistants: Dibert Pedrosa and Luiz Antônio Muniz de Oliveira

Fluminense: Rafael, Gum, Cassio (Kieza) and Leandro Euzébio; Mariano, Diguinho, Conca, Everton and Julio Cesar (Marquinho); Maicon (Willians) and Alan. Coach: Cuca
Flamengo: Bruno; Fierro (David), Álvaro, Ronaldo Angelim and Juan; Toró, Fernando (Willians), Kleberson and Petkovic (Vinícius Pacheco); Adriano and Vagner Love. Coach: Andrade

Goals: Alan, at 14, Conca, at 40, and Adriano, at 42 minutes of the first half; Vagner Love, at seven, Kleberson, at eight, and Adriano, at 37 and 44 minutes of the second half

Yellow cards: Cássio, Julio Cesar, Everton, Diguinho and Willians (Fluminense); Juan, Alvaro, Angelim and Willians (Flamengo).
Red card: Alvaro (Flamengo)