Flamengo Dominate Flu in Clássico
By Doug Gray, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – Flamengo were clearly not prepared to do their ailing rivals any favors on Sunday night as they disposed of Fluminense 2 x 0 with another masterful display from Adriano. A record crowd packed into the Maracanã to see Flamengo reaffirm their designs on a top-four finish, [...]
Fluminense Close the Gap
By Doug Gray, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – A long-overdue win for Fluminense against Avaí on Sunday at the Maracanã closed the gap at the bottom of the league, but the team remains six points off safety. Under-fire manager Cuca will hope that it sparks a change in form that could still save their [...]
Flamengo Eighth As Flu Flops
By Doug Gray, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – A convincing win for Flamengo at the Maracanã on Sunday puts the raça rubro-negro (ruby and black army) into eighth position, and should end any talk of crisis as they set their sights on the top four. Fluminense, on the other hand, were 3 x 0 [...]
Goalless Clássico
By Doug Gray, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – The pre-match talk was all about the poor form of the two Rio sides going head to head in round 22 of the Brasileirão and the unthinkable prospect of the city losing two teams to the second division next season. Few, however, genuinely expected the game [...]
Flu and Botafogo in Trouble
By Doug Gray, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – A long-awaited win has come for a Carioca side as Flamengo put away Santo André on Saturday, but for Botafogo and Fluminense the 2009 campaign continues to go from bad to worse. Botafogo registered their eleventh draw of the season in a thrilling 3 x 3 [...]
More Pain For Cariocas in Serie A
By Doug Gray, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – This week saw yet another disastrous round of the Brasileirão for the Rio clubs. Flamengo, Botafogo and Fluminense occupy three of the bottom seven positions in the league. Botafogo once again will be marginally happier having secured a point away to the mighty Corinthians, but the [...]
Serie A Carioca Round Up
By Doug Gray, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – Flamengo fans continued to vent their anger on Sunday during a disappointing draw with struggling Nautico. Vociferously demanding more of their players – who returned the gestures with some choice ones of their own – the never-ending demand from supporters for the league title looks an [...]
Fluminense and Botafogo Fall in Serie A
By Doug Gray, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – Both Fluminense and Botafogo now occupy positions in the bottom four while Flamengo is holding on to seventh position with a solid 2 x 2 draw away to Sao Paulo in round ten of the Brasileirao. Fluminense suffered a shock 0 x 1 home defeat to [...]
Botafogo’s First Win in Serie A
By Doug Gray, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – Progress of Rio’s teams in this year’s Serie A faltered once again. As a consolation, Botafogo is relieved to have won at home against Santos on Saturday. The three points lift them from the bottom four for the first time, while Flamengo suffered a 5 x [...]
First Serie A ‘Classico’ Falls Short
By Doug Gray, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – This years Brasileirão sees three Carioca teams vying for the championship, with Fluminense the lone winner from last weekend. The precious late win over local rivals Botafogo takes them up to 7th place in the table. For their part, Botafogo must find their first win of [...]