On November 15, Orlando City SC will take the field against Flamengo at the historic Maracanã in a game that looks to be one for the history books. The match will celebrate Flamengo’s 120th anniversary and will be introduced by a special ceremony before the game kicks off. First kick is scheduled for 3:30pm local time, 12:30pm ET and will stream live on www.OrlandoCitySC.com .
The Club
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, based in Rio de Janeiro was established in 1895 and played its first official game in 1912. The team plays in Brazil’s national league Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and are remarkably one of five clubs to have never been relegated to the Brazilian second division. Flamengo have won six Série A titles and three Copa do Brasil cups. The club was evaluated to be worth over 424.4 U.S. dollars in 2013.
The Stadium
Flamengo currently play their home games at Brazil’s biggest soccer stadium, Maracanã..
Maracanã opened in 1950 for the FIFA World Cup and the the final game of the tournament gave Maracanã the title for largest stadium by capacity as 199,854 spectators filled the stadium to the rafters. After the renovations were completed in 2013, the new capacity of 78,838 makes it the second largest stadium in South America.
Infographic: Maracaña: A Mecca of the Beautiful Game
Maracanã will be familiar to those who followed the 2014 FIFA World Cup as it hosted multiple group matches, the quarter-final, and the gridlocked final between Germany and Argentina that eventually saw a German win in extra-time.
The History
The wealth of history that Flamengo has would fill a thousand pages with highs and lows that would mesmerize any soccer fan, but the most iconic time period for the club was the Zico era.
Brazilian legend Zico is credited as the cornerstone of success that Flamengo built in the 1980s. He was a huge factor in the club’s push to their first Brazilian Championship in 1980. In 1981 Flamengo became the South American Champions, placing them to the Intercontinental Cup final against European Champions’ Cup winners Liverpool. Flamengo defeated Liverpool 3-0 in Tokyo which crowned them World Champions.
The Zico era was filled with glory as they saw two more Brazilian Championships in 1982 and 1983. Zico scored a total of 508 goals for the club and remains the highest scorer in club history. Zico left Flamengo in 1990 and went on to coach multiple teams after his playing career.
The Coach
Oswaldo de Oliveira is currently the head coach of Flamengo and holds a multitude of experience. His resume includes coaching positions at Corinthians, Fluminense, Palmeiras, Cruzeiro, Santos and many more. After winning multiple championships and cups around Brazil and a FIFA Club World Championship in 2000, Oliveira looks to add to his success in his second stint at Flamengo.
The Key Players to Watch on Sunday
While Flamengo’s history is full of great talents like Zico, the team still maintains a talented roster to this day.
Emerson “Sheik" is a high profile forward, three times Brazilian Champion in the last six years with three different teams. Emerson is also a FIFA Clubs World Cup champion with Corinthians in 2012.
Éverton da Silva is a Brazilian attacking midfielder. He is currently sitting on six goals and three assists for Flamengo and is a dangerous asset when Flamengo are pressing forward.
City Set To Play in One of the Worlds Most Historic Venues
Alan Patrick leads the scoresheet for Flamengo on the actual Campeonato Brasileiro, scoring seven goals. The dynamic attacking midfielder is followed by attacker Kayke, with six goals in the Campeonato Brasileiro 2015
Héctor Canteros is an Argentinian central midfielder who has played 47 games for Flamengo with three goals and four assist. He is a diverse player who contributes both offensively and defensively.
The Rivalries
Clássico dos Milhões (Derby of Millions)
The classic Brazilian derby between Flamengo and Vasco da Gama, both from Rio de Janeiro, is known as the Clássico dos Milhões. It is known to be one of the biggest rivalries in the world of soccer and it dates back all the way to the 1920s.
Fla-Flu
Flamengo against Fluminense is a heated cross town rivalry between two of Brazil’s most successful teams. This rivalry takes place on neutral ground in the Maracanã as the stadium is home to both teams.
Recent Form
While Flamengo currently sit in 11th place in the Brazilian Série A, there is less than 7 points between them and a Copa Libertadores berth. The Brazilian top tier is extremely competitive and can have massive shake-ups as the season draws near its close.
Flamengo recently got a massive win against Goias at Maracanã, winning 4-1. They will play with a high attacking style when they kick-off against Orlando City in the Maracanã.
