By Lisa Flueckiger, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – None of Rio’s three clubs in the Série A, Fluminense, Flamengo and Vasco, could win this weekend in the eleventh round of this year’s Brasileirão, throwing Flamengo and Vasco into trouble at the bottom of the league table. Fluminense is confined to the fourth spot, as Sport from Recife had to cease the lead to Atlético-MG.
The season is a difficult one for popular club Flamengo, as they are currently placed fifteenth with only ten points after eleven games. Several new signings couldn’t change the fate of the club so far, even though the most prominent player, Paulo Guerrero, hasn’t yet arrived, as he was playing with Peru at the Copa America.
The rubro-negro lost their game against fellow bottom of the table Figueirense in the last minute in a home game at the Maracanã this weekend. The Rio club lead with 1-0 after a goal from June signing Alan Patrick early in the second half, but then had to concede two more as Figueirense snatched the victory.
Vasco das Gama is in an even more dire situation with only nine points. Behind the cruzmaltinos in the table are only Coritiba with eight points and Joinville with five. Vasco, the king of draws at the beginning of the season, lost their away game this weekend against Chapecoense with 0-1. To add to the stress of the Rio side, two players were sent off with a red card in the second half, complicating not only this match, but also several to come.
Fluminense is the only Rio club in the upper part of the league table, with the club reaching the G-4 after a shaky beginning of season. Flu is only two points behind leading clubs Atlético-MG, Gremio and Sport from Recife, the surprise leader for most time so far.
However, this weekend the tricolor also fumbled, as they only tied their game with São Paulo 0-0, who is also battling for one of the top spots. The Paulista club had more from the game, so Flu was lucky with the draw and also had the better end of the two clubs in the table as São Paulo fell to eighth.
In the Série B, things look brighter for the contender from Rio, Botafogo. The alvinegro lead the table with 23 points after ten games. This weekend they even trashed Sampaio Correa with 5-0, securing the top spot for another round.