Tough Weekend for Rio’s Football Teams in the Brasileirão

By Georgia Grimond, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Fluminense football (soccer) club, who have been Rio de Janeiro’s best hope in the Brasileirão ‘Série A’ national tournament, are now firmly in the middle of the table, even after beating fellow Carioca team Vasco de Gama 1-0 last night (November 1st) at Engenhão stadium. In Porto Alegre, Flamengo lost 2-1 to Grêmio, leaving the Rio team in eleventh position in the table with 43 points and just one place behind Fluminense who have 44 points.

The Flu, who were only last week knocked out of the Copa de Brasil, bounced back, racking up an important victory against Vasco and breaking their rival’s run of nine unbeaten games in the championship.

Gerson scored the only goal of the game in the injury time of the first half, and although Vasco had two chances to come back they failed to break even with one shot by Wellington Silva being stopped on the line and Riascos’s attempt hitting the post.

Despite putting in a good effort Flamengo registered their fourth straight defeat on Sunday evening. After goal at the beginning of the second half from Everton, Grêmio dominated the game. Flamengo had a few near misses but another goal, this time from Bobô in the 39th minute of the second half leaves Grêmio third in the table with 59 points.

Flamengo is moving ever further away from a place in the G-4, or one of the top places in the competition. On Wednesday, November 28th, five of the team members were fined by the board as they were involved in a “little party” in Recreio, in Rio’s Zona Oeste (West Zone), after Tuesday’s training session. Photos of the players drinking beer were posted on social media.

They will play Goiás on Sunday at the Maracanã. Fluminense will take on Chapecoense also at the Maracanã next Saturday, November 6th, and Vasco will face Palmeiras in São Paulo on Sunday November 7th.