Rio’s Vasco da Gama in Crisis in 2015 Brasileirão

By Lisa Flueckiger, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Rio de Janeiro football (soccer) club Vasco da Gama continued their negative series in the 2015 Brasileirão when losing to Goiás with 0-3 this weekend. The club has gained the fewest points ever after twenty rounds, since the championship has been introduced in its current way in 2006 and are firmly set at the bottom of the table, while Flamengo won and Fluminense remained in the G-4.

Vasco da Gama has not won any of their last six games and are now the ‘lanterna’ (tail light or bottom) of the table with only thirteen points out of twenty matches. While they only won three games in total, they lost thirteen and drew four.

The cruzmaltinos already have a six point gap to second but last Joinville and are nine points away from a non-relegation spot in the table. While there are still eighteen games left in this year’s championship, Vasco have maneuvered themselves into a very desperate situation.

The game against Goiás was exemplary for Vasco’s situation with the team awarding two penalties to their opponent, while having two players sent off, the first one after only nineteen minutes, and ending the match with only nine men.

Fellow Rio club Flamengo had a better weekend, beating São Paulo FC with 2-1 at the Maracanã. Under new coach Oswaldo, who replaced Cristóvão Borges, goals from Ederson and Guerrero turned the game around after São Paulo had led with 0-1.

Flamengo is set firmly in the middle of the table as thirteenth with 26 points, giving them a comfortable distance to the relegation zone. With a balance of eight victories and ten defeats, the rubronegro are having a mixed season, but only seven points difference to a G-4 spot.

Remaining in the G-4 is Fluminense, although the team lost their game against Joinville this weekend with 1-2. Joinville scored two goals in the final minutes of the match, allowing Flu to keep their G-4 spot only because Palmeiras lost against Atlético-MG. Flu is already ten points behind leader Corinthians.

In the Série B, Botafogo also lost their game of the weekend, with a 2-3 defeat against Paysandu. The Rio team is now second placed, one point behind leader Vitoria.