Fla-Flu

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Fla-Flu (truncation of Flamengo-Fluminense) is a football (soccer) matchup between cross-town rivals Flamengo and Fluminense, two of Rio de Janeiro's most popular teams. Matches are usually sold out and normally take place in the 92,000-seat Maracanã Stadium, located near downtown Rio, in the city's Maracanã district. The world record football match attendance between clubs is a Fla 0-0 Flu with 194,603 (177,656 ps.) in 1963 ^[1].

The moniker Fla-Flu was coined by the journalist Mário Filho during the professionalization of Rio de Janeiro's football. ^[2]

Flamengo and Fluminense are the most successful teams in Rio State Championship. Both teams have won the competition 30 times. However, at the national level, Flamengo has won 5 Brazilian National Championships (one is the 1987 Copa União), and 2 Brazilian Cups. Fluminense has won the Brazilian National Championship once and the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa once and 1 Brazilian Cup. Fluminense has never won a major international title, but has won minor competitions like the Kirin Cup, which Flamengo has also won. Flamengo has won one Libertadores Cup and one Intercontinental Cup, both in 1981. Fluminense is the only team in Rio that holds the IOC's Olympic Cup ("Coupe Olympique" or "Taça Olímpica"), a non-competitive award for distinguished service in upholding the ideals of the Olympic Movement and to recognise the particular merits of institutions or associations and their services rendered to sport, conquered in 1949. ^[3]

The rivalry between these two clubs began in October 1911, when a group of dissatisfied players from Fluminense left the club, and went to Flamengo, which at the time had no football section.^[4] The first Fla-Flu ever was played the following year, on July 7, 1912 at Laranjeiras stadium. Fluminense won this match 3-2, with 800 people in attendance ^[5]. The most recent Fla-Flu match was on February 10, 2008 which Fluminense won 4-1 over Flamengo.^[6]

The Fla-Flu matches are mentioned in Lamartine Babo's unofficial, but very popular, Flamengo anthem ^[7] composed in 1942 ^[8].

1 Important matches
2 Highest attendances in Fla-Flu
3 Statistics
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Important matches

On November 23, 1941, Flamengo and Fluminense disputed the Campeonato Carioca final, at Gávea Stadium. As the stadium is located in Lagoa neighborhood, the match was nicknamed Lagoa's Fla-Flu. The first half of the match ended 2-1 to Fluminense. Flamengo's Pirillo scored a goal in the 39th minute of the second half of the match, but Fluminense only needed a draw in the match, and won the competition. 15,312 people watched the match ^[9].

In 1991, the Campeonato Carioca final was again disputed between Flamengo and Fluminense. The first leg, played on December 13, ended in a 1-1 draw. In the second leg, played on December 19, Flamengo beat Fluminense 4-2. The Flamengo goals were scored by Uidemar, Gaúcho, Zinho and Júnior. Both Fluminense goals were scored by Ézio. Flamengo's Gaúcho was the top goalscorer of that competition ^[10].

In Campeonato Carioca's finals, Fluminense beat Flamengo in 1919, 1936, 1941, 1969, 1973, 1983, 1984 and 1995. Flamengo beat Fluminense in 1963, 1972 and 1991. ^[11]

One of the most famous matches ^[12] between the two clubs is the 1995 Campeonato Carioca final stage match, played on June 25 of that year at Maracanã stadium. In this match, Fluminense's Renato Gaúcho scored a belly goal, and his team won the match 3-2. Fluminense finished the stage with 33 points, winning the title, and Flamengo finished one point behind its rival ^[13].

The 2004 Campeonato Carioca had two matches played between Flamengo and Fluminense. On February 1, Flamengo won by 4-3, after Fluminense scored 3-1 in the first half. On February 21, Flamengo beat Fluminense 3-2, which gave Flamengo the Taça Guanabara title of that year ^[14].