MAKING HISTORY, FLAMENGO BEAT FLUMINENSE AND REPEATS A DONE AFTER 80 YEARS IN THE CARIOCA CHAMPIONSHIP

Flamengo managed well the advantage they built over Fluminense and, after a 0-0 draw on Saturday night (16), at Maracanã, they reached the sixth consecutive Campeonato Carioca final. Having scored 2-0 in the first game, Rubro-Negro would have to be defeated by a difference of three goals to not be finalists. Fluminense, however, only scored against Rossi once, and Flamengo reached 11 matches without being conceded. In this way, the goalkeeper broke a record as the defender who had the most minutes with the Sacred Mantle without conceding goals.

All these achievements They were impressive, but one thing really caught the public's attention. Beating Tricolor, Mais Querido managed to get a place in the final of the Campeonato Carioca for the sixth time in a row, which the team hadn't done since the 30s and 40s, more than 80 years ago.

Flamengo was in the final in 2019 against Vasco, managing to win. In 2020 and 2021, the title victory was over Fluminense. The two teams met again in 2022 and 2023, but with different results: on both occasions Mais Querido was runner-up.

In times past, Flamengo began this sequence of finals in 1937, when they came in second place, losing to Fluminense. The same happened in 1938. In 1939 the title went to the Red and Black with a victory over Botafogo. The vice came twice, again, in 1940 and 1941, with defeats for the tricolor. Afterwards, there were three consecutive victories, against Botafogo (1942), against Fluminense (1943) and defeating Vasco and Botafogo (1944).

Just like in the past, Flamengo has Fluminense as its biggest rival in the fight for the title. This is because, in the current sequence, Rubro-Negro faced the tricolor team in four of the last five finals. In the old series, the Fla–Flu duo alternated between first and second place in five of the eight years.

The final of the current tournament will be divided into two matches , on March 31st and April 7th. Mengão's rival will be decided this Sunday (17th), in a match between Vasco and Nova Iguaçu starting at 4pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã.