Attack on the North! Júnior fumes as Flamengo break tradition | OneFootball

Flamengo idol Junior wants the team attacking ‘toward the North’ in the second half

Historically, Flamengo plays the first half attacking toward the South Stand and, in the second, tries to score on the North side, to the left of the broadcast booths, in matches at the Maracanã. However, in recent matches, the opposite has been happening. The change has annoyed the red-and-black idol Maestro Junior.

“Certain traditions cannot be broken. Attacking in the second half toward where the largest number of die-hard fans are has been the way since I was a kid. Opponents knew it and, when they won the toss, they chose to take us away from that tradition. Do the research and you’ll see how many titles were won attacking that way,” Junior wrote on Instagram.

See this photo on Instagram A post shared by Nação News | Flamengo (@nacaonews)

HOW MANY GAMES HAS IT BEEN SINCE FLAMENGO ATTACKED TOWARD THE NORTH IN THE SECOND HALF?

Flamengo has broken the tradition in its last three matches at the Maracanã, against Cusco (PER), Coritiba, and São Paulo. In those games, Mengão attacked the North end in the first half and then went for goals at the South end. Despite the interrupted mystique, the record in this stretch is two wins and one draw.

WERE FLAMENGO’S MAIN TITLES WON ATTACKING TOWARD THE NORTH IN THE SECOND HALF?

The Maestro asked, and Coluna do Fla did a quick survey of the main titles at each end of the field. The first major achievement of the ‘80s generation came with a late Rondinelli goal against Vasco in the 1978 Carioca: the goal was scored in the net to the left of the booths.

Flamengo’s first Brasileirão title, in 1980, also featured Nunes scoring the title-winning goal while attacking toward the North in the second half, against Atlético-MG. The same happened in 1983, in the club’s third national title, with Adílio securing the trophy against Santos.

In the Libertadores, Flamengo has never been champion at the Maracanã, but the tradition held in the semifinals. In 2019, against Grêmio, four of the five goals came in the second half, attacking toward the North. In 2022, Marinho sent Mengão to the final by finding the net on the left side of the Maracanã against Vélez Sarsfield (ARG).

Petkovic’s unforgettable goal in the 2001 Carioca final also came on the left side, against Vasco. In the Copa do Brasil, Hernane Brocador in 2013 and Gabigol in 2024 also ‘killed off the game’ by scoring near the organized supporters’ section in the final stage.

SO, MESSAGE RECEIVED, CAPTAINS?

So the message has been sent to the team captains, such as Arrascaeta and Bruno Henrique. If Flamengo wins the coin toss on August 9 against Vitória, in the 22nd round of the Brasileirão, Maestro Junior hopes Leonardo Jardim’s team chooses to attack toward the South in the first half. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time).

SO WHAT’S THE AUTHOR’S OPINION, AFTER ALL?

— I admit it feels strange to me when Flamengo attacks toward the South in the second half at the Maracanã. Traditions are meant to be kept. The North end is where the Heartbeat of the Stands is, and that’s the side where Mengão earned historic titles and comebacks. What surprises me most is that the current squad players know this and are still slipping up in the coin toss — opined Pedro Paulo Catonho, a journalist for Coluna do Fla.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.