Fluminense and Vasco begin Copa do Brasil semi, past ties split one apiece | OneFootball

Fluminense and Vasco begin their 2025 Copa do Brasil semi-final on Thursday at 20:00 at the Maracanã. The tie will act as a decider at this stage, each having progressed once before.

Globo.com notes the clubs have split their two previous Copa do Brasil ties. In 2000, Fluminense advanced on away goals after 1-1 at the Maracanã and 2-2 at São Januário.

In that second leg, Fluminense went 2-0 up through Magno Alves and Agnaldo. Edmundo hit two to level, but the draw did not suffice. Tempers flared after full-time and César, Fabinho, Viola and Felipe were sent off, then coach Abel Braga resigned after Eurico Miranda publicly criticised him.

Vasco answered in 2006, reaching the final. Edilson Capetinha settled the first leg 1-0, and in the return Valdiram scored on 31 minutes before Petkovic equalised, which still sent Vasco through. Across the previous 30 meetings then, Vasco had 14 wins to Fluminense’s five.

Valdiram finished top scorer with seven, including a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Iraty. Renato Gaúcho started him in the first leg of the final against Flamengo, but he was left out of the return after arriving at training drunk on the eve. He later told family he had turned up with a beer in his hand.

One footnote, Thiago Silva, now a Fluminense centre-back, was a starter throughout the 2006 campaign and left in 2009 for Milan, Italy.

Source: Globo.com