Vasco request Maracanã for Boca Juniors semi-final second leg | OneFootball

Vasco have formally asked to host the Copa Sudamericana semi-final second leg against Boca Juniors at the Maracanã. According to PaponaColina, the return game is set for 20 October at 21:30, one week after the first leg at La Bombonera, and Conmebol are awaiting only the stadium’s confirmation to update the schedule.

Confederation rules bar venues under 30,000 from this stage, so São Januário, cleared for just over 20,000, cannot be used. Estádio Nilton Santos remains the immediate alternative if bureaucracy blocks the primary plan.

Vasco argue the international break should protect the pitch, with Fluminense due there on 14 October in the Copa Libertadores and Flamengo not playing until 22 October. That leaves a 48-hour gap between the 20 October tie and Flamengo’s fixture.

The surface will also be tested next weekend by the NFL Rio Game 2026, Dallas Cowboys v Baltimore Ravens, on a state-reserved date. The heavy-duty event days before the continental semi-final is cited as evidence the venue can host major shows without selective restrictions on Rio clubs.

If the concessionaire insists on a veto, the club’s legal department will move immediately to secure home advantage at the public arena. In parallel, the board will shift the 28 October Brasileiro clássico to the Colina Histórica or Manaus with a 90-10 ticket split in favour of Vasco fans.

Staff and supporters hope negotiations allow the biggest possible crowd as the team push for a place in November’s final in Montevideo.

Source: PaponaColina

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”