Time tunnel: Milton do Ó sinks Renato Gaúcho’s Vasco to drop zone | OneFootball

On one side, Fluminense led by Abel Braga with Vasco idol Felipe wearing the number 10 jersey. On the other, Vasco managed by Renato Gaúcho, a name immortalized in tricolor history, with Romário in the attack. A classic filled with protagonists, but ultimately marked by an unlikely hero: defender Milton do Ó, who, in his debut, scored the winning goal for Flu.

The duel took place in the 17th round of the 2005 Brazilian Championship. With the Maracanã under renovation for the Pan American Games, the classic was played at the Raulino de Oliveira stadium in Volta Redonda, where Fluminense held their matches during that period.

The victory was crucial for both teams, who were experiencing turbulent times. The Tricolor was on a streak of five games without a win, while the Cruz-Maltino was in the relegation zone.

The game

The classic started with Vasco better. Just six minutes in, Romário opened the scoring after receiving a deep pass and finishing as goalkeeper Kleber came out.

Fluminense took a while to find their footing, but managed to equalize still in the first half. After a corner kick and a scramble in the area, Tuta took advantage of the loose ball and leveled the score.

After the break, Vasco took the lead again. In a counterattack, Diego received a pass from Romário and finished precisely to score the second.

But the tricolor reaction came in the final stretch. With decisive participation from Felipe, Fluminense equalized with Beto, after a good deep play.

The turnaround came shortly after. From a free kick, the ball fell to Milton do Ó at the edge of the area. The defender hit a precise shot into the top corner, leaving goalkeeper Roberto with no chance, securing the tricolor victory.

How the 2005 Brasileirão ended

The Tricolor fought for the title that year, but the team stumbled in the final stretch and even missed out on the Libertadores. Vasco, on the other hand, struggled against relegation but reacted in time and managed to escape — the first relegation would only come in 2008, with Renato Gaúcho himself in charge.

Today's classic

Almost 21 years later, Fluminense has the opportunity to win the classic and, perhaps, put Renato Gaúcho's Vasco back in the relegation zone. The teams face each other this Wednesday at 9:30 PM at Maracanã, for the 7th round of the Brasileirão.

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