EXPEDIENTE:
PROJETO
Depto. de Marketing FFC
REPÓRTER
Paola Antunes
REPÓRTER CINEMATOGRÁFICO
Flavio Pontes
WEB DESIGN
Novo Traço Comunicação
Idols
Fluminense always attracted and created national sports heroes. These players traced an unforgettable history imbued with art, love and racial pride. Tricolor athletes have respected and honored their colors from the beginning of the club’s long ascendant trajectory. Through the years teams have produced idols such as João Coelho Netto (Preguinho), Marcos Carneiro de Mendonça, Batatais, Romeu, Tim, Hércules, Ademir Menezes, Castilho, Didi, Telê, Gerson, Rivelino, Paulo César Caju, Edinho, Carlos Alberto Torres, Delei, Washington, Assis, Romerito, Waldo, Branco, Ricardo Gomes, among others. Fluminense has always been characterized by its unity and traditions. Below are just some of the Fluminense players who were integral in shaping an emotional and victorious legacy.
Henry Welfare - An Englishman from Liverpool, a skilled forward and the great goal-scorer of the first consecutive three-time victories, scoring fifty-six goals. He played for the club from 1913 to 1924. He only returned to Fluminense in 1952 to participate in the 50th anniversary festivities of the club, an affair his remarkable scoring made possible and which turned the club into a football powerhouse. The anniversary celebration was the only event which could entice him to leave the tranquil city of Angra dos Reis, where he laid down his roots after abandoning the sporting world. That July, he was surrounded and adored by various former colleagues of the 1917, 1918 and 1919 championships. The great red- and gray-haired man didn’t appear to be (but still is) the Fluminense sharpshooter with the greatest goal average: 163 goals in 166 games!
Preguinho - Jõao Coelho Netto, Preguinho (“Little Nail”), was a complete athlete. He competed in 8 different sports for Fluminense: football, volleyball, basketball, water polo, diving, swimming, hockey and track and field. Preguinho entered the gallery of great Tricolor idols, scoring the first Brazilian World Cup goal in a game against Yugoslavia in 1930 in Uruguay. His 55 titles and 387 medals in 8 sports not only solidified his idol status, but made him a Tricolor hero. For this reason, he was first player honored with the title of great benemerito athlete. After his death in 1979, “Prego” – as he was known to those close to him – was deservedly honored with a bust in the club headquarters and his name bestowed upon the Fluminense gymnasium.
Tim - Elba de Pádua Lima, a Paulista from Ribeirão Preto, arrived at Fluminense and formed part of a cast of players that lead carioca football between 1936 to 1943. He was just one of the stars on a team that won 5 carioca titles: three consecutive championships (1936/1937/1938) and two consecutive championships (1940/1941). Famous for his dribbling ability which destabilized the nerves and the defensive structure of adversaries, his talent was recognized and admired even by our rivals, the Argentines, who gave him the nickname “El Peón.”
After ending his career on the field, Tim became a coach. Because of his skill as a strategist, he lead Fluminense to its 1964 victory in the Campeonato Carioca in an emotional “best of three” series against Bangu.
Romeu - Perhaps the one player that transformed the midfield position into one which everyone wanted to play. He possessed a subtle touch, phenomenal lateral vision, and an area approach which often incorporated shots of surgical precision. He literally left opponents on the field when he executed the famous passo de ganso (“goose step”) dribble, known today as the pedalada (“step over”).
Orlando – This talented Pernambucan was known for accuracy, velocity and finishing ability. Though he was not physically endowed he compensated for this through his aggressive play, subtlety and expert reading of complex defenses. The nickname pingo de ouro (“drop of gold”) was bestowed upon him by the commentator Oduvaldo Cozzi. Orlando made his Tricolor debut in 1943 and remained until 1955 participating in 311 games and scoring 188 goals. Toward the end of his career, he retained his passion for the game and frequented the club daily to batia (“hit”) a game of tennis with a variety of friends he acquired during his sporting life, especially those from Fluminense.
Castilho - The technical qualities of the carioca Carlos Castilho were incontestable; but his adversaries, whom he infuriated with his resplendent abilities, attribute it all to luck. One might label it envy, since they all would have liked to have Castilho on their teams. Placement, courage and security: these were the attributes that made Castilho the greatest superstar in the history of Fluminense. Such an honored place is by no means easy to achieve in a club that boasts the likes of Marcos Carneiro de Mendonça e Batatais. Aside from his excellence as a player in an era of professionalism, Castilho demonstrated his love for the Tricolor by amputating a frequently injured finger thereby guaranteeing a speedy return to the field. Was he just lucky? Not at all. His technical abilities, commitment and passion for the Tricolor not only made him an idol, but a saint: São Castilho.
Didi - A native of Campos and a slender black man with a neck like Modigliani, who scored the first goal in Maracanã (the famous stadium in Rio). Didi certainly changed the history of world´s football. Unlike the great midfielders of his era, who employed their respective attacks with straight passes of short and medium distances, Didi employed an illusive powerful pass and was able to connect on long passes, the essence of the game. He treated the ball – to which he referred as a “child” – with such care and attention that he charmed all onlookers. This was particularly true in the World Cup of 1958 (Brazil’s first victory) where his elegant play earned him “best player” honor. He came to be known by the world as “Mr. Football.” Didi didn’t merely see the game, he anticipated it. He also utilized these characteristics to become a renowned coach. He developed players such as Rivelino, Paulo Cezar and Mario Sergio under his leadership. He referred to them as meninos (“the boys”), and these cracks formed part of the unforgettable Tricolor machine. “Didi, with the deceptively angled kick, like the look of Capitu.”
According to the famous journalist and sports telecaster Armando Nogueira. Capitu was a literary figure in the famous romance novel Dom Casmurro (1899) by the acclaimed Brazilian writer Machado de Assis (1839-1908). She is a mysteriousness character and suspected by her husband Bentinho of having an affair, which forms the psychological narrative of the novel.
Gerson - O Canhotinha de Ouro (“golden little left leg”) was the set-up man on the right side of Didi, from whom he inherited the skills to organize his game and the art of the pass. He was a strategist inside the four lines, able to quickly read the game and distribute the ball to his teammates. He was known for gesticulating and communicating, and referred to as papagaio (“the parrot”) not only by his teammates but also by members the National Team. Gerson demonstrated natural leadership, though he never wore the band of the captain. He was a winning player and ended his career in 1973 wearing the Fluminense jersey, the team close to his heart.
Renato Gaúcho – His arrival at Fluminense under contract uncertainties divided the opinion of fans, and on balance was a polemical player that many believed was near the end of his career. In less than six months, however, he was already a favorite among the Tricolor for his memorable plays and unforgettable goals which helped Fluminense win the title, which for 9 long years remained outside of Laranjeiras. In the Campeonato Carioca of 1995 between Fluminense and Flamengo, Renato scored a goal from his stomach at 44 minute mark of the second-half, leaving an indelible mark in the memories of Tricolor fans. The Gaúcho with the soul of a Carioca; his lowered socks and a bandana on his forehead; always instilling panic in the defense of his adversaries. He will always be the source of great memories.
Thiago Silva - A fullback known for his technical refinement, velocity, defensive anticipation, soft touch, ball-placement, and strong right leg which was often fatal for adversaries. Though his time with Fluminense was brief, the attributes of this young fullback and 2007 Copa Brasil champion quickly won over Tricolor fans. During games the fans often shouted his name in unison and he always responded with the excellent play. Many fans emulated him by wearing wristbands on their left wrists, his registered trademark. Thiago identified with Fluminense immediately and spontaneously. He was born to wear the Tricolor jersey.
Fluminense x Ceará
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08/09/2010
Engenhão - 19h30
Campeonato Brasileiro 2010
| 1º | Fluminense | 38 |
| 2º | Corinthians | 37 |
| 3º | Santos | 31 |
| 4º | Internacional - RS | 31 |
| 5º | Botafogo | 31 |
| 6º | Cruzeiro | 31 |
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