Opinion – Juca Kfouri: Corinthians vs Fluminense is a classic that is part of the history of our football

In the first two times that Corinthians and Fluminense faced each other, no one won.

The year was 1933 and there were two draws, by 4 to 4, in Laranjeiras, in a friendly and, still in the same stadium Álvaro Chaves, by 0 to 0, for the Rio-São Paulo Tournament.

In the same year, also for Rio-São Paulo, in Parque São Jorge, the Paulistas won 2-1.

In the fourth game, only seven years later, again in Laranjeiras, the Cariocas got the change, 5-3.

Since then, there have been so many meetings that the one on Thursday night (15th) is the 118th, with 34 draws, 42 tricolor victories and 41 alvinegras.

It will be up to Fiel to tie the overall score because, team by team, there is also balance and the football played by Fernando Diniz’s players has been better than that of Vítor Pereira’s players.

It is true that in Itaquera Corinthians has obtained the results it needs when facing teams of its level, just as Fluminense is an irregular visitor.

Whoever wins will be in the finals of the Copa do Brasil, and the draw, as is known, will lead to the decision to the penalty mark.

The Corinthians player is betting on the presence of the veteran Renato Augusto, 34, and the tricolor is concerned about the absence of the young midfielder André, suspended.

It is difficult to choose the most important Corinthians vs Fluminense in history, although it is easy to point out the biggest, which to this day is a cause of astonishment anywhere in the world and even became a documentary: the famous semifinal of the Brazilian Championship of 1976, when calculated 70 thousand faithful they transformed Via Dutra into Avenida Corinthians and divided Maracanã, with 146 thousand fans, in a single game, decided in penalties, with alvinegro triumph, under a formidable storm in the summer of Rio de Janeiro.

It should be noted that the decisive factor that Sunday afternoon had as much to do with the energy of the phenomenon experienced in the stands as with the rain, because Fluminense, called “A Máquina”, was much superior.

Suffice it to say that the great Corinthians names were Zé Maria and Wladimir, while Fluminense had Carlos Alberto Torres, Edinho, Carlos Alberto Pintinho, Doval, Dirceu and, above all, Roberto Rivellino, two years earlier unfairly left Corinthians, as if he were the culprit for the loss of the state title in 1974, when there had already been 20 years of alvinegro fasting.

The answer came in 1984, in two games also for the semifinals of the Brazilian Championship, with a victory by Flu, in Morumbi, with 95 thousand fans, by 2 to 0, and a goalless draw, in Maracanã, with 118 thousand.

The irony was that, there, the star team was the São Paulo, with goalkeeper Carlos, Édson, Juninho, Wladimir, Zenon, Eduardo, Casagrande and, above all, Socrates.

The Flu then consecrated goalkeeper Paulo Vitor, Ricardo Gomes, Branco, Paraguayan Romerito and Casal 20, Washington and Assis.

Two legends will be defending the goals in this decision – Cássio, 35 years old, and Fábio, 15 days from turning 42. Both could have a fundamental role in the event of a tie in the 90 minutes.

To avoid it, Flu has the Argentine goal machine, Gérman Cano, 34.

Corinthians can only trust Yuri Alberto, 21.

Three-time champions in 1995, 2002 and 2009, the Paulistas dream of the tetra, and the Cariocas, champions in 2007, with the bi.

It is reasonable that the rare reader and the rare reader would want a guess from the columnist.

Well, they will want…

Until Sunday.