Opinion – Juca Kfouri: The immense Corinthians mission in Maracanã

On one side was the so-called “Doctor Horta’s Machine”, Fluminense with its stars: Carlos Alberto Torres, Edinho, Rodrigues Neto, Carlos Alberto Pintinho, Cléber, Gil, Doval, Rivelino and Dirceu.

On the other, Corinthians, with its workers: Zé Maria, Moisés, Wladimir, Givanildo, Ruço, Vaguinho, Geraldão, Neca and Romeu.

It was the year 1976, and the semifinals of the Brazilian Championship were played in a single game: Internacional x Atlético Mineiro, in Beira-Rio, and Fluminense x Corinthians, in Maracanã, sending the game to the best campaign.

The certainty of the Carioca tricolors was such that the president of the Flu, Francisco Horta, creative judge of law, challenged Fiel to attend the stadium.

The Faithful went. He shared the Maracanã with more than 140,000 fans and encouraged the white-and-white players to be protagonists of an epic afternoon.

The technical difference was such that just the unprecedented demonstration of passion would not be enough.

And then the imponderable tried to make a surprise.

São Pedro joined São Jorge and sent to see one of those typical summer storms in the Marvelous City, that Sunday, December 5th.

The sodden lawn evened out the technical difference, but even so, just 18 minutes into the game, Carlos Alberto Pintinho put Flu ahead.

The predicted Carioca victory was outlined under the downpour.

In the midst of the deluge, however, Ruço, with half a pull, equalized 11 minutes later.

There was practically no football, not even water polo, but a bullfight in the mud of the Maracanã slum.

Penalties came.

The tricolor legs each weighed a ton, and the white hearts flew as light as feathers. Pure happiness.

Result? Corinthians 4, Fluminense 1.

And then Timão went to Porto Alegre to play the decision with Colorado when the whole country expected it to be the Tricolor.

The decision of the Copa do Brasil this Wednesday (19) requires the Corinthians to overcome similarly, because Flamengo is known to be better and that was the case in the first leg, in Itaquera, when they didn’t win because neither Cássio nor the crossbar wanted to.

This time there will be no division between the Faithful and the Nation, times are different. The weather will also be different because the weather forecasts a clear night in Rio, although deciding on the penalty mark is a concrete possibility and, perhaps, the objective of Vítor Pereira, despite the fact that he denied it in the interview after the 0-0 of the first game. .

Pereira also complained a lot about the refereeing for the supposed penalty by Léo Pereira and the absence of the second yellow card to João Gomes.

In fact, there was no penalty, and the card given to Gomes was exaggerated.

It seems evident that Corinthians will try to repeat what they did successfully at home: put on the boots of humility to recognize their inferiority, something far from being shameful, just realism and pragmatism.

The advantage of “Máquina do Doutor Horta” was incomparably greater over Corinthians in 1976 than is that of Dom Arrascaeta’s exuberant team in comparison with the current team led by Cássio.

Therefore, the mission that appears can be faced and successfully accomplished, to defy the logic that determines that it is rare in two games for the best to be defeated.

Go Corinthians!

democratic nostalgia

If we lived in the time of Corinthian Democracy, the team would enter the field with VOTE DAY 30 on their shirt.