Vasco Da Gama

The History of CR Vasco da Gama

1927 – SÃO JANUÁRIO ARISES, THE GIANT OF THE HILLS

São Januário Stadium

Confronting so much discrimination, Vasco started a campaign to raise money among the associates and followers for the construction of a stadium according to the greatness of its club. At its return to the division of the greater teams of the national soccer, in 1925, Vasco had a good championship, 13 victories, 3 draws and 2 defeats, finishing in 3rd place. In 1926, the “black shirts” climbed another step, getting to the vice-champion, winning 14 from the 18 matches disputed.

But the Vasco club and its members were much more interested in realize a dream that was the construction of a stadium than a state championship. Time was there to show them, they were right, in a few years after, there was the inauguration of São Januário, Vasco had built an Empire respectable of titles and international projection.

In little time the contribution of cheers and followers, the amount of 685 contos and 895 thousands of réis. The money was sufficient for the purchase of an enormous area in São Cristóvão. Having purchased the land, the next step would be even harder, raise again something close to 2 thousand contos of réis for the construction of the stadium. Once again, the power of united people made a difference, and in a little more than a year time, the construction started.

During the construction appeared a rock in Vasco’s way. The President of the Republic, Washington Luís, refused to authorize the importation of Belgian cement, previously used on the construction of the Jockey Club, even knowing that our country couldn’t provide the product for a construction of this big. The constructors, finally, found a creative solution, with the mixture of cement, sand and crushed rocks.

São Januário would become not only a beautiful stadium, but also a landmark in the history of civil construction in our country. 10 months after launching the principal stone, the stadium of São Januário was inaugurated on 21st of April 1927, with the presence of Washington Luís, who a little time before had made a hard time the continuation of its construction.

It was party time, and the inaugural game of the stadium. We received Santos, a team from São Paulo, which was considered a great potential club for the “paulista” (state championship in São Paulo) soccer at the time, and was defeated for 5x3. The negative score really didn’t matter, but what really is still in our minds is that the club had a new reality.

Till the year of 1941, when Pacaembú (stadium of Santos) was inaugurated, in São Paulo, São Januário reigned in absolute for 14 years as the biggest and best stadium in Brazil.

VASCO’S PLAYER CREATES THE OLIMPIC GOAL

In March of 1928, Vasco inaugurated the Light posts and the bleachers of one side, behind one of the goal bars, in a match against a team from Uruguay Wanderers. Vasco won with 1x0, with a goal scored with the kick of a corner, the ball making its trajectory straight to the opponent’s goal. Right through a player called Santana, there was born in that exactly moment the famous Olympic goal. This denomination was given to the fact that the team from Uruguay was the actual Olympic Champion. This kind of goal started to be called “Olympic goal”.

SURGES THE SHOUT “CASACA”!

As the well distinguished member Francisco Rainho said that, at that time, the negotiate João de Lucas, a cheer of Vasco, in love with the club, who a little late would found the organized cheer group (TVO), was used to celebrate his club’s victories with an alternative way. As Vasco also had gathered cheers from all different social classes, among all his friends from the club, there were people of the elite of Rio, with their impeccable clothing. To honor these people, João created a chorus, which would become his team’s shout:

CASACA, CASACA, CASA-CASA-CASACA!
A TURMA É BOA É MESMO DA FUZARCA
VASCO! VASCO! VASCO!

1931 – FIRST CARIOCA IN THE EXTERIOR

In 1931, Vasco got even closer to the state title. At the last turn, with one point over the América, the cruzmaltino team, lost for 3x0 to Botafogo, while the América was winning for 3x1 Bonsucesso and conquered another award.

In this championship, Vasco team gave the historic massacre over its greatest rival rubro negro, with an humiliate score of 7x0. But this wasn’t one of the most remembered facts in São Januário: Vasco became the 2nd national club- o Paulistano, from São Paulo, started – and the first carioca to be invited to an excursion to Europe, mostly to Portugal and Spain.

To reinforce the team the director invited Nilo, Carvalho Leite and Benedito (Botafogo) and Fernando (Fluminense). In 12 matches, Vasco won 8, tied 1 and lost 3. Scored 45 goals and suffered only 18.

The consequences of its success came right after: the players Fausto and Jaguaré were hired by Barcelona, one of the clubs, which suffered with the skills of those, called “the black shirts”.

1935 – IS BORN THE PEACE CLASSIC

Because of a fight with Flamengo, first started in the rowing, Vasco abandoned the League and created, with Botafogo, the Metropolitan Federation of Disports (FMD). Filiated to the CBD. In 1935 Vasco got the 3rd place. Even though the “black shirts” won again in 1936. The only club, which confronted was Madureira with 3 finishing matches.

The reconciliation in the Carioca soccer had its place in 1937, thank to the initiative of the presidents of Vasco and América, respectively Pedro Pereira Novaes and Pedro Magalhães Corrêa, on 29th of July was created the League of Soccer of the State of Rio, unifying all the medium and big size clubs of soccer from the state. To celebrate the victory out of field, both teams confronted themselves in São Januário, on the 31st of the same month, in a match with a record of collection in the city. Since then the matches between the 2 clubs got a nickname as “THE PEACE CLASSIC”.

1945 – SURGES THE DIAGONAL STRIPE

The Offensive Line on 1945

Vasco sought the reinforcement of Augusto (São Cristóvão), Eli (Canto do Rio), Danilo (América), Ademir from Sport Recife, along with Lelé, Isaías and Jaír (all of them from Madureira). With these names, the cruzmaltinos, built the bases of a team which would mark the history of Vasco da Gama, in Brazil and in the World.

The first step of Ondino Vieira was change the team’s shirt, having been guiding River Plate, the Coach was inspired with the uniform of the Argentine team and adopted a diagonal white stripe on a shirt colored black. And, for the warmer days, they created a white model, which would hold less heat, with a black stripe crossing. It was the end of the “black shirts” and the beginning of the “Express of Victory”.