Vasco Da Gama

The History of CR Vasco da Gama

1898 – FOUNDATION

Francisco Gonçalves, the first President of CR Vasco da Gama

The XIX century, had its days already counted. Prudente de Morais, the 3rd president of our Republic, was ending up his term, the State of Rio de Janeiro (on that time D.C.) with a little more than 500.000 habitants, was the favorite place to the youth who participated in evening parties and performances of poetry. In midst of such cultural environment, the Rowing was one of the only sports with some privileged position in the city. On Sundays, a little and very well mannered crowed met together around the “Passeio Público square” and “Santa Luzia street” to see, in the clean water of the Guanabara bay, competitions between the boats from different teams and rowers.

At this time 4 young men – Henrique Ferreira Monteiro, Luis Antônio Rodrigues, José Alexandre D’ Avelar Rodrigues and Manoel Teixeira de Souza Júnior -, tired of traveling to Niterói to paddle with boats of Gragoatá’s Club, decided to found an association of paddle.

After a meeting in one of their houses, on the street Teófilo Ottoni 90, the number of seekers increased and the meeting were transferred to the Recreational Club Arcas Comercial (Commercial Arches, at São Pedro street). The idea was to get the additions of Portuguese clerks, who liked sports and didn’t have money for biking which was the moment’s fever.
It was time for the foundation. With 62 associates signing their presence, on the 21st of August 1898, in the club “Dramático Filhos de Talma” (Saúde street, 293) was born a giant called CR Vasco da Gama. The meeting was presided by Gaspar de Castro, who invited to secretary him, Virgílio Carvalho do Amaral and Henrique Teixeira Alegria.

ROWING THE FIRST SPORTIVE MODALITY

The purchase of the boats was priority to Vasco. The partners gathered, with much effort, finally could buy the whaling ships Zoca, Vain and Inconstant, which were following the specifications previously determined by the Fluminense Rowing Union, the association that ruled the nautical sports in the State of Rio.

On 04th July of 1899, Vasco won its first Paddle competition, in the new class with the Boat Inconstant, of 6 rowers. The dispute, denominated Vasco da Gama in honor to the new Club, was conquered with a garrison compounded by the Boss, Alberto de Castro and his rowers, José Lopes de Freitas, José Cunha, José Pereira Buda de Melo, Joaquim de Oliveira Campos, Antônio Frazão Salgueiro and Carlos Batista Rodrigues.

The year 1900 was a history mark for the rivalry between Vasco and Flamengo. In the first match in all rowing history in Brasil, and which was named with the Gávea’s club name, Vasco’s vessel was the winner!

Vasco’s fate was always the victory. Having so many excited cheers watching the competitions in the porch built by Pereira Passos at the shore of Guanabara Bay, the first State championship award didn’t take so long getting into Vasco’s hands, and it came in double, 1905 and 1906. In the year which Vasco was 2 times champion, 26th of August, Vasco’s rowers stoke their rival once again, winning one more time a competition named Flamengo.

The first triple championship conquered by Vasco da Gama and the first of all history in the State of Rio de Janeiro came in 1912, 1913 and 1914, with the vessels named “First Steps and Meteor”.

1904 – A CHALLENGE TO RACISM

The associates of Vasco da Gama voted a new president, the first black in all history among all sportive clubs in Rio de Janeiro at the time. At a time when racism was dominating the sport, Cândido José de Araújo, a black man who didn’t forget the elegance of a great gentleman of it’s time, had his term taken as example, present Vasco as a opened mind club with no prejudice.

1915 – SOCCER IS BORN IN VASCO DA GAMA

With such a success in the sea, it was time to raise Vasco’s flag over some other sports.
Brought from England, soccer, after a very timid start in the begging of the century, was starting to gain power and popularity among the “Cariocas” (people who live in the city of Rio). In 1913, a team from Portugal came to Rio in an invitation from another club called “Botafogo”, to dispute some matches. The relative failure of the team in its excursion wasn’t sufficient to put out the fire, which was the excitement of the Portuguese colony to this so unknown sport. In a little time, the Portuguese fellows, who became brazilian citizens, brought together their clubs in sake of the practice of this so uncommon sport, they were: “Centro Esportivo Português (Portuguese Sportive Center)” “Lusitano” and “Lusitânia”. From those 3, the only one that went trough was “Lusitânia”. The only team whose boarding only accepted Portuguese people in their board of players.

Vasco’s directory, really interested on forming a soccer team since the begging of that decade, was trying to persuade the Portuguese club to fuse into and become a single soccer team. What would stop them was the nationality problem, because Vasco’s laws would permit the union of people from all races, but the norm of the Metropolitan League of Athletic Spots (LMSA), which promoted the soccer in Rio, would forbid the participation of soccer teams without Brazilians in its board. Then Lusitânia gave up and accepted Vasco’s invitation.

On the 26th of November 1915, soccer was born in the gates of Vasco da Gama. A little more than 5 months after, on the 3rd of may, 1916, wearing a black shirt with a Cross representing the Order of Christ – wrongly called Cruz of Malta -, up at the heart’s direction, Vasco team had just featured, on the field of Botafogo, their first game, and it was against a club called Peladino Soccer Club, on the 3rd division of the Metropolitan League of Athletic Sports (LMSA). The result wasn’t very proudly, 10x1 for the rivals. The goal of honor from the “Cruzmaltinos” (Vasco), the first goal of Vasco’s history, was scored by Adão Antônio Brandão, a Portuguese who came to Brazil as a punishment, because his father wouldn’t forgive him cause of his lack of interest in study.

Adão scored the first goal in the history of CR Vasco da Gama

In the time when Vasco wasn’t a professional club Adão wrote his history in Vasco, as an athlete multi useful, having good development in many sports, such as: Athletics, Rowing, Swimming and Water polo. He played soccer till 1933, when the sport became professional in the Federal District.

The failure at the initial matches didn’t discourage the team. The first victory was a little time after, on the 29th of October 1916: Vasco won the River São Bento Athletic Association, for a squeezed but significant score of 2x1. Alberto Costa Júnior and Cândido Almeida scored the goals that made Vasco rejoice. The match disputed on the field of São Cristóvão, on the Figueira de Melo Street was counting points to the 3rd division of LMSA. Even though, the positive result wasn’t enough to climb some positions, so the “Cruzmaltina” club “Vasco” finished the championship in last place.

In 1917, the LMSA was reformed and began to be called Metropolitan League of Terrain Disports (LMDT). The number of participants of each division increased to 10, and the 6 clubs of the 3rd division – including Vasco – were promoted to the 2nd division competition. In the championship of that year, the team “Catete” was the champion, but the “Cruzmaltino” began to show its power, with 9 victories in 16 matches and winning the 4th position among all. In the following year the club “Americano” the capital’s team conquered the Championship, but Vasco got even closer this time, finishing the dispute in the 3rd position.

In 1919, Vasco, even with 9 victories, finished in the 5th position, leaving the title for Palmeiras. In the following year, we conquered a 4th position. In the championship of 1921, a LMTD reorganized the divisions, separating the 1st division in categories A and B. Vasco was conducted to the B and the good results didn’t take too long to show up. The “Cruzmaltinos” were closer once again. Two positions behind the champion club, “Vila Izabel” team.

1922 – GETTING TO THE FIRST DIVISION OF SOCCER

In 1922, the redemption. Vasco won the series B, in all the boards, which it disputed. Who went to the Stadium of Moraes and Silva street, on 17th July of that year, saw the team mostly run over the “Carioca” (State Championship), striking them with a humiliate 8x3, and rising the “Constantino Award”, the first one in all Vasco’s history.

The team ruled by the very straight coach, coming from Uruguay, Ramón Platero, played with Nelson, Ningote and Leitão, Nolasco, Braúlio, and Artur, Pascoal, Cardoso Pires, Torterolle, Claudio Honor e Negrito. The center forward was Claudio Honor, who scored 4 goals, followed by Cardoso Pires, with 2. Pascoal and Torterolli scored 1 each.

A lot more than a title, the strike gave Vasco the chance it needed to be among the great clubs, in Series A of 1st division, and to show its value. With a team even better and a crowd that began to show its power in the suburbs of Rio, it became easier than we could ever imagine. But, before, the team had to play São Cristóvão team, the last positioned of the principal division in 1922, to get a place among the big clubs, as we only got draw, Vasco won a so hard promotion, and São Cristóvão didn’t fall to a lower division.