The History of CR Vasco da Gama1958 – THE SUPER-SUPER CHAMPIONSHIPBrazil’s title made the Rio State championship even more special. With excellent players, Vasco sold its world champion Vavá to the Madrid Athletic. But not even missing this celebrity we decreased in efficiency: the spares, as the directors were previously expecting, technique commission and cheers, did a good job. At the end of 2 turns, Vasco, Flamengo and Botafogo had the same number of points. Was realized, then, a super championship, on a single turn rule, with the triangle playing each other. After defeating Flamengo for 2x0, Vasco lost for Botafogo, creating a new draw among them.The only way to resolve was, disputing the super-super championship. A victory of 2x1 upon the alvinegros and a draw of 1x1 with the rubro negros, granted the, so hard and super up scaled title for the club of São Januário.1965 – TROPHY 4TH CENTURY OF THE CITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO Within the inexpressive decade of Vasco in 1960’s the year of 1965 might have been one of the more significant ones for the club of São Januário. Celebrating the 4th century of the city of Rio de Janeiro, was organized a great tournament counting on Vasco, Flamengo and the selection of Eastern Germany. Vasco won Flamengo and the Germany selection, conquering, in a sensational way the title of champion of the 4th century trophy.1974 – THE FIRST TITLE OF NATIONAL CHAMPION
Jorginho Carvoeiro scored the goal, which granted the titleThe decision, previously scheduled for the Mineirão (stadium in Minas Gerais), was transferred to Maracanã, because in a previous match, directors from Cruzeiro (soccer team in Minas Gerais), declaring a penalty not given in favor Cruzeiro’s team ran into the field. Result, they lost the benefit of field and the game was transferred to the state of Rio. Cruzeiro of Piazza and Palhinha started scaring, but it didn’t take too long for our player Ademir score. At the last minutes, Nelinho, kicking from a distance scored 1x1. The agony only ended at the 36th minute, when Alcir sent Jorginho Carvoeiro, who divided with the goalkeeper Victor and scored the goal, which granted the title. And as told, with its pioneer, Vasco wrote just another page of its history becoming the first club of Rio to be a national champion. 1987/1988 - THE DUBLE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP In 1987 our country cries the death of the poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade, although, the happiness through soccer was already guaranteed by this 2, Roberto Dinamite and Romario. Vasco’s team had a great Guanabara Trophy cup, getting to the finals with Flamengo and needing only a draw. Acted guaranteeing the 0x0. After the 2nd place in the Rio Trophy, Vasco disputed the final in a triangular with Bangu and Flamengo. The team from Moça Bonita, was massacred for 4x0. It was time to pay Flamengo back, and it was just that, with an magistral exhibition, a sensational pass from Roberto Dinamite, in one of the moments with the greatest beauty that Maracanã has even seen, the ball came easily for Tita, ex-player from Flamengo, who stroke Flamengo’s goal like a cannon, and then closing its lid. A better revenge would be just impossible. Vasco, State champion of 1987.In the state championship of 1988, after the vice-champion title of the Guanabara Trophy, Vasco began to show its power and won the Rio trophy. In this state championship, Vasco started a series of victories over Flamengo, getting to build the pentagon, winning 5 games in a role. The first (1x0) was still in the Rio Trophy, goal of the center forward Henrique. Following, already in the 3rd turn, after winning Americano and get a draw with Fluminense, Vasco beat Flamengo for 3x1, with 2 goals of Sorato and 1 of Vivinho.With this result the team from São Januário, would play the finals in two matches against the Rubro-negros, having the possibility to dispute up to four matches in reason of the necessary number of points. In the first game of the finals, Vasco won for 2x1, goals from Bismark and Romario. In the final match, having to have only a draw Vasco played in defense. Missing only 5 minutes for the end, the coach Sebastião Lazaroni took Vivinho and played with Cocada. Right after the starting, the right lateral gave a cut on the defense Edinho and shot from the begging of the area, scoring the title’s goal and getting into the club’s history. 1989 – THE DUBLE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP In 1989, with the sale of players to the exterior, Vasco, collected money to buy a super team. Bebeto was taken from Flamengo, in a great deal from Vasco’s directors, after an argument between the rival club and its player. To complete the force, arrived Luis Carlos Winck, Boiadeiro among many others.In an excursion to France, Vasco defeated a French team Metz and an IUGUSLÁVO red star winning the Metz tournament. Followed by the triple of Ramon de Carranza, defeating the Spanish Madrid Athletic, and Uruguay Nacional. It was time for another brazilian. Even with a great team, Vasco took a little while to proceed in the championship. The team was times having a brilliant game and times just a normal one, and then Bebeto was victim of various lesions, the title of favorite was already begging to be distant and when nobody could even believe, Vasco started to react in the matches, impressively, the hardest ones. It beat Corintians in SãoPaulo and the Internacional in Porto Alegre. With such a turn of table, it went to the finals with 1 point of advantage over São Paulo, which would be enough, just a simple victory to make Vasco once again champion. The coach Nelsinho gathered the players, and all of them agreed to play the first match away from home. So if, they lost they would be able to make a difference in Maracanã. The game in Morumbi (Stadium in São Paulo) Vasco used the strategy to let São Paulo come forward and to explore the counter attacks with speed. At the begging of the 2nd half, after the corner of Winck, Sorato headed with violence, on the right corner of the goalkeeper Gilmar, scoring the goal of the title. The goalkeeper Acassio, in an afternoon quite inspired realized some magistral defenses. Vasco won its title of 2 times national champion. 1992/93/94 - THE TRI STATE CHAMPIONSHIP With Maracanã closed for construction, after the terrible accident at the finals of the national championship in 1991, the stadium of São Januário was used as a stage for the principal games in the city of Rio. It was another title without losing a single game, after winning the 2 turns disputed, with no necessity of final. The team granted the conquer with a simple victory of 1x0, goal of Valdir against Bangu.On the last game of this competition, a draw with Flamengo of 1x1, was used as a twinkle in Vasco’s memory just to increase its happiness, Robrto was saying goodbye from the fields for state championships. The greatest attack player of the team at the time, he scored 698 goals in 1110 matches with the cruzmaltina shirt. Dinamite went out of the fields with the same simplicity that took him to success.In 1993, after being vice in the Guanabara tournament, Vasco recovered itself, winning the Rio Trophy and got the right to dispute the finals. After a victory for each side, Vasco played just to keep the draw against Fluminense, and went out of the field with the title of twice state champion.The year of 1994 was mark by the lightning passage of Dener in São Januário. Player who Vasco’s cheer and friends deposited much hope, he ended with a very short career. Died, tragically in an auto accident at the Lagoa Rodrigues de Freitas in Rio. He played only 12 matches and 3 goals, but enchanted the cheers with his talent. Even though it was not a year of only sadness, mostly for Vasco’s team, the conquer of the Guanabara Trophy with an humiliate 4x1 over Fluminense was just a good begging. In the last match against the tri-color of Laranjeiras, Jardel scored 2x0 and guaranteed the title, “Tri, Tri o Vasco é Tri” (3, 3, Vasco is 3 times champion) Sang really excited all of Vasco’s cheer all around Brazil. 1997 – VASCO IS 3 TIMES NATIONAL CHAMPION A few of Vasco’s cheer could ever imagine the spectacle, which they would witness in 1997. Edmundo, after faded passages through Flamengo and Corinthians was in Vasco’s team. Mauro Galvão, who had against himself the advanced age, was invited to assume the defense. Evair, with Edmundo’s approve, came to make an attack team. Till then nothing different, but then Lopes decided to make a random among these players with youth players developed inside the club or those who already played for Vasco.Edmundo established a new record of goals in a single match for the national championship, scoring six goals on São João’s team. In this same championship, he would break a new record of goals in national championships. It was a Sunday, and was finals’ day, 21st of December 1997, 90.000 cheers were gathered in Maracanã to watch their team confront Palmeiras, and become 3 times national champion, a simple draw would be enough. After a 0x0, Vasco raised its 3rd national award.1998 – STATE AWARD, REPRESENTING THE CENTURY It was year of celebration; the century was coming, year of glories. The team lost Edmundo for the Fiorentina, Evair for Portuguesa, but brought Luizão, who was playing for La Coruña and Donizete who was playing for Corinthians. All the other teams denominated “big teams” like Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafogo, in another rude act, disrespecting Vasco’s century, brought trouble to the championship, they tried to take away the brightness, but didn’t succeeded, even with a W.O. and many other unsportive feedback, Vasco was champion in advance playing against Bangu in Moça Bonita.To reinforce the idol as it always was, nothing more, nothing less than Mauro Galvão, the author of the title’s goal, already at the end of a complicate match, which seemed to end in 0x0. In contrary of the cheer of its greatest rival, in the year of its century, the Vasco team released a loud shout: WE ARE CHAMPIONS!!!1998 – VASCO IS 2 TIMES SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPION - LIBERTADORESAfter have sent the Mexican Chivas and América, and the Brazilian Grêmio and Cruzeiro home, Vasco’s adversary at the semi-finals would be the scary River Plate, which in the previous year had won even in São Januário, playing the Super-Cup.In Rio Donizete’s goals seemed to be insufficient to hold all the pressure in Argentina. In Buenos Aires Vasco was sub estimated by River Plate’s Coach, Ramón Diaz, who said: “Vasco isn’t a big deal”.With more than 50.000 cheers filling up the Monumental of Nuñez, River was winning for 2x1 till the last minutes, when Juninho in a master’s fault shooting, scored the draw and guaranteed the place at the finals of the Libertadores. For the first game against Barcelona of Guaíaquil, the other finalist, São Jaunário was the chosen stadium. There was no left over ticket from the 34.000 put out on sale.With goals of Donizete and Luizão, winning for 2x0, Vasco went forward seeking the title. In Equator, the team felt a tense atmosphere, of war, with woods and rock thrown towards the crowd. The pressure wasn’t enough to stop Vasco. Luizão and Donizete, once again, scored 2x0, Barcelona inshorted the difference, but Vasco turned champion of the Libertadores championship of 1998 and 2 times Sul Americano champion of soccer (1948/1998).2000 – VASCO IS 3 TIMES SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPION – MERCOSULA conquer to be kept in Vasco’s fellow’s memory for many years. Not even the most hopeful one could ever imagine that the team, ruled by the aster Romario, in midst of Parque Antártica, would return a score of 3x0, for 4x3, and walk out of São Paulo with the title of the Mercosul championship. But, once again Vasco showed why it is the team of victories.But who watched the begging of the sulamericana championship couldn’t ever imagine that Vasco would be the champion. Due to the fact that the team had a very bad first step, and was only able to get its classification for the 2nd turn thank to a combinations of results. At the quarterfinals, the team confronted the Rosário Central from Argentina. On a game in São Januário, a very skinny victory for 1x0, goal of Juninho Paulista.The returning match in Rosário, a simple draw would be enough for the brazilian team to go on, but one goal at the last minutes took the decision to penalties. And there was the young Helton, who granted the position by defending a penalty. After this struggle, Vasco went to the semi-finals to confront another Argentine team. This time, the adversary was River Plate. But the dread went to space on the first match in Buenos Aires. An incredible game, Vasco winning for 4x1, shut up everybody mouth. On the returning match, with the passport stamped for the finals, Vasco won for 1x0, just to show that the Argentine massacre wasn’t a matter of occasion. Then came the great final against Palmeiras. The team of Arcoíres was already saying that Vasco would be vice again.In the first match in São Januário, a victory for 2x0. A simple draw on the 2nd match would be sufficient to celebrate the 1st place stage. But the defeat for 1x0 in São Paulo, took the decision to a 3rd and decisive game. Then, everybody know what happened... Vasco, champion of the Mercosul Championship, with a victory of 4x3, the greatest turning over that’s ever been recorded in soccer history on the finals of a championship.VASCO 3 TIMES CHAMPION SULAMERICANO OF SOCCER2000 – VASCO 4 TIMES NATIONAL CHAMPION Another final. Another chance to conquer a title, the last one of the millennium. Another shout “we are champions”. But before all this, the cheer had to suffer a little more, seeing Vasco get over the humble São Caetano, the unexpected one.Of humble and unexpected, the “Azulão” (nickname given to São Caetano) from the Paulista interior had no traces. The coach at the time not well known, was running São Caetano, getting over 3 great tams from the national soccer. But the advantage of deciding the 2nd match at home belonged to Vasco. It was the 2nd decision of Joel Santana (Vasco’s Coach) within a month time.The Vasco team had an attack with the 2 Juninhos, Euller and Romario, with 18 goals, also counting with the security that Helton brought. That was more than sufficient. At the first game in São Paulo, the team from São Januario let the Azulão play around, and suffered the first goal. When Romario’s star started to shine, who brought all together on an occasion of pure opportunism, giving Vasco the chance to play the 2nd game with the advantage of a draw in 0x0.On 30th of December 2000, date of the 2nd and decisive match, there was an unfortunate accident with the fence of São Januário. After a lot of discussion the new and decisive match was scheduled for 18th of January 2001, in Maracanã. With Maracanã filled up with only Vasco’s cheers, the team became champion, once again, conquering the 4th national championship, by knocking São Caetano’s team with a score of 3x1.