Flamengo gives new meaning to its relationship with America

If you’re a red-and-black with average mileage – too young to have tried out for the super-team of the 1980s, but with a few seasons of football under your belt – then your relationship with the Libertadores has been shaped by trauma. You have accumulated so much that you have lost count of the number of Wednesday nights you have spent awake, between anger and apathy, searching for an explanation in metaphysics and rehearsing the speech you will sing the next day at school or at work. From some bands you expected too much, and those let you down; From others, I expected nothing, and nothing came from them. But the routine was so painful that it required a construction of terms: it was the flamenco.

Realizing that it no longer hurts me as much as it used to, I go back to 2007, when I was surprised by the mediocre defender in Montevideo, and felt angry at Hector Baldassi’s whistle in the Maracanã. Or 2008, the year when everything seemed beautiful, until Cabañas became his biggest enemy overnight. Or even 2010, when the Universidad de Chile de Montillo bombarded the dreams of an empire of love.

Flamengo after the shocking defeat against Mexican America in 2008 - Photography: Alexander Casiano — Flamengo after the shocking defeat against Mexican America in 2008 – Photography: Alexander Casiano

In the following seasons, Flamengo reached the group stage early – and with unbearable results. In 2012, the image of Leo Moura interacting directly with Emelek’s goal would not have been as entertaining as it is today. In 2014 and 2017, you looked for the right sinners, the poor people, to atone for the wrath of the annoying fall to Lyon and San Lorenzo.

It would not be fair even if the Red and Black History of the Americas were written by Baldassis, Cabañas, and Montilus. And in just one year, the eternally unparalleled 2019, the Cavalry captured Lima – now his second home – and tamed his fate. It’s easy to brag after so many years, but you already knew, long before Gabriel Barbosa became immortal in two gridiron meetings, that that day, that year, would not be like the others.

Time has its own whims, and he decided that it would be necessary to wait for the 43rd minute for Betkovic, to begin the coronation of the perfect squad of the Portuguese captain Jorge Jesus, with Diego Alves, Rafinha, Rodrigo Caio, Pablo Mari, Filipe Luis, Willian Aarão, Gerson, Everton Ribeiro, Arascaeta, Bruno Henrique and Gabigol. Everything is so perfectly connected, like the 9 times table, that climbing is faster than thinking.

Flamengo is champion of the Libertadores in 2019 - Photo: Disclosure — Flamengo is champion of the Libertadores in 2019 – Photo: Disclosure

Without the same magic, but with inevitable efficiency, the result was repeated three years later. Dorival Junior’s team was far more humane: it had space for the hard-working goalkeeper Santos, the popular right-back Rodini, the erratic midfielder Thiago Maia and his opposing duo, Joao Gomez, who were still on the rise. The exceptional appearance appeared in the attacking duo of Gabigol and Pedro, who united for the first time to satisfy the idol of the red and black with 58 goals in the season.

Even more impressive is the 95% success rate in the competition, the best in Libertadores history – no team has ever won all their knockout matches. And if the final against Atletico in Guayagil seems a bit cliched, it’s because you deserve that peace.

Flamengo celebrates the Libertadores title at the expense of Atletico PR in 2022 – Photograph: Luis Acosta / Agence France-Presse

It is true that there were other disgraceful days, but they were so sandwiched between moments of ecstasy that they did not have the strength to obtain the status of Flamengada. Well, one of them hurts a little more than the others. But even he was fired, in an epic remake that took only four years to write. From a corner kick, Danilo in red and black headed the ball over; After four championships, an unprecedented brand has been built.

If São Judas Tadeo had promised you, during one of those sleepless nights, that within a few years, his Flamengo club would become the most successful Brazilian club in Copa Libertadores history, you would have responded with sarcasm. After all, flamenco was his routine. But He will never deceive you, and all your despair will be tempered by eternal glory. Today, Flamingar wins.