Clássico dos Clássicos Today
"Clássico" is the Portuguese word for what the English call a "derby" -- a game between two teams from the same city. There are three big teams in Recife (there was a fourth, América, but the last fifty years have not been kind to that club), and the two oldest are Sport and Náutico. Thus, the clássico between them is the classic clássico, the Clássico dos Clássicos. And it's today.
The Campeonato Pernambucano has a bizarre format this year, designed to force a final game (which will boost TV revenues), but the teams -- specifically Náutico -- haven't cooperated and if Sport can win today then Sport will all but guaranteed the championship with seven games to go.
The last time these two teams played was in September, in Náutico's stadium (where today's game will be played). Toward the end of that game, Sport's forward Jadilson (wearing black) suffered this foul:
Jadilson had just returned from a year-long absence due to surgery on his other knee. Vagner, the Náutico player pictured with his foot on Jadilson's knee, received a yellow card and, after Sport appealed, a four game suspension. Jadilson has yet to return. In the aftermath of that game (which Náutico won 2-0) one of Náutico's directors was rumored to have suggested that Vagner deserved a contract extension as a reward for what he did. Vagner will play this afternoon and will receive all manner of rude and ultimately ineffectual abuse from Sport's fans, myself included.
The last two times these two teams have met in Náutico's stadium there have been problems. In early February of last year Náutico only opened one gate for Sport's fans to enter, and then closed that gate half an hour before the game started. Sport's fans had to walk around the stadium (which is built into a residential neighborhood in between the buildings, so the walk is not a short one) and enter the main gate used by Náutico's fans. Then they had to walk around the inside of the stadium, suffering physical attacks from the Náutico supporters, to the police barrier between the two crowds. This confusion prompted Náutico's directors to close the main gate as well, turning away hundreds of people who had already purchased tickets. I was lucky enough to have entered an hour and a half before the game started, so I watched all this while safely in the middle of my red and black clad brothers. Should I survive whatever happens at this afternoon's game I'll give a report here.
The Campeonato Pernambucano has a bizarre format this year, designed to force a final game (which will boost TV revenues), but the teams -- specifically Náutico -- haven't cooperated and if Sport can win today then Sport will all but guaranteed the championship with seven games to go.
The last time these two teams played was in September, in Náutico's stadium (where today's game will be played). Toward the end of that game, Sport's forward Jadilson (wearing black) suffered this foul:
Jadilson had just returned from a year-long absence due to surgery on his other knee. Vagner, the Náutico player pictured with his foot on Jadilson's knee, received a yellow card and, after Sport appealed, a four game suspension. Jadilson has yet to return. In the aftermath of that game (which Náutico won 2-0) one of Náutico's directors was rumored to have suggested that Vagner deserved a contract extension as a reward for what he did. Vagner will play this afternoon and will receive all manner of rude and ultimately ineffectual abuse from Sport's fans, myself included.
The last two times these two teams have met in Náutico's stadium there have been problems. In early February of last year Náutico only opened one gate for Sport's fans to enter, and then closed that gate half an hour before the game started. Sport's fans had to walk around the stadium (which is built into a residential neighborhood in between the buildings, so the walk is not a short one) and enter the main gate used by Náutico's fans. Then they had to walk around the inside of the stadium, suffering physical attacks from the Náutico supporters, to the police barrier between the two crowds. This confusion prompted Náutico's directors to close the main gate as well, turning away hundreds of people who had already purchased tickets. I was lucky enough to have entered an hour and a half before the game started, so I watched all this while safely in the middle of my red and black clad brothers. Should I survive whatever happens at this afternoon's game I'll give a report here.
posted by Venha Futuro at 12:03 PM
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