Soccer-Fluminense overcome Flamengo to win Rio state championship

Fluminense won the Rio de Janeiro state championship for the 32nd time on Saturday when a 1-1 draw with Flamengo gave them the title 3-1 on aggregate. Edu got Cruzeiro’s consolation goal in the 90th minute. In the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, Gremio beat Ypiranga 2-1 to win their fifth state title in a row.

Fluminense won the Rio de Janeiro state championship for the 32nd time on Saturday when a 1-1 draw with Flamengo gave them the title 3-1 on aggregate. Gabriel Barbosa put Flamengo ahead in the 29th minute but German Cano equalised for Fluminense a minute before half time.

Cano, the Argentine striker who got both goals in last week’s 2-0 first leg victory, missed a chance to give Fluminense a win on the night when his penalty was saved by goalkeeper Hugo 17 minutes into the second half. However the draw was enough to guarantee Fluminense their first state title since 2012.

In front of 68,000 fans at the Maracana stadium, Bruno Henrique and Fred were sent off in the dying seconds of a typically pulsating game, Fred seeing red just 10 minutes after he replaced Cano. In Minas Gerais, Atletico Mineiro beat Cruzeiro 3-1 to win that state championship for a third successive year.

Former Porto striker Hulk scored a brace and Nacho grabbed another for Atletico, who added the title to the Brazilian league championship and Copa do Brasil trophies they won at the end of 2021. Edu got Cruzeiro’s consolation goal in the 90th minute.

In the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, Gremio beat Ypiranga 2-1 to win their fifth state title in a row. On a day of state championship deciders across Brazil, Atletico Goianiense, Brusque, Manaus and Cuiaba also won silverware.

Palmeiras play Sao Paulo on Sunday to decide the winners of the Sao Paulo state championship. Sao Paulo won the first leg 3-1 at home last week.