America Football Club (Rio de Janeiro) explained

Clubname:America-RJ
Fullname:America Football Club
Nickname:AFC
Mecão
Diabo (Devil)
Rubro Carioca (Rio's Reds)
Sangue (Blood)
Ground:Estádio Giulite Coutinho
Capacity:13,544
Mgrtitle:Head coach
Manager:Josué Teixeira
Chrtitle:President
Chairman:Romário
League:Campeonato Carioca
Season:2021
Position:Carioca
Website:http://www.americario.com.br/
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America Football Club, usually abbreviated to America-RJ or simply America, is a Brazilian football team based in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in the northern neighborhood of Tijuca. The team compete in Campeonato Carioca, the top tier of the Rio de Janeiro state football league.

Founded on 18 September 1904, the club competed in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A several times, winning the state championship seven times. The club's home stadium is the Estádio Giulite Coutinho, which has a capacity of 16,000. They play in red shirts, white shorts and red socks.

The football anthem composer Lamartine Babo was a supporter of America.[1] America's mascot is a devil. America also sponsors a beach American football team, the America Red Lions.[2]

History

On 18 September 1904, Alberto Koltzbucher, Alfredo Guilherme Koehler, Alfredo Mohrsted, Gustavo Bruno Mohrsted, Henrique Mohrsted, Jayme Faria Machado and Oswaldo Mohrsted founded America Football Club.[3] In 1905, America, together with Bangu, Botafogo, Petrópolis, Fluminense and Futebol Atlético Clube founded Liga de Football do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro Football League), which was the first football federation of Rio de Janeiro.[3] In 1913, the club won the state championship for the first time.[4]

For the 1971 season, the club competed in the national Championship's first edition, finishing in 11th place.[5]

The yellow star just above their emblem represents their win in the Tournament of the Champions (Torneio dos Campeões) in 1982, which was a tournament organized by CBF to serve as a preview to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A tournament. Flamengo declined the invitation so America, the team with the best record after the selected teams, was invited to fill the spot. America won the tournament by beating Guarani in overtime at Maracanã stadium.[6]

In 2006, America was the runner-up of Taça Guanabara. America played the final against Botafogo.[7]

In 2008, America suffered a major blow by being relegated to the Second Division of the Campeonato Carioca. However, they won the Second Division in 2009, thus being promoted to the first level in 2010.[8] However, the club were relegated again in 2011 and continues playing the Second Division in 2015, returns to the elite of the Campeonato Carioca after five years vying for the Serie B, after beating the Americano.[9]

Honors

National
CampetitionTitlesSeasons
Torneio dos Campeões11982
Inter-state
CampetitionTitlesSeasons
Taça Ioduran11917
Taça Dr. Sérgio Meira11935
State
CampetitionTitlesSeasons
Campeonato Carioca71913, 1916, 1922, 1928, 1931, 1935, 1960
Campeonato Carioca Série A232009, 2015, 2018
Taça Guanabara11974
Taça Rio11982

Other state titles

International friendly

(1955)

(1961)

(1961)

(1962)

(1967)

(1973)

(1983)

National tournaments

(1968)

(1968)

Youth team

Women's team

Current squad

According to the CBF register.https://web.archive.org/web/20100802112621/http://www.cbf.com.br/php/acumulado.php?c=00001RJ

Top goalscorers

  1. Luisinho Lemos : 311
  2. Edu : 212
  3. Maneco : 187
  4. Plácido: 167
  5. Carola : 158
  6. Chiquinho : 102

Highest attendances

  1. America 1–4 Flamengo, 147.661(139,599 people seated), April 4, 1956
  2. America 0–2 Fluminense, 141,689 (120,178 people seated), June 9, 1968
  3. America 1–2 Vasco, 121,765 (104,775 people seated), January 28, 1951
  4. America 1–0 Flamengo, 104,532, April 25, 1976
  5. America 5–1 Flamengo, 102,002 (94,516 people seated), April 1, 1956
  6. America 2–1 Bonsucesso, 101.363, July 25, 1973
  7. America 2–0 Fluminense, 100,635 (92,516 people seated), March 17, 1956
  8. America 2–1 Fluminense, 98,099, December 18, 1960
  9. America 1–0 Fluminense, 97,681, September 22, 1974
  10. America 0–1 Fluminense, 96,035, April 27, 1975
  11. America 4–2 Benfica (POR), 94,642 (87,686 people seated), July 3, 1955
  12. America 1–1 Flamengo, 93,393, May 19, 1969

Mascot

One controversial aspect of the club is the official mascot: the Diabo (devil), depicted as a red demon complete with horns, pointy beard, curled moustache, a long fat arrow-pointed tail, hooved feet and a black cape. The club's old stadium was nicknamed Caldeirão do Diabo ("Devil's Cauldron"). In 2006 some of the club's fans, supported by then-manager Jorginho who is an Evangelical Christian, attempted to replace the diabo with a bald eagle, claiming that the devil was "unlucky". However, as the "diabo" is a traditional part of the club's story and with the original mascot the club conquered its greatest achievements and there was no change in the club's fortunes with the new mascot, the replacement was abandoned and it was considered that Jorginho's opinion was motivated by "religious fanaticism".[10]

Clubs named after America

America is the Brazilian club with the largest number of other clubs named after it. It has homonyms in Natal, São José do Rio Preto, Três Rios, Manaus, Teófilo Otoni and Fortaleza.[11]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lamartine Babo . pt . June 2, 2008 . E-Biografias .
  2. Web site: Histórico Red Lions . pt . July 8, 2008 . América Red Lions . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071205131630/http://www.redlions.com.br/historia.php . December 5, 2007 .
  3. Web site: America Football Club . pt . June 2, 2008 . Campeões do Futebol . https://web.archive.org/web/20080615211105/http://www.campeoesdofutebol.com.br/hist_americarj.html. June 15, 2008 . live.
  4. Web site: Rio de Janeiro Championship 1913 . pt . June 2, 2008 . RSSSF Brasil . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080313211933/http://paginas.terra.com.br/esporte/rsssfbrasil/tables/rj1913.htm . March 13, 2008 .
  5. Web site: Brazil 1971 Championship – Primeiro Campeonato Nacional de Clubes . pt . June 2, 2008 . RSSSF Brasil . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071031041357/http://paginas.terra.com.br/esporte/rsssfbrasil/tables/br1971.htm . October 31, 2007 .
  6. Web site: Campeonatos . pt . December 19, 2008 . America Football Club . https://web.archive.org/web/20090121201407/http://america-rj.com.br/campeonatos.php . January 21, 2009 . dead . mdy .
  7. Web site: Rio de Janeiro State League 2006 . pt . June 2, 2008 . RSSSF Brasil . https://web.archive.org/web/20080602013432/http://paginas.terra.com.br/esporte/rsssfbrasil/tables/rj2006.htm . June 2, 2008 . dead . mdy-all .
  8. Web site: Com Romário em campo, America bate Artsul e é campeão da Série B do Rio . Sidney Rezende . Luiz Maurício Monteiro . November 25, 2009 . pt . November 28, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091129143940/http://www.sidneyrezende.com/noticia/65479%2Bcom%2Bromario%2Bem%2Bcampo%2Bamerica%2Bbate%2Bartsul%2Be%2Be%2Bcampeao%2Bda%2Bserie%2Bb%2Bdo%2Brio . November 29, 2009 . live .
  9. Web site: Emoção e alegria: América vence e volta à Primeira Divisão do Rio depois de quatro anos. ESPN. 2015-07-16.
  10. Web site: Técnico do America veta palavrões e diabo como mascote . pt . October 19, 2008 . Planeta Gol . https://web.archive.org/web/20110706153917/http://www.planetagol.com.br/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=12753 . July 6, 2011 . dead .
  11. Book: Enciclopédia do Futebol Brasileiro Lance Volume 1 . Aretê Editorial S/A . Rio de Janeiro . 2001. 85-88651-01-7 . 120.