Little Maracanazo


Little Maracanazo was a football match played between Fluminense FC of Brazil and Deportivo Italia of Venezuela in the group stage of the 1971 Copa Libertadores. Fluminense, managed by Lobo Zagalo who had just won the 1970 World Cup, were defeated 1–0.

History

Deportivo Italia was Venezuela's Champion of the 1971 season. The Italo-Venezuelan team traveled to the Maracanã Stadium and took home a 1:0 victory against the Fluminense FC. The goal was scored by central defender Tenorio. The Fluminense of famous Lobo Zagalo, Champion of Brazil, was defeated that year for the first time in its own Maracanã.
The Caracas daily El Universal wrote that:
The Deportivo Italia – under the direct supervision of Mino D'Ambrosio – that night went to the match with Vito Fasano as goalkeeper. At the defence there were Carlos "Chiquichagua" Marín, Tenorio, Vincente Arrud and Freddy Elie, while as midfielders Delman "Pito" Useche, Negri and Rui. In the attack played Alcyr, Beto and Militello.
In the magazine "Incontri" of Caracas, Bruno D'Ambrosio wrote that in the final half hour the goalkeeper Vito Fassano did miracles: three hits to the poles helped him, but while two knocked externally the door defended by Fassano, the third would have been goal if the goalkeeper had not deflected it with his fingers stretching in an incredible way. Fassano made the best game of his life, according to all the persons who saw the match.
Santander Laya-Garrido, who wrote the book "Los Italianos forjadores de la nacionalidad y del desarrollo economico en Venezuela", said with a special edition The Brazilian newspaper “Jornal Dos Sport” published the next day an article complaining about this disaster of the powerful Fluminense, champion of Brasil, while pinpointing that the Fluminense vice-president died of a heart attack during the match.
After 45 years the Venezuelan newspaper "Ultimas Noticias" still celebrated the victory in 2016

Match data & history

The Associated Press published internationally the following report about the match history the next day: