A look ahead to the game against Flu
101 years in the making, Fluminense U19 are our guests at St James Park on Monday evening (kick-off 7.30pm), for our latest friendly fixture in the pre-season schedule.And it is a ‘friendly’ in the truest sense of the word, with the bonds tightening all the time between the two clubs to commemorate each other’s role in footballing history.
The Grecians first visited Flu’s home at Laranjeiras in 1914 – and now, 101 years later, a Fluminense team will grace St James Park for the first time. It also comes 11 years since World Cup winner Dunga and the Brazilian Masters competed in an exhibition fixture at the Park.
The Fluzão have already competed once on English soil since landing at Heathrow Terminal 5 – they made light work of Southampton’s representative side and the 3-1 scoreline could have been wider.
With two tournaments in Europe forthcoming for Flu – the Cee Cup in Czech Republic and the Internationales U19-Fußballturnier in Germany – this fixture will help their preparation for those events.
But in particular, it will help their credentials for a first-team slot when the time arrives – much like the Grecians, Fluminense harvest many of their own players and they will be hoping to be involved in the senior setup sooner or later.
Tickets are available to buy in advance, and can also be bought on the day of the game at St James Park. Click here for full ticketing information.
This commemorative issue of The Grecian features a run-down of the visiting Fluminense side, a recap of last year’s centenary fixture in Rio de Janeiro against Fluminense U23, and a look at the stars who have come out of Flu’s youth academy to make an impression on the world stage.
Get yours for just £1.50 in and around the ground.