At the end of a day in which thousands of fans stood in long queues at sale points in Rio seeking a ticket for Ronaldinho's debut against Nova Iguacu on Wednesday, Flamengo upped the anticipation with victory over their traditional rivals.
"He'll make his debut, he's anxious to. We've already lowered the rhythm of his training a little and now he's creating an expectancy and anxiety for the match," Flamengo coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo said.
"I have a few tactical options to set up the team and we're going to see which is best," Luxemburgo told reporters at the Enganhao stadium where former FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho watched Sunday's match.
For Vasco, yet to win after four matches this season, the defeat was another blow after former Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz turned down an offer to take charge of the team following last week's sacking of Paulo Cesar Gusmao.
