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. America's mascot is a devil. America also sponsors a beach American football team, the America Red Lions.
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. 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. In 1913, the club won the state championship for the first time.
For the 1971 season, the club competed in the national Championship's first edition, finishing in 11th place.
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.
In 2006, America was the runner-up of Taça Guanabara. America played the final against Botafogo.
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. 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.
Honors
Other state titles
Third Stage of the Campeonato Carioca: 1955
Taça Jayme de Carvalho: 1976
Rio de Janeiro Extra Tournament: 1938, 1952
Torneio Relâmpago: 1945
Torneio Início: 1949
Troféu João Ellis Filho: 2010
Taça Eficiência: 1936
Taça Disciplina: 1947, 1949, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1983
Taça Fernando Loretti Jr. de Aspirantes: 1944
Torneio Ary Barroso (mixed teams): 1965*.
International friendly
Imprensa Peruana: (1955) Quadrangular Sultana Del Valle: (1961) Quadrangular de Medellín: (1961) International Soccer League II (1962) Torneio Internacional Negrão de Lima: (1967) Taça TAP: (1973) Torneio Costa Dourada – Terragona: (1983)
National tournaments
Torneio Quadrangular Presidente Costa e Silva: 1
(1968) Torneio Luís Viana Filho: 1 (1968)
Youth team
Campeonato Carioca de 2° Quadro: 6 times (1919, 1923, 1926, 1929, 1930, 1932) Amateur Campeonato Carioca: 2 times (1936, 1940) Campeonato Carioca Carioca de Aspirantes: 1968 Campeonato Carioca de Juniores: 6 times (1933, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1940, 1941) Campeonato Estadual de Juniores da Série B: (2012) Torneio Início de Juniores: 1953 Campeonato Carioca Carioca de Infanto-Juvenis: 2 times (1969, 1979) Campeonato Carioca Carioca de Infantil: 1981 Campeonato Carioca Carioca Especial de Infantil (under-15): 2012 Campeonato Carioca Carioca de Juvenis: 1991 Copa do Brasil de Juniores runners-up: 2001
Women's team
Campeonato Carioca de Futebol Feminino runners-up: 2007
Current squad
According to the CBF register.