Taça Rio

Taça Rio, or Rio Trophy, is an annual Rio de Janeiro football tournament. It is the second stage competition of the Campeonato Carioca, the state football championship in Rio de Janeiro. It has been organized since 1978 by the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation.

Flamengo and Vasco da Gama are the most successful clubs in the tournament's history, having won the title nine times each.

Sixteen teams of the competition are divided into the two same groups of Taça Guanabara, which is previously held. However, unlike Taça Guanabara, each team of Taça Rio play against every team of the other group, rather than teams of the same group, once. The top team from each group play against the second team of the other group in the semi-finals in a single match, with the winner qualified for the final of the competition. The winner of Taça Rio plays against the winner of Taça Guanabara in the Campeonato Carioca Final.

Taça Rio was created in 1978, as an equivalent to Taça Guanabara. It was an individual tournament in the early years, and has become the second stage of Campeonato Carioca since 1982. While Taça Guanabara is the name of the trophy given to the Campeonato Carioca first stage winner, Taça Rio is the trophy given to the second stage champion.

Taça Rio was not held only in 1994 and 1995, during the time format of Taça Guanabara was changed. During these two years, though teams were still divided into two groups, the matches that played against teams from other group, traditional matches of Taça Rio, became the second phase of the group stage of the Taça Guanabara. Therefore, there was no need for the Taça Rio to be held.

In 1996, the traditional competition format returned, and the Taça Rio was contested again and the trophy was again given to the Campeonato Carioca second round champion.

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