[8] On 11 December, the contract rescission of the central back Jadson Viera, who was on loan to the Nacional (Montevideo) (coincidentally, the chief opponent of the Vasco da Gama in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores), was signed.

[23] After many days with uncertainties and negotiations with various names like Newton Drummond (who refused the proposal) and Ocimar Bolicenho (who suffered rejection by the Vasco da Gama fans), finally announced the new director of football: Daniel Freitas (known as the "right-hand man" by Rodrigo Caetano) was presented on 5 January, along with Thiago Feltri.

[32] The defeat of Vasco da Gama to the Nacional was considered overwhelming and contributed to a discussion about the level of Brazilian football at the time, which had been initiated following games like Flamengo vs. Universidad de Chile (0-4), and Santos vs. Barcelona (0-4).

The situation was defined as the first time: Carlos Tenorio, after pass Felipe, made the first; Éder Luís, after crossing the young Dieyson, concluded with enough cold to give final numbers to match.

Play with the little public and low technical quality, was resolved in the second half: Juninho Pernambucano, Fellipe Bastos and Allan tried to leave the small crowd in the stadium happy.

In the second half, the game, which was already tense, won the air war: Diego Souza took unfair Ismael Benegas entry (which caused him a mark on the left calf), and the judge just gave the foul.

After the confusion, the Vasco da Gama began to have three difficulties: playing a man down, the violence of the Libertad players and passivity of arbitration commanded by the Chilean Enrique Osses in this regard.

In a similar bid, which occurred prior to the side of Libertad, the judge didn't impose a yellow card for Pablo Velázquez, which came even before leaving Rodolfo Gamarra.

On the way back to Rio de Janeiro, in the Aeroporto Internacional do Galeão, Fernando Prass, Felipe and Diego Souza complained about the hostile treatment of Libertad and their fans and incompetence of the arbitration led by Enrique Osses.

The team from Rio de Janeiro was about 70% of ball possession, but turned into opportunities, which made the crowd anxious and nervous (even because of Libertad tues docked some counter-attacks and power to be winners).

In return for the second time, two substitutions changed the landscape of departure: Juninho Pernambucano and Allan entered in place of Eduardo Costa and Éder Luís, respectively.

In days of tributes to Chico Anysio (Brazilian comedian who died on 23 March, who was a Vasco da Gama fan),[60] Resende opened the scoring with Elias, after pass from Marcelo Régis.

Renato Silva, Felipe and Dedé stages a scenes worthy of slapstick, and the ball fell to Miguel Curiel, who did 2-1 and set fire to the game.

[65] Vágner Love, after bid claim that there was a lack in Rodolfo, and ended up kicked, getting Fernando Prass by surprise, you just hitting the feet of Deivid, who opened the scoring.

After the game, players, managers and coaches of Vasco da Gama departed upward from the referee Wagner dos Santos Rosa, before his bad and biased performance, and had to be restrained by the Military Police and the GEPE (Grupamento Especial de Policiamento em Estádios), both present.

[69][70] On 12 April, Vasco da Gama closed his campaign in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores with a flourish, winning Nacional at Gran Parque Central in Montevideo, by 1–0.

Vasco da Gama, before the game was already qualified for round of 16, as well as the Libertad, but it was what was best to try to secure first place; unlike this, Nacional was a mixed as the team was eliminated from the competition.

In the second half, the pace of Vasco da Gama decreased, and the team was not forgiven: after failure of Fagner, Mario Regueiro made the Lanús' goal of the match.

But, just as in the first game, the rhythm of the team fell in the second half: Diego Valeri gave a good pass to Mariano Pavone, who get Fernando Prass of play and draw.

[86] On the same day of the Kim's release, Vasco da Gama healed the "hangover" by the elimination in Copa Libertadores winning Portuguesa by 1–0 at Canindé in São Paulo.

Still had time for one more: after a long pass from Rhayner, Araújo won Renato Silva in the race, dribbled Fernando Prass, and gave final numbers to match: 4–2, and party in Rio de Janeiro.

Early on, Diego Souza was fouled, and Juninho Pernambucano showed why he is considered one of the best free kickers in history to score a goal that left Marcelo Lomba property.

And Vasco da Gama arrived at his second goal: after a chest pass by Alecsandro, Diego Souza dribbled Titi and covered Marcelo Lomba, making a golazo and being cheered by the crowd in this stadium.

Rômulo's transfer was highly criticized by fans and media, who commented that, at worst hypothesis, should wait until the end of 2012 Summer Olympics for a possible appreciation of the young player.

Missing 15 minutes to the end of the game, William Matheus is overthrown by Lucas: Diego Souza charges very strong, and takes Vasco da Gama to victory.

Since the beginning of the match, Vasco da Gama imposed his tiki-taka play style, involving a confused and messy São Paulo team.

Lying on the lawn, dribbled two Botafogo players and touch to Alecsandro scoring the winning goal, making O Reizinho da Colina ("The King of the Hill") got out of the field cheered.

In the first half, Vasco da Gama, pressed after the defeat against Atlético Mineiro, had a horrible performance, which culminated in the goal of Júnior Urso, after counterattack that began with Éverton Ribeiro.

Includes all competitive matches Last updated: 2 DecemberSource: [citation needed] The only friendly of the Vasco da Gama in 2012 season was against Barcelona de Guayaquil, in a rematch of the final of the Copa Libertadores 1998.

Vasco da Gama were placed in Group B of the 2012 Campeonato Carioca with Fluminense, Boavista, Americano, Volta Redonda, Duque de Caxias, Bangu and Friburguense.