Estadio Serra Dourada is a renowned football stadium located in Goiania, Brazil. The stadium is owned by the state Government of Goias and has a seating capacity for about 50,000 people. It ranks on the 12th number in the list of largest stadiums in the country.
The stadium is the home ground of Goias Esporte Clube. Atletico Goianiense and Vila Nova are two other teams that use this stadium temporarily.
History
The construction of this grand stadium was completed in 1975 and it was inaugurated on March 9, 1975. The first match that was played in the stadium was between the home team and the Portuguese national team.
The game ended with the home team beating Portugal by 2-1. It was in this match only that the stadium saw its record attendance of 79,610.
Major matches
The stadium was initially one of the five biggest grounds in Brazil and hence was one of the important venues in the country.
While the stadium has not hosted an international match, it has been a regular host to the league matches. One match that is quite significant for the stadium was played in 1978 when the home team, Goias Esporte clube played against the Sao Paulo and was watched by staggering 78,000 spectators.
Controversies
On 21 April 1981, Serra Dourada was used as a neutral ground by CONMEBOL for Copa Libertadores group stage replay match between Atletico Mineiro and Flamengo.
The match eventually ended with Flamengo declared the winner by CONMEBOL as five of the players of Atletico Mineiro were sent off the field by the referee.
