The decision of the Copa do Brasil, against Corinthians, is Flamengo’s priority at the moment. Even so, Rubro-Negro hosted Atlético-MG last Saturday (15), for the 32nd round of the Brazilian Championship, full of reserves. Of the starting players, only goalkeeper Santos and midfielder João Gomes (suspended from the return match, against Timão) were on the field in Rio de Janeiro. Among the 12 athletes who started the meeting on the bench, only goalkeeper Diego Alves was not trained in Gávea.
Against this backdrop, the 1-0 victory at Maracanã, the same stage as the match on Wednesday (19), at 21:45 (Brasília time), was widely celebrated by the Rio team and the fans. Despite Flamengo being out of the fight for the title, more than 51,000 red-blacks attended the stands of the stadium.
“We had a good game. Our team defended very well, was ready to counterattack. I’m very happy with the attitude we had, the way we played. It was a game that showed that Flamengo has a qualified squad. important result against a team that also competes with us. Physically, we feel the strength of the group, the commitment that is existing. Everyone is taken advantage of”, celebrated coach Dorival Júnior, in a press conference, after the game, which was broadcast live by National Radio.
Thanks to the victory secured with a goal by striker Everton Cebolinha, Flamengo went to 55 points, provisionally taking third place, with one more game than Corinthians, who had the match on Saturday, against Goiás, at Estádio da Serrinha, in goiânia, suspended by the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) of Football. Atlético, in turn, remains with 47 points and only did not fall from seventh to eighth place because, in a duel simultaneously with Maracanã, América-MG was surpassed by Fortaleza by 2 to 1, at Independência, in Belo Horizonte.
Flamengo’s attention turns to the final of the Copa do Brasil and returns to the Brazilian only next Saturday (22), when the team visits América at Independência, at 19:00. On Monday of the other week (24), Atlético takes Fortaleza at Arena Castelão, in the capital of Ceará, at 8 pm. The duels are valid for the 33rd round.
In the clash between Coelho and Leão do Pici, the people of Ceará had the brilliance of Thiago Galhardo, who scored twice. Tricolor went to 44 points, in ninth, but could return to tenth place if Botafogo beat Internacional this Sunday (16), at 6 pm, at Nilton Santos Stadium, in Rio. Also striker Wellington Paulista, from a penalty, scored for the miners, who are in eighth, with 45 points.
