Flamengo gave another clear example of its individual and collective power by qualifying tonight for the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores, an instance in which it will rival Talleres or Vélez, after beating Corinthians 1-0, at the Maracaná stadium, after winning 2-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals in San Pablo.
The goal converted by Pedro seven minutes into the complement proved the superiority shown by the Cariocas throughout these 180 minutes of the quarterfinals on the scoreboard.
On the other hand, Corinthians, which had former Argentinian midfielder Fausto Vera as the starter, was never able to compete on equal terms against one of the most powerful teams on the continent, along with his fellow countryman and two-time champion of the Libertadores, Palmeiras.
In the first meeting between the two teams with the largest number of fans in Brazil, “Fla” prevailed last Tuesday with two great goals from Uruguayan Giorgian De Arrascaeta and “Gabigol” Gabriel Barbosa.
That difference ended up being decisive as well to dent the spirit of the Corinthians, who literally lowered their arms when at the start of the second period Pedro scored the third goal of this long game.
Now Flamengo will wait for the resolution of the key between Talleres and Vélez, which will take place from 9:30 pm on Wednesday in Córdoba, where Liniers’ men will arrive with the minimal but valuable advantage of 3-2 achieved in the first leg.
