GOOD NEWS! DE LA CRUZ TRAINS WELL AND SHOULD BE CONFIRMED IN THE GAME AGAINST MILLONARIO

Once again, Tite showed his ability to deal with absences and secured an important victory for Flamengo in the Brazilian Championship. Rubro-Negro beat Atlético-MG 4-2, in Belo Horizonte, demonstrating a dominance that could have resulted in an even greater difference in the score.

One of the most notable changes in the lineup was the inclusion de Carlinhos in place of Pedro, the team's top scorer this season. Pedro only entered the field in the final minutes, contributing an assist. In a press conference, Tite explained that the number 9 felt pain in his leg the day before the match.

"Pedro felt his leg yesterday afternoon. He ran the risk of not coming, he was prepared to come. I I'm not crazy. I told the president, it was a risk to start with him, he would explode. >

RUBRO-NEGRO DOMINION

Flamengo imposed itself from the start of the game, with goals from Bruno Henrique (2), Carlinhos and Ayrton Lucas. For Atlético-MG, Hulk scored both goals. The result kept Flamengo isolated at the top of the Brazilian Championship, now with 30 points.

Flamengo faces Cuiabá next Saturday, July 6, in the 15th round of the Brazilian Championship. The match will be played at Maracanã, starting at 8pm (Brasília time). Initially scheduled for 9pm, CBF changed the time due to Brazil's Copa América game.

After the 4-2 victory over Atlético-MG, at Arena MRV, in Belo Horizonte, in the 14th round of the Brazilian Championship, Flamengo's football manager, Luiz Carlos Azevedo, made a statement this Wednesday ( 3), criticizing the performance of the arbitration. The director highlighted two moves involving the video referee (VAR), which, according to him, harmed Flamengo.

Azevedo mentioned a penalty in favor of Atlético, scored with the help of VAR, and another move that he claims to have been ignored by the arbitration. In the first case, Hulk scored Atlético's goal with a penalty when Flamengo was already winning 3-0. In the second case, a possible penalty in the 41st minute of the second half was not signaled.

"I come here today, again, in order to be able, after a victory, a great victory for the team, against a great opponent, to understand the VAR criteria again. The arbitration committee has received our board, there is dialogue, but again in our understanding Flamengo. was harmed", said Azevedo.

About the penalty awarded for Atlético, Azevedo declared: "If it was Allan's penalty, which in our understanding it wasn't. Our athlete touches the ball first, in a continuous act of movement he has contact with the athlete from the opposing team, the field referee doesn't mark it, and simply the VAR calls to be able to award the penalty". Ramon Abatti Abel (Fifa-SC) was the referee of the match.

THE The director also questioned the failure to award a penalty in favor of Flamengo. In the 41st minute of the second half, Atletico midfielder Otávio allegedly tackled Erick Pulgar, from Flamengo. "I wanted to understand what VAR's criteria were in not awarding the penalty against Erick. There is no contact from the opposing team's athlete on the ball, our athlete is tripped, falls, and VAR simply doesn't call it", added Azevedo.

With the draw against Colombia, last Tuesday (2), the Brazilian team finished in second place in group D. Therefore, with the quarter-final clashes of the Copa América defined, Brazil will face Uruguay . The duel will take place next Saturday (6), at 10pm, at the Allegiant Stadium, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The website ‘GE’ decided to select the best players in the tournament in the group stage. With a predominance of Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay, two Flamengo athletes were chosen: Matías Viña and Nico De La Cruz.

“Another Uruguay defender who stood out in defense and attack. Viña scored a goal and provided an assist in three games“, wrote the website about the left-back.

“The Flamengo midfielder started the competition on the bench, but had an immediate impact on his debut and took over the position from Arrascaeta. He provided two assists and was one of the best players in the competition“, wrote GE about Nico.

Goalkeeper: Romo (Venezuela)

Right-back: Muñoz (Colombia)

Defender: Cuti Romero (Argentina)

Defender: Araújo ( Uruguay)

Left-back: Viña (Uruguay)

Midfielder: Richard Ríos (Colombia)

Midfielder: De La Cruz (Uruguay)

Midfielder: James Rodríguez (Colombia)

Striker: Luis Díaz (Colombia)

Striker: Lautaro Martínez ( Argentina)

Striker: Fajardo (Panama)

Marcelo Bielsa's team won the first three matches, in one of which he scored the biggest defeat of the tournament: he beat Bolivia 5-0, with a great performance from De La Cruz.

In the defensive sector, Matías Viña was a starter in every game, while Varela did not appear in any minute, remaining as an option for right-back Nahitán Nández.

In the creative sector, Arrascaeta started in the debut and De La Cruz came in his place in the second half . Then, in the defeat of Bolivia, in the following round, the order was reversed, Nico started and Arrasca replaced his teammate in the final minutes of the duel.

In the third match, against the tournament hosts, the United States United, the number 14 and Flamengo idol did not enter. De La Cruz again started as a starter but was replaced by Rodrigo Bentancur at the end of the second half.