FLAMENGO CREATOR, VINÍCIUS JÚNIOR RECEIVES SPECIAL BOOT FROM NIKE BEFORE THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

This last Sunday (29), a meeting between two goalkeepers trained by Flamengo took place in the first division of Portugal. With Gabriel Batista, Santa Clara beat Boavista, from César, 1-0 and rose to fourth place in the competition.

The confrontation was completely dominated by Santa Clara, which gained access to the elite last season and has had a surprising campaign so far. The goal of the match was scored by striker Vinícius Lopes. The result leaves Gabriel Batista's team with 15 points, behind only Sporting (1st), Porto (2nd) and Benfica (3rd). However, the two former Flamengo goalkeepers were the highlights.

This is because Gabriel Batista did little against Boavista, but he still saved the two balls that went towards the goal. Santa Clara's absolute starter, the archer was very involved with the ball at his feet.

César, who returned to play in an official match after almost two years, received a new chance this Sunday (29). Despite the defeat, the goalkeeper showed he was prepared to take on the position despite the long period of inactivity. He made three difficult saves during the 90 minutes, in addition to intervening outside the box.

The result of the match leaves Boavista de César in 16th place in the Portuguese Championship after seven rounds. The team only has five points, with one win, two draws and four defeats.

Last Friday (27), coach Dorival Júnior called up the 23 players who will represent the Brazilian team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. However, Neymar was left out again, as he has not yet recovered from the serious illness. knee injury. However, the Canarinho coach admitted counting on the striker in 2025.

Dorival Júnior and the general coordinator of the CBF men's teams, Rodrigo Caetano, preached patience regarding Neymar's return and highlighted that the date of return to the field is Al-Hilal's decision.

"We are realizing how important this player is. That in the coming years, from the moment he returns, we can enjoy one of the great players of world football at a landmark moment in his career and in our national team. Let's wait, we are patient, it doesn't matter if he can't return in October, November or only in February", said Dorival before completing.

< "He has to be confident, acting and, above all, completely clear about this injury, which was not simple, it demands time, respect for the procedures that were carried out. It's a matter of waiting and I hope that, in the future, we can enjoy the ability of an athlete like this", declared Dorival.

AWAY FROM THE GRASS FOR ALMOST 1 YEAR

Neymar has been away from the field for 11 months and He has already started working with the ball, but still does not participate in activities with the other Al-Hilal athletes. 

Thus, the CBF plans to send representatives to Saudi Arabia soon to monitor the player's recovery. Even from a distance, the entity follows every step of the athlete's evolution, who has worked with the team's physical preparations.

This Tuesday (17), the 2024/25 Champions League will begin. In this way, Vinícius Júnior, Flamengo's creation, will have the opportunity to shine once again in the competition. AT 4pm, Real Madrid takes the field to face Stuttgart, from Germany, in the first round of the points round. See below where to watch live.

WHERE TO WATCH REAL MADRID X STUTTGART LIVE

Real Madrid arrives in the Champions League as the current champions. The merengue team is also coming off a victory in the Spanish Championship, after beating Real Sociedad 2-0. The scorers were Vini Jr and Mbappé.

So, fans who want to follow another Cria match do Ninho will have three options. This is because SBT will broadcast throughout Brazil. Furthermore, TNT (closed TV) will also show the confrontation. Another option is streaming Max, which will show the duel.

VINI JR CAN IMPROVE

Before Real Madrid's victory against Real Sociedad in LaLiga, Carlo Ancelotti assessed Vini's moment Jr and reiterated the importance of the striker at Real Madrid. Furthermore, the coach also highlighted that the player can improve.

“Vinícius is not at his best, but he continues to be very important for us. He was decisive in the European Super Cup, for example. He hasn't scored goals like we're used to seeing, but we're in no rush about that: the team scores and he's important, he always gives everything he can. In Brazil, it's a general problem, because the team isn't playing its best football. Here we remain enchanted with him, no one can forget that we won two Champions Leagues with him”, declared the coach.