DE LA CRUZ OR GERSON? TITE TALKS ABOUT WHO WILL BE THE STARTER AT FLAMENGO

Brazil faced Ecuador last Friday night (6), and won by a score of 1-0, in a match valid for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. Captain of Flamengo, Gerson played just 30 minutes in the confrontation.

According to information from the statistics portal SofaScore, the Mais Querido midfielder had 14 touches of the ball. During the period, the number 8 made 12 passes, with an 86% success rate. Furthermore, Gerson suffered a foul and completed a long pass. On the other hand, the Rubro-Negro captain was unable to carry out defensive actions in the 30 minutes he was on the field.

With the triumph against Ecuador, the Brazilian team ended the period of three consecutive defeats in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. In this way, the team led by Dorival Júnior reached 10 points and rose from sixth to fourth place.

In addition to Gerson, other players who played for Flamengo were also on the field: Vinícius Júnior and Lucas Paquetá. In fact, it was the midfielder who assisted Rodrygo to score Brazil's winning goal. In the second half, João Gomes was also called into action.

Now, Brazil returns to the field only on Tuesday (10), at 9:30 pm, in a clash against Paraguay. The team travels to Asunción, at the Defensores del Chaco Stadium.

On Friday night (6), the Brazilian team won again. In a game at Couto Pereira, Dorival Júnior's team beat Ecuador by a score of 1-0. Flamengo's jewel, midfielder Lucas Paquetá participated in Brazil's only goal, assisting Rodrygo. Gerson, on the other hand, came on 15 minutes into the second half.

With the triumph, Brazil moved into fourth place, as it occupied sixth place, passing Ecuador and Venezuela, which it lost 4-0 to Bolivia. Now, Canarinho returns to the field next Tuesday (10), against Paraguay, at the Defensores del Chaco Stadium, in Asunción.

Brazil found peace in the first half, as they had complete control of the game. The team led by Dorival Júnior had 70% possession of the ball, with more shots (5 to 3) and created the best opportunities. However, it was only once in the net.

In the 30th minute of the game, Lucas Paquetá passed to Rodrygo. The Real Madrid striker took a risk from outside the area, the ball deflected slightly off an Ecuadorian defender and entered the corner, hitting the post before entering.

The final stage was like the first, with Brazil dominating . The plays were passed by Vinícius Júnior, however, Flamengo's youngster was not inspired. To be able to better control the game, Dorival called on Gerson, who played for 30 minutes.

With the medical department currently full, Flamengo tries to empty it by half during the FIFA Data. One has already gone: Léo Pereira. Recovered from a sprain in his left knee, the defender has already trained normally with the group this Friday and is once again available to Tite.

But the club is also rushing to give the coach three more options in the game against Bahia in the next Thursday, at 9:45 pm (GMT) at Maracanã, qualifying for a place in the semi-finals of the Copa do Brasil. Gabigol, Arrascaeta and De la Cruz are not yet training with the ball, but they have a chance of returning in time.

Gabigol is the one who has been out the longest: he injured his right thigh on August 15, in 2-0 victory over Bolívar at Maracanã, and has been undergoing treatment ever since. Three days later, it was Arrascaeta's turn to feel a problem in his left thigh in the 4-1 defeat suffered against Botafogo at Nilton Santos. And De la Cruz injured his right thigh on the 28th, in the 1-0 win over Bahia at Fonte Nova.

De la Cruz's injury was light and has a recovery period of two to three weeks. Against Bahia next Thursday, there will be exactly two weeks of treatment. The expectation is that the three will return to training with the ball in the coming days and will be reinstated to the squad at the beginning of next week.