FROM DEFENDER TO GOALKEEPER: MEET LÉO NANNETTI, FLAMENGO TITLE HERO IN THE RIO U-17 COPA

The Flamengo takes the field in this Thursday (26), at 2:45 pm (Brasília time), to face Boavista in the second leg of the semi-finals of the Carioca Under-20 Championship. The match will be decisive for Rubro-Negro's aspirations in the state of the category, as the club seeks to break a four-year fast without winning the title. As they finished the qualifying phase in second place, the team led by Filipe Luís enters the field with the advantage of a draw to guarantee their place in the final.

Flamengo should start the match with the following lineup: Caio Barone in goal; Daniel Sales, João Victor, Felipe Vieira and Carbone on the defensive line; Rayan Lucas, Caio Garcia, Fabiano and Guilherme in midfield; and Felipe Teresa and Rafael Couto in attack. The expectation is for a balanced game, considering the 1-1 draw in the first clash between the two teams. If Rubro-Negro qualifies, they will face the winner of the other semi-final, which is being played between Vasco and Fluminense, in another Rio classic.

In the duel on the way, Flamengo started well and opened the score in the 18th minute with Guilherme Gomes. However, the Boavista team managed to react quickly and tied the game five minutes later with Rivas' goal, leaving the match open for decision at the Estádio da Gávea. With the score level and the red-black advantage due to the draw in the second round, Filipe Luís's men know that they need to maintain control of the game and take advantage of opportunities to avoid surprises.

Flamengo arrives under pressure for the confrontation, as they have not won the Carioca Under-20 Championship since 2019, when they defeated Vasco in the final. Since then, the Crias do Ninho have accumulated frustrated participation in the competition, and now they have the chance to regain their leading role on the state scene. Furthermore, the early elimination in the Brazilian Under-20 Championship, after the defeat to Fortaleza in the quarter-finals, increased the need for a good campaign at Carioca to close the season in a positive way.

It's decision day for Flamengo football this Thursday (26). Just like the professional team, Mengão's U-17 team seeks to advance to the semifinals, however, of the category's Brasileirão. Against Fluminense, the Garotos do Ninho need to win away from home to continue their dream of winning the third championship. The ball rolls at 3pm, broadcast by SporTV.

After the 1-1 draw in the first leg, in Gávea, last Thursday (19), the team led by coach Eduardo Zuma has two important returns for the decisive quarter-final match. Right-back Wanderson, vice-top scorer in the Brasileirão, returns after being ill, in addition to midfielder Pablo, who has recovered from an ankle injury and is available to the coach, as the coach himself said in his participation in the Garotos Do Ninho program. , last Monday (23).

“We have been training hard during the week, correcting the mistakes we made in the first match to have an excellent game there, and, God willing, leave with the classification which is what matters most” commented Joshua, who became the U17's top scorer after scoring Mengão's goal in the first leg of the quarter-finals.

This is the Sub's third Fla-Flu -17 in 2024. In the first, for the Copa Rio, 3-0 Flamengo in Xerém with goals from Joshua, Douglas Telles and Pablo, who scored with a free kick from midfield. At 3pm, the judge will count down the last 90 minutes of the decision clock, which will be broadcast on SporTV. Up, Nest Boys!

This Monday (15), Tricolor das Laranjeiras presented Jorge Amorim, 17 years old, who was signed by Flamengo in November 2023. The striker, who is from Nova Iguaçu, signed a loan contract until the middle of 2025, similar to Mengão. Filipe Luís led the group of young champions of the Copa Rio U17 this year. Your current club lost in the group stage.

– I'm feeling really good. I was extremely hugged and welcomed when I arrived here, as if I were already at home. So, my expectation is the best possible. I want to find my place and win titles with this great club, declared the 17-year-old player, Fluminense's new signing.

The player caught the attention of Flamengo after Jorge scored a goal against his new club, Nova Iguaçu, for tournament player Guilherme Embry in 2023. The player was also the second top scorer in the championship, scoring nine goals in eight games. Mengão and other Brazilian football clubs were interested in the positive numbers.

Jorge did not achieve the expected success during his brief spell at Flamengo. The striker only played three times during the competition, in which he was champion with coach Filipe Luís. When he beat Resende 6-0, he entered the second stage, but lost to Botafogo 3-2 and Nova Iguaçu 1-0, respectively. Both players started as starters.

After the title, the Mengão player and coach of the club's youth team left the under-17s and took over the under-20s. In the last match of the category, he won heroically 3-2. The team led by Filipe Luís is in first place in the Guanabara Cup with great success. 18 points, with eight wins in six games.

He is already part of the team coached by Felipe Canavan and has the opportunity to make his debut in this Tuesday's game (16/07), against São Paulo, in the third round of the Under-17 Brasileirão. The Marcelo Portugal Stadium in Cotia (SP) is where the ball rolls at 4pm.