AFTER RECEIVING TRIBUTE, GABIGOL SENDS A MESSAGE TO FLAMENGO FANS

Flamengo drew 1-1 with Vasco last Sunday (15), in the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship. Turning the key, Mais Querido is now focusing its attention on the next commitment of the season. For this reason, De La Cruz is experiencing decisive days before the game against Peñarol (URU), in the Libertadores.

De La Cruz suffered an injury to the back of his right thigh during the match against Bahia, in Salvador , in the first game of the quarterfinals of the Copa do Brasil. Since then, the Uruguayan midfielder was left out of the clashes against Corinthians, in the reunion with the Bahian team, and also against Vasco, on Sunday (15).

Now, De La Cruz is racing against time to be available for Flamengo in the game against Peñarol, scheduled for Thursday (19). The training sessions this Monday (16), Tuesday (17) and Wednesday (18) will be decisive in determining whether the Uruguayan will be on the list of players for the match.

At the press conference after the draw with Vasco, Tite spoke about the expectation of counting on De La Cruz for the duel against Peñarol. “I hope he can be there on Thursday (19) to reproduce today's performance (Sunday, 15), with greater effectiveness”, said the coach.

With the possibility of having De La Cruz back, Flamengo will face Peñarol next Thursday (19). At Maracanã, the teams will compete in the first leg of the Libertadores quarter-finals. The clash is scheduled for 7pm (Brasília time). The date between Flamengo and Peñarol has already been set: the return game will take place on September 26th, at the Estadio Campeón del Siglo, in Uruguay, at 7pm (Brasília time).

Flamengo has been going through a delicate moment in the Brazilian Championship since mid-August. With the 1-1 draw against Vasco this Sunday (15), the red and black team confirmed the drop in performance in the competition, fell in the classification and accumulated negative statistics in this period.

Since August until this Sunday (15), Flamengo played six matches in the Brasileirão. During this period, Rubro-Negro won just one victory. Furthermore, there were three defeats and two draws, resulting in a success rate of just 28%. There are five points in the last 18 games played.

This period also highlights Flamengo's low offensive efficiency, which scored just six goals and conceded ten. With this negative sequence, Mengo fell from leadership to fourth place in the Brazilian Championship table. Currently, it is the fourth team that has scored the fewest points in the period, with just five.

At the moment, Flamengo divides its attention between three competitions. In addition to the Brazilian Championship, the team led by Tite is in the quarterfinals of the Libertadores, where they face Peñarol (URU). In the Copa do Brasil, Rubro-Negro competes in the semi-final against Corinthians.

Now, Flamengo leaves the Brasileirão aside and focuses on the Libertadores. Mais Querido takes the field next Thursday (19), at 7pm (Brasília time), against Peñarol, at Maracanã. The match is valid for the first leg of the quarter-finals of the continental competition.

Last Sunday night (15), Flamengo only drew 1-1 with Vasco. After the match, the red and black fans were angry with Carlinhos and the player became the target of criticism. In a press conference, Tite explained the reason for choosing number 22 instead of Gabigol.

"Training, games, specifically. Carlinhos decisive against Bolívar. Carlinhos decisive against Atlético Mineiro, with a goal. Decisive against Vitoria That's why the option was made", said Tite in a press conference after the game.