Flamengo manager talks about Pedro's replacement: "There's a lot of speculation"

Flamengo said goodbye to the Women's Copa do Brasil after losing 1-0 to São Paulo, this Wednesday (17), at Morumbis. The Rio de Janeiro team even tried to react after falling behind on the scoreboard, but was unable to avoid elimination in the single duel of the round of 16. The decisive goal was scored by Duda Serrana, a standout for the São Paulo team.

In the first half, São Paulo dominated possession and adopted a more attacking approach , hindering Flamengo 's play. Flamengo struggled to exchange passes and impose their style. Even so, the visitors had the best chance of the first half: on a quick counterattack in the 30th minute, Duda had a good opportunity but shot wide.

DUDA SERRANA'S GOAL DECIDES

Early in the second half, a poor clearance by the Flamengo defense resulted in the game-clinching goal. The defense poorly cleared the ball, and Duda Serrana fired a precise shot from outside the box, leaving Flamengo's goalkeeper with no chance . From then on, the Rio de Janeiro team pushed forward and sought to press in the final minutes, relying primarily on set pieces and crosses, but failed to create any real chances.

ELIMINATION ENDS PARTICIPATION

With this result, Flamengo ends its Women's Copa do Brasil campaign with one win and one loss. The team received approximately R$90,000 for its participation in the round of 16. After the final whistle, members of the Flamengo coaching staff complained about the refereeing in the center of the field, but the result remained unchanged.

AND THE MALE?

Flamengo could take to the field with a different formation to face Estudiantes this Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), for the CONMEBOL Libertadores. The duel, decisive for the club's ambitions in the continental competition, will be broadcast live on Disney+.

Flamengo beat Juventude 2-0 last Sunday (14), at Alfredo Jaconi, for the Brazilian Championship, and ended a 28-year winless streak in Caxias do Sul. Arrascaeta opened the scoring and Emerson Royal closed the score, scoring his first goal for the club .

Emerson Royal reveals Filipe Luís's request at Flamengo: "Filipe wants me to be sharp, exploring my physical strength"

After the match, the full-back revealed a conversation with coach Filipe Luís, who advised him on attacking positioning: "I received criticism when I played injured because I couldn't give my best. But I wanted to stay on the field to help Flamengo . Filipe explained to me what he wanted from me: to get to the far post. I even asked my teammates to watch me during that movement," Royal said.

RETURN AS HOLDER

It was the full-back's first game since returning from injury. Royal had sprained his left ankle on August 13 against Internacional in the Copa Libertadores. Since then, he had only played a few minutes in the draw with Grêmio at Maracanã.

According to the player, Filipe Luís asked him to play differently than he was used to in his career: "At Tottenham, I played as a defensive midfielder, on the inside. But Filipe wants me to be sharp, exploiting my physical strength, passing, and crossing. He knows my ability to support, and that can really help the team ."

DISPUTE FOR POSITION

Signed in July for €9 million (approximately R$58 million) from Milan, Emerson Royal is competing for a spot with Varela, who was rested against Juventude due to a groin injury. " Big teams are like that; they always have top-notch players . Varela has a lot of quality, and so do I. The competition is healthy, we work hard, and the choice is Filipe's," said the full-back.

NEXT COMMITMENTS

On Thursday (18), Flamengo faces Estudiantes in the Libertadores (quarter-finals, first leg), at 9:30 pm, at Maracanã . The Most Beloved only returns to the field for the Brasileirão on Sunday (21), against Vasco, also at the sacred temple.

FlaBasquete has an international challenge ahead in the FIBA Intercontinental Club Cup , considered the basketball world championship. The red-black team debuts this Thursday (18) against NBA G League United, from the USA, at 6 am (Brasília time).

On September 19th, also at 6 am, Flamengo faces the Illawarra Hawks of Australia , with decisive matches scheduled for the weekend. All matches will be broadcast exclusively on Flamengo TV , bringing every play of the competition directly to the red-and-black nation.

BROADCAST AND COMMENTARY TEAM

João Guilherme will be the narrator, with commentary from Flamengo basketball legend Duda Machado. Emerson Santos, also known as Emershow, will be reporting from the courts in Singapore .

TEAM PREPARATION AND EXPECTATIONS

Under the command of Sérgio Hernández, known as "Oveja," Flamengo held a training camp in Spain, facing local teams. The coach highlighted the club's confidence and structure: " We are very happy and excited to represent the continent in a competition of this magnitude. We want to put Flamengo at the top of the world – where it should always be ," stated Oveja.

FLAMENGO'S HISTORY IN THE CLUB WORLD CUP

Flamengo has already won the world title on two occasions: 2014: Victory over Maccabi Haifa (Israel), 90 to 77, at Maracanãzinho, with highlights for Marcelinho Machado, Marquinhos, Laprovittola and Olivinha . 2022: Two-time championship in Egypt, beating Hereda San Pablo Burgos (Spain), with Yago, Olivinha and Luke Martínez leading the team.