ON LOAN FROM FLAMENGO, HUGO SOUZA LANDS IN SÃO PAULO THIS SUNDAY TO SIGN WITH CORINTHIANS

The Flamengo beat Atlético-Mg in the MRV Arena and isolated themselves at the top of the Brasileirão with 30 points. The duel against the Mineiros also ended up marking a new beginning for one of Rio's red-black players. That's because striker Carlinhos started the match and scored his first goal with the sacred mantle. In an interview, the player spoke about the moment, the goal and the mourning due to the recent death of his mother.

"(I would say) he is a winner. I'm a guy who never gave up. I lost my mother a few years ago. 15 days, I'm still grieving. It's been difficult, but I have to continue. As I always think, she dressed me in her armor. When she saw that I was ready, she left. me to say this. I know that she is in the arms of the Lord, and that is what comforts me. I want to tell (to Carlinhos at the beginning of the year) that I arrived here due to God's merit and my work", said Carlinhos, at half-time.

Carlinhos made his debut in the first round of the Brasileirão, against Atlético-GO, and then again had the opportunity as a starter against Palmeiras. The striker spent just 45 minutes on the field at Allianz. Carlinhos only played again against Juventude, but only spent four minutes on the field.

The chance to start against Atlético-MG came due to the physical exhaustion of Pedro, who is going through a sequence of games. Carlinhos scored the goal in the 24th minute after a play by Luiz Araújo and Wesley. The full-back shot, but the ball hit the post, and the number 22, well positioned, put it into the back of the net.

This Wednesday (3), Cuiabá fought until the end, but ended up defeated by Botafogo, 2-1, in the Arena Pantanal, in a game valid for the 14th round of the Brazilian Championship. In addition to losing their streak of five unbeaten games, Cuiabá already knows that they will have two absences for the next game, against Flamengo.

Cuiabá entered the field with four players suspended, and two of them received cards yellow and are suspended from the next round. The team's starting midfielder, Filipe Augusto was warned 11 minutes into the second half, for stepping on the opposing player after losing control of the ball.

Who also doesn't face Flamengo is striker André Luís. Reserve from the Mato Grosso team, the player left the bench in the 19th minute of the second half, replacing Clayson, and in the final stretch of the match, in the 40th minute, he received a yellow card after a foul on full-back Cuiabano.

Flamengo x Cuiabá

Flamengo and Cuiabá face each other next Saturday, July 6th, in a game valid for the 15th round of the Brazilian Championship. The match will be played at Maracanã, and the ball starts at 8pm (Brasília time). Initially, the match was scheduled for 9pm (Brasília time), but the CBF confirmed the change in time due to Brazil's game in the Copa América.

Corinthians faces political turmoil intensified by ex-president Andrés Sanchez's harsh criticism of the current president, Augusto Melo. In a series of posts on social media this Tuesday (2), Sanchez did not mince words when accusing Melo of transforming the São Paulo club into an extension of Flamengo.

The former president nicknamed him “Pinocchio” . The controversy arises in the context of the hiring of several professionals with recent experience at Mengão for key positions at Corinthians.

The appointment of Fred Luz as CEO, previously at Flamengo between 2014 and 2018 , was the trigger for Sanchez's criticism. The arrival of Hugo Souza, goalkeeper on loan from Flamengo, and Matheuzinho, right-back transferred for a significant sum, reinforced the perception of a migration of talent from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo.< /p>

Augusto Melo, in turn, defended the signings, highlighting the competence and experience of the new members to strengthen Corinthians. Fabinho Soldado, former football manager at Flamengo, now takes over as the club's Football Executive paulista, a decision that, according to Melo, aims to bring a new strategic and operational vision to the team.

Gustavo Henrique completes the list of former Flamengo players who joined Corinthians this year, highlighting a change strategic in the club's hiring policy.

While Corinthians directors defend the choices as investments to strengthen the team, critics like Sanchez question Timão's autonomy and identity in the face of Flamengo's growing influence within its ranks .