FORMER FLAMENGO, VINÍCIUS JÚNIOR APOLOGIZES AFTER BRAZIL'S ELIMINATION FROM THE CUP AMERICA

Two young talents revealed by Flamengo shone in Europe this Saturday (14). Goalkeeper Kauã Santos made his Bundesliga debut for Eintracht Frankfurt, helping the team to a 2-1 victory over Wolfsburg. Kauã entered the field after the experienced Kevin Trapp was injured at the end of the first half. Meanwhile, defender Léo Duarte scored his first goal in European football, securing Basaksehir's 1-0 victory over Bodrum in the Turkish league.

Kauã Santos, who arrived at Flamengo at the age of 16, he never played for the Rio club's main team. After standing out in the youth categories, the goalkeeper caught the attention of Eintracht Frankfurt, who invested R$8.4 million for 70% of his economic rights. On his debut, Kauã was unable to save a penalty taken by Baku, but held off Wolfsburg's pressure, helping to maintain his team's victory.

In turn, Léo Duarte, Copinha champion, rose to Flamengo professionals in 2016 and, little by little, established himself as a starter. In 2018, Milan, from Italy, spent 11 million euros to sign him. After a discreet spell at the Italian club, Léo transferred to Basaksehir, where he finally scored for the first time in Europe.

Léo Duarte's Basaksehir occupies third place in the Turkish league with 10 points, just two less than leader Galatasaray. Kauã Santos' Eintracht Frankfurt is in sixth place in the Bundesliga, with six points, three behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Fulham (ING) hosted West Ham (ING) this Saturday morning (14), in a game valid for the fourth round of the Premier League. The confrontation brought together Brazilians and former Flamengo Andreas Pereira and Lucas Paquetá, who performed a curious move when Paquetá landed a light elbow at his teammate.

The incident occurred in the 21st minute of the second half, when Andreas Pereira tried to hit Paquetá in midfield. To avoid dribbling, Paquetá made a foul by hitting Andreas with a slight elbow.

Referee Tim Robinson signaled the foul, but chose not to show it yellow card to Lucas Paquetá, who remained on the field until the end of the match. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Andreas Pereira's Fulham are now preparing to face Preston on September 17 , for the FA Cup. Lucas Paquetá's West Ham will only return to the field on September 21st, against Chelsea, in the Premier League.

Mengão will have to deal with the absence of Nicolás De La Cruz for another important game. The Uruguayan player did not participate in the classic against Vasco, last Sunday (15), and remains a doubt for this Thursday's match (19) against Peñarol, valid for the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana. The midfielder's presence is not yet guaranteed, as coach Tite explained during a press conference.

During the press conference, Tite revealed that, after a recent training session, he asked Nicolás De La Cruz about the possibility of playing for at least 20 minutes in the match against Vasco, but the player, smiling, indicated that was not in condition. “The physical department was categorical in stating that he was not fit, even if he felt good", commented the coach. Tite also reinforced that he hopes to be able to count on the athlete on Thursday, but there is still no guarantee that this will be possible.

Nicolás De La Cruz has been sidelined since suffering a muscle injury to his right thigh in the game against Bahia, valid for the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil. Since then, the midfielder was absent from the team in the matches against Corinthians, in the second game of the same competition, and in the Rio derby. and expectations for his return increase as the calendar narrows.

In addition to De La Cruz, CRF has already confirmed the absence of four other players for the clash against Peñarol, which they face. problems in their right thigh, and Pedro, Matías Viña and Everton Cebolinha, who suffered more serious injuries, will only return to the pitch in 2025.

With these absences, coach Tite will have to adjust the team to maintain performance and continue in search of victories in the competitions that the club still competes in.