Flamengo will not rest after victory over Internacional

Flamengo beat Internacional 1-0 last Wednesday (13), in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Libertadores. After the match, Guillermo Varela revealed, in the mixed zone of Maracanã, when he should sign the contract renewal with the club .

When approached by reporters, the right-back was blunt: " This week, this week ," he quickly replied before leaving the venue. The agreement between Flamengo and Varela has been in place for months, but the club is awaiting the player's agent's trip to Rio de Janeiro to sign the new contract.

RENEWAL STATUS

Negotiations for Varela's stay have been underway at Flamengo since the beginning of the year. In March, shortly after renewing with Erick Pulgar, the club identified the Uruguayan as its next target, but negotiations did not progress immediately.

Now, according to the player himself, the signing is expected to take place this week. Currently, the number 2's contract runs until December, with about four months remaining on his contract . Although he can sign a pre-contract with any team, the full-back's intention has always been to renew with Flamengo .

PROBABLE STARTER IN THE NEXT GAME

With Emerson Royal injured due to a left ankle sprain, Varela is expected to be the immediate replacement at right back and start in the next match. Expectations are high for the length of the number 22's absence, which could force the Uruguayan into a long run as a starter.

WHEN IS THE NEXT GAME

Flamengo and Internacional will face each other again this Sunday (17), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Beira-Rio Stadium, for the 20th round of the Brasileirão. Mengão is the leader of the Brasileirão with 40 points . The Mais Querido will face each other again for the third time in a row next Wednesday (20), for the second leg of the Libertadores.

After Flamengo's 1-0 victory over Internacional in the Copa Libertadores, Emerson Royal gave an interview to explain the moment he was booed by the fans at Maracanã . The right-back, substituted in the second half due to a sprained left ankle, explained his drop in performance by saying he tried to stay on the field to help the team, despite the pain, and apologized to the fans who felt this ended up hurting the team.

Emerson Royal on boos at Flamengo vs Internacional: "I'm not a robot"

"The fans have the right to do so. If I can't perform at 100%, they have the right to demand it. At the beginning of the game, I sprained my ankle, which affected my performance. I couldn't run, jump, or change direction, and that made things a bit more difficult," he explained.

TRUST INTACT

The player emphasized that the situation didn't shake his confidence, but that he understands the reaction from the stands: " I understand their side, and I hope they understand mine too, because I'm not a robot . I tried my best to help Flamengo . If, in any way, this wasn't accepted or ended up hurting things, I apologize. My goal has always been to contribute to the team," he added.

Despite suffering an ankle injury early on, Emerson was active in the opening minutes and was a key offensive weapon until the 10th minute. After a second ankle injury, his performance declined. He finished the match with one interception, one tackle, and three defensive duels won . With possession, he completed 30 of 33 passes and was unsuccessful on both crossing attempts. The determining factor for his drop in pace, according to the athlete, was his physical limitations.

'IT'S AWAY FROM MY PRINCIPLES,' SAYS EMERSON ABOUT ASKING FOR A REPLACEMENT

The full-back emphasized that he doesn't usually ask to leave the field right at the start of a match, as he prefers to "fight until the end." Emerson said that, at halftime, he even asked for a substitution to try to return for the second half , but the possibility of a worsening performance led Filipe Luís to opt for Guillermo Varela to come on.

"Two minutes into the game and raising my hand to request a substitution isn't my style. It's against my principles, and I'll try until the end. I asked the doctor at halftime for something—an injection, anything—because I wanted to help Flamengo in the second half . But we decided it wasn't the best option, as my performance could suffer even further. At first, I was fine, but the pain worsened and began to limit my ability to change direction, sprint, and even jump," he concluded.

Coach Roger Machado left Maracanã with a different view of Flamengo's 1-0 victory over Internacional in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16. Despite Flamengo's extensive possession and numerous chances , the coach stated that Flamengo controlled the match and already projected a different return leg, banking on home advantage and the team's poise.

Roger Machado on the game at Beira-Rio: "Flamengo will use their advantage, denying us our field"

"I'll analyze the game later; I can't make a quick diagnosis. The first-half strategy partially worked because we didn't take good care of the ball. We'll correct the set pieces and make adjustments. At home, playing the way we do, we'll be in a different position . Flamengo will use their advantage, denying us space and looking for the back of the defense. We'll need to have our defensive process and transition control very well adjusted to avoid counterattacks," said Roger Machado.

SECOND HALF MAY BE A SIGN

The coach expects a game more similar to the second half at Maracanã, when Inter had more possession and had more shots than Flamengo (4-2), although without creating many chances. The team's quick possession in the first 20 minutes of the second half was favored by the opponent's passing errors , but Colorado was unable to replicate its dominance of the first half. Flamengo even had a clear chance with Luiz Araújo, saved by Rochet, and evened the scoreline late on.

HINDSIGHT INDICATES THE OPPOSITE

Despite Roger's interpretation, Flamengo is unlikely to adopt a strategy of sitting back and exploiting counterattacks at Beira-Rio, at least initially. The team's hallmark is imposing its style of play on the road as well. In its last three away matches—against Atlético-MG, Ceará, and Red Bull Bragantino— Flamengo had more possession and shots on goal , earning two wins and a draw in regulation time, despite being eliminated from the Copa do Brasil.

The season's record reinforces this trend: 13 wins, six draws and only two losses away from home, with 33 goals scored and 10 conceded . The first proof of this test comes this Sunday (17) when Flamengo goes to Porto Alegre to face Internacional, but this time for the 20th round of the Brazilian Championship. The match will be at 6:30 pm (Brasília time) at Beira-Rio.