FLAMENGO "PASSES" THROUGH THE FIRST PHASE OF THE CUP AMERICA AS LEADER OF THE BRAZILIAN! UNDERSTAND....

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.

The qualifying phase of the Copa América revealed several technical and tactical shortcomings of the Brazilian team. The lack of chemistry contributed to second place in Group D after the draw with Colombia, last Tuesday (02). Furthermore, performance below expectations can also be justified by absences since the call-up. These questions raise doubts about coach Dorival Júnior's choices.

For journalist Vitor Biner, from ESPN, Dorival Júnior is faced with a complex situation that causes him regret . Biner believes that the coach would rethink not calling up Pedro, from Flamengo, if he predicted the team's recent performance. The communicator highlights that Dorival was betting on a quick construction, but that it did not materialize as expected, which makes Pedro's absence even more questionable.

"The more I look at Brazil's games and I realize that Dorival was betting on an unresolved construction, but faster than what has been happening. If he knew that the Seleção would play like this, at some point, for example, having the ball in midfield. Today, he opens his hand, he bets on the counterattack. If he knew it would take so long, I'm sure he would change one thing... he would take Pedro to have a player to support the ball, to play in the area, to not depend on Endrick, who became the hope of hope", said Biner.

The absence of Flamengo's top scorer on Dorival's list has divided opinions since the call-up, in May. Many fans consider Pedro to be the best center forward in the country today, while others value the number 9's unique characteristics as a complement to what the Seleção has at its disposal. This division of opinions shows the complexity of the decision made by the coach.

Pedro's last call-up took place in June 2023, in the friendlies against Guinea and Senegal. In 2022, Flamengo's number 9 was part of the team that competed in the World Cup in Qatar, under the command of Tite, Flamengo's current coach. Pedro's numbers in the current season reinforce calls for his call-up: there are 32 direct goal contributions in 34 games, an average that surpasses previous phases and highlights his importance in the attack.