FLAMENGO LOSES TO FLUMINENSE IN THE RIO U-15 CUP, WITH A SUFFERING RESULT

In a match valid for the second round of the Brazilian Under-20 Championship , held this Thursday (3), at the Moça Bonita stadium, in Bangu, Flamengo secured its first victory in the tournament by beating Fluminense 2-1. The Rubro-Negro's goals were scored by Pedro Leão and Lorran , in quick succession in the second half.

The match marked the return of goalkeeper Lucão, who recovered from injury, as well as changes on the flanks, with Wanderson and Gusttavo among the starters. The first half saw good attacks from Mais Querido, with chances created by Guilherme and Shola, which forced the tricolor defense to intervene.

GOALS FROM PEDRO LEÃO AND LORRAN DEFINE VICTORY

The final stage began with a greater offensive volume from the red-and-black team. In the 15th minute, Pedro Leão opened the scoring after a corner kick and a rebound inside the area. Two minutes later, Lorran extended the lead with a shot from outside the area that deflected off the defense before hitting the net. Fluminense scored a goal in the 26th minute, but was unable to react.

FLAMENGO SEEKS TO CONSOLIDATE GOOD PHASE

Flamengo returns to the field on Sunday (6), at 3 pm, in Gávea, in a postponed duel of the first round against Cuiabá. The confrontation will be an opportunity to maintain the momentum and confirm the recovery in the national competition of the category.

LORRAN IN THE U-20

It is worth remembering that Lorran was in the professional team until the end of the 2024 season. However, coach Filipe Luís chose to 'demote' the young athlete to the youth team again. Lorran had negotiations with Bragantino and Fortaleza stalled, and now, he returns to develop in the youth team of Mais Querido.

Announced over a week ago, Nuno Campos has not yet been able to officially take over Mengão's U-20s . The coach is still waiting for his work permit to be approved by Conmebol. With that, Leonardo Ramos, current U-16 commander, will once again be in charge of the team in the duel against Fluminense this Thursday (3) , for the Brazilian Championship.

"We are waiting for the release so that he can effectively start his work," said a source close to the club.

Even though he will not be able to be on the pitch, Campos will watch the match from a booth at the Moça Bonita stadium, giving instructions via radio to Leonardo Ramos. The same strategy was used in the 5-0 defeat to Vasco. The arrival of Nuno Campos is part of the restructuring process of CRF's youth football, led by José Boto.

PORTUGUESE TECHNICIANS AND THE IMPACT ON THE BASE

The goal is to align the methodology of the lower categories with the philosophy of the main team. Within this context, one of the main changes was the departure of Cleber dos Santos , announced by the club this Wednesday (2). Even though he left the position with the conquest of the U-20 Libertadores, Cleber dos Santos is no longer part of the club's plans.

Now, Nuno Campos is taking on the mission of improving the team's performance, which has been criticized for its poor start to the competition and performances below expectations. José Boto's work with Flamengo's youth team has been receiving praise from other football professionals. In an interview with "Charla Podcast", Portuguese coach Antônio Oliveira highlighted the importance of creating a game identity from the lower categories.

NEXT STEPS FOR THE U-20

While Nuno Campos awaits his release, Flamengo continues its journey in the U-20 Brasileirão under the interim command of Leonardo Ramos. The tendency is that Conmebol will resolve the bureaucratic issue in the next few days, allowing the coach to take over the position permanently. The team is seeking recovery after a difficult start to the competition and the heavy defeat to Vasco. The expectation is that, with José Boto's new methodology, the team will find a more efficient playing pattern and return to showing good results in the tournament.

This past Tuesday (1) the second leg matches of the quarter-finals of the Uefa Youth League were held. The champion of the U-20 Libertadores, Flamengo, awaits the champion of the European competition to find out who they will face in the World Cup in the category.

QUARTER-FINAL MATCH SUMMARY

With the competition heading towards the semi-finals, there are only four teams left to fight for a place in the grand final. AZ Alkmaar, from the Netherlands, advanced after eliminating Manchester City (ENG) in a decisive clash with a goal in injury time, advancing 1-0.

Barcelona managed to impose their favoritism against Stuttgart, from Germany, and secured their place in the semi-finals after winning 2-1. Trabzonspor, from Turkey, also advanced, eliminating Internazionale (ITA) by a score of 1-0 .

Another team that was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Youth League was the runner-up of the 2024 U-20 World Cup, where they lost to Flamengo , Olympiacos (GRE). The Greek team was beaten 1-0 by RB Salzburg.

U-20 WORLD CUP DATE

So far, FIFA has not yet defined the date and location of the U-20 World Cup match against Flamengo . This issue should only be decided once the UEFA Youth League has come to an end and there is a winner.