FLAMENGO COULD SUFFER ANOTHER INVESTMENT BY WESLEY - UNDERSTAND

mESolve the nation's leader! After Flamengo's impressive and gigantic 3-1 victory over Chelsea, Group D of the FIFA Club World Cup continued on Friday (20). This time, LAFC and Espérance-TUN faced each other at Geodis Park in Nashville, and the Tunisian team won 1-0. Thus, guaranteeing first place to Rubro-Negro.

With six points and victories over Espérance and Chelsea in the first two rounds, Flamengo could be, at most, equaled by their rivals in points . As the head-to-head is the first tiebreaker criterion, however, neither of them would be able to go through.

SUMMARY

The match between LAFC and Espérance was marked by the American team's greater possession of the ball , which was unable to convert its territorial dominance into goals. On the contrary: it saw Espérance finish more. Even so, the first half passed without goals. Espérance had more of the game, taking advantage of LAFC's fruitless possession, but missed chances. Belaili even found himself face to face with goalkeeper Lloris, for example, but wasted an opportunity early on.

Rodrigo Rodrigues still hit the crossbar for LAFC , but it was the American team who scored first. However, they were close twice: Giroud and David Martínez both found the net, but were in an offside position.

In the second half, Espérance even had a penalty in their favor in the first minutes, but the referee corrected the decision after a VAR call and also punished Belaili for simulation.

After a series of chances on both sides, Espérance opened the scoring in the 24th minute of the second half. Ben Hamida was dispossessed after a good move, but the ball fell to Belaili — and the Tunisian star player finished under Lloris to score the first goal.

At 33, Espérance once again came close to scoring, and Belaili managed to dribble past the goalkeeper. However, he got the ball tangled up and rolled it back, but Igor Jesus saved LAFC. In the last play of the game, American hope came. LAFC had a penalty awarded after the video referee intervened, but Bouanga was stopped by goalkeeper Ben Said. And that was it: 1-0 for Espérance.

MENGÃO GUARANTEED IN FIRST PLACE

Espérance's win was the best possible result for Flamengo, who not only qualified but also secured first place in the group. Flamengo leads Group D with six points, with Chelsea in second and Espérance in third, both with three. LAFC is in last place, with zero points, and is eliminated.

With just one more game to go, LAFC can no longer catch Flamengo . Chelsea and Espérance, on the other hand, could equal six points but would lose the head-to-head record — the first tiebreaker in the Club World Cup.

Having beaten both Chelsea (3-1) and Espérance (2-0), Flamengo would be ahead of either team in the event of a draw. Therefore, the game against LAFC will be just a game of fixtures, as the fates of both teams are already sealed.

Flamengo will face LAFC next Tuesday at 10pm (Brasília time) at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. In Philadelphia, Chelsea and Espérance will directly decide a place in the round of 16. The English team will have to draw.

The 3-1 victory over Chelsea, this Friday (20), at Lincoln Financial Field, in Philadelphia, put Flamengo in a comfortable position in Group D of the Club World Cup . Hours later, Mais Querido had its mathematical classification confirmed with the result of the other match in the group: Espérance de Túnis defeated Los Angeles FC 1-0 , guaranteeing the red-blacks in the round of 16 with one round to spare.

With six points , Flamengo leads the group, followed by Chelsea, which has three. Espérance and LAFC remain with zero points, with only one more round remaining in this phase. As only the third-placed team can still reach three points, Flamengo can no longer be overtaken by two teams.

ESPÉRANCE'S VICTORY SETS GROUP D SCENARIO

Espérance's 1-0 win over Los Angeles FC eliminated any possibility of a combination that would have left Flamengo out of the next round . As a result, the last round's match against the American club, scheduled for Tuesday, will only serve to confirm first place in the group. On the same date, Chelsea will face the Tunisians.

If the red-black team wins again, the Brazilian team will finish the group stage with a 100% record . Even if Chelsea wins, the Mais Querido team will remain in the lead due to the head-to-head record and goal difference.

TIEBREAKERS WILL NOT BE NECESSARY

Before the ball rolled for the second game of the round, there was only one scenario that could threaten Flamengo 's early qualification: a victory for Los Angeles FC, which would keep the group undecided until the last round . This did not happen, and the American team remains without scoring, eliminating the need to appeal to the tiebreaker criteria provided for in FIFA regulations, such as goal difference between the tied clubs.

With Gerson getting closer and closer to being traded to Zenit, from Russia, Flamengo has started a behind-the-scenes movement to find a name capable of filling the midfielder's technical absence. And the hot topic of the moment is Anderson Talisca. The attacking midfielder from Fenerbahçe, from Turkey, has started to be discussed internally and could be a target for the club for the remainder of 2025.

A NEW NAME FOR FLAMENGO

Gerson's departure, which has not yet been made official, is considered imminent by people close to the board. As a result, Flamengo is working on advance planning and has Talisca among the names being monitored. According to information from journalist Jorge Nicola, he is considered an interesting alternative not only for Gerson's position, but also for the possible departure of other athletes with high salaries.

The initial approach to Talisca's name did not come directly from the board, but there have already been conversations between Flamengo players and the attacking midfielder. The former Bahia player has heard praise for the club's structure, the work environment and, mainly, the punctuality in payments - an always relevant topic for athletes playing outside the major European centers.

TALISCA OPENS UP

According to the investigation, Talisca's positive reception of Flamengo pleased those who closely follow the possible negotiation. He reportedly made no initial demands and is positive about a return to Brazilian football, as long as it is at a competitive and financially stable club. In addition to the imminent sale of Gerson, Flamengo is considering making room on the payroll with possible departures of players such as Everton Cebolinha and even Michael, if the forward's return to Al Hilal or another club abroad is confirmed.

The idea is to keep the team balanced and competitive, without going over financial limits. Talisca, now 31 years old, would have a high salary, but within a range considered viable, especially in comparison to names already present in the group. The board is evaluating the cost-benefit and understands that the signing can add value in terms of technical and leadership skills.