Flamengo U20 enters the field in search of a place

It's decision day for Flamengo football this Thursday (26). Just like the professional team, Mengão's U-17 team seeks to advance to the semifinals, however, of the category's Brasileirão. Against Fluminense, the Garotos do Ninho need to win away from home to continue their dream of winning the third championship. The ball rolls at 3pm, broadcast by SporTV.

After the 1-1 draw in the first leg, in Gávea, last Thursday (19), the team led by coach Eduardo Zuma has two important returns for the decisive quarter-final match. Right-back Wanderson, vice-top scorer in the Brasileirão, returns after being ill, in addition to midfielder Pablo, who has recovered from an ankle injury and is available to the coach, as the coach himself said in his participation in the Garotos Do Ninho program. , last Monday (23).

“We have been training hard during the week, correcting the mistakes we made in the first match to have an excellent game there, and, God willing, leave with the classification which is what matters most” commented Joshua, who became the U17's top scorer after scoring Mengão's goal in the first leg of the quarter-finals.

This is the Sub's third Fla-Flu -17 in 2024. In the first, for the Copa Rio, 3-0 Flamengo in Xerém with goals from Joshua, Douglas Telles and Pablo, who scored with a free kick from midfield. At 3pm, the judge will count down the last 90 minutes of the decision clock, which will be broadcast on SporTV. Up, Nest Boys!

Flamengo recently celebrated an important milestone for its base: the under-20 world title, won in a thrilling victory over Olympiacos, from Greece. The achievement, which completes a month, was celebrated with an event at CT Ninho do Urubu, last Tuesday (24), where the club updated the walls of the base module with photos and phrases alluding to the achievement.

All players and members of the coaching staff who participated in the campaign received lifetime passes to the club's museum. Among those present was Filipe Luís, who currently leads the Rubro-Negro under-20 team. The only absentees were Matheus Gonçalves, Lorran and Dyogo Alves, who are in Uruguay with Tite's main team, but will receive their honors upon returning to Rio de Janeiro.

FILIPE LUÍS DISCARDS TAKING UP THE MAIN TEAM

Even with the growing pressure on coach Tite, who is facing criticism from some of the fans, the name of Filipe Luís, former full-back and Mais Querido's idol, has often been mentioned as a possible replacement. However, the club is not considering promoting Filipe to command the main team at this time.

According to information from the newspaper O Globo, people close to Filipe Luís claim that he does not feel ready to take on this responsibility. Furthermore, he follows the team's situation closely and understands that the recent drop in performance, in the midst of three simultaneous competitions, is natural.

There are three main factors that influence Filipe Luís' decision not to accept the challenge of commanding Flamengo. First, the former player considers that the high number of injuries in the main squad would harm his debut as a coach. Second, he assesses that he would not have enough time to meet and work with players with whom he has not yet played directly. Finally, Filipe believes that this moment of the season, with decisive games and the pressure for immediate results, would not be the ideal scenario to start his career as coach of the first team.

According to information from journalist Guilherme Silva, the Flamengois directing its attention to the Copa do Brasil, which implies a clear change of priorities in the calendar. The decision is strategic and motivated by the impact that a possible title in the knockout competition would have on the club's electoral context, as the presidential elections take place later this year. As a result, the team should not enter the classic against Fluminense in the Brazilian Championship with full strength, opting to preserve the starters for the clash against Corinthians, in the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil.

This choice makes it clear that the Brasileirão, which is historically considered one of the most important tournaments for fans and for the club's own history, will not be Flamengo's main focus at this time. The decision is based on short-term factors, as the Copa do Brasil title can be decided before the end of the Brazilian Championship. In other words, a trophy won in the knockout round would bring immediate electoral benefits and would represent an important campaign asset for the current administration.

The “Election Effect ”, as it has already been called internally, is a movement to ensure that a title with greater impact in the short term — such as the Copa do Brasil — arrives before the end of the Brasileirão, as the running points continue until December. Thus, an eventual Copa do Brasil title would be used as an asset for the candidates in the situation, something that the management sees as fundamental to garner political support and maintain control at the club.

With this strategy outlined, the squad planning and The lineup in the Brazilian Championship games will be changed according to the Copa do Brasil matches. Against Fluminense, for example, Flamengo must enter the field with an alternative team, sparing some of the main players. In normal situations, a classic like Fla-Flu would have maximum importance and the presence of full force would be indispensable. However, the total focus on the Copa do Brasil changes this dynamic and shows that the club is willing to take risks in the Brasileirão to maximize its chances in the knockout competition.