Flamengo beats Laguna and advances to the Adidas Cup semi-final

Flamengo continues its active transfer market and has finalized the signing of Isaac Gomes, a 16-year-old striker from Fortaleza, to bolster its U-17 squad. This is the first investment by the new youth academy management, led by president Luiz Eduardo Baptista and manager Alfredo Almeida , according to the Flazoeiro channel and the Flabase portal.

The club acquired 70% of the player's economic rights for R$800,000, a move that reinforces its strategy of seeking promising talent from different regions of the country . The negotiations also involved football director José Boto, who has also worked with Flamengo 's youth teams.

ATTACKER PROFILE

Isaac Gomes, a fast and skillful winger, caught the attention of Flamengo 's scouting department for his performances for Fortaleza in the 2025 Brasil Soccer Cup, where he stood out for his technical ability and physical stature .

HISTORY WITH FLAMENGO

A Rio native, Isaac had already been scouted by Flamengo in 2017, when he tried out for futsal at age 8. His family, then living in Junco do Seridó, Paraíba, even organized bingo games and campaigns to make the trip to Rio possible. Although he wasn't selected at the time, he remained on the scouts' radar .

In 2022, playing for Grêmio Recreativo Pague Menos (GRPM/Tirol), he again participated in evaluations at Ninho do Urubu, this time in field soccer . He received positive feedback, but was advised to stay in Ceará to develop technically and physically, with the promise of a return—now fulfilled, in 2025.

Flamengo's U-20 team demonstrated superiority by defeating Maricá 3-1 in an away match for the second round of the Taça Guanabara. Matheus Gonçalves was a standout performer, directly involved in two goals in the first half. The first half featured three decisive plays that secured the Rubro-Negro's two-goal lead at the end of the first 45 minutes.

Matheus Gonçalves started the action with a shot from outside the box that hit the crossbar. In the 43rd minute, he pounced on a loose ball inside the box and fired a precise shot into the right corner, leaving the opposing goalkeeper with no chance . Just before halftime, Daniel Sales made a run down the right and crossed for Guilherme, who capitalized on the Maricá defense's mistake and doubled the lead.

SECOND HALF BRINGS REDUCTION TO THE OPPONENT

Early in the second half, Maricá threatened with a free kick that sailed over the crossbar . However, in the seventh minute, the home team managed to pull one back through Wendel, who pounced on a rebound after a shot hit the post. Maricá responded quickly: Daniel Sales combined passes with Guilherme and delivered a cross that nearly resulted in a goal, saved by the opposing goalkeeper on two consecutive occasions.

In the 17th minute, Guilherme was fouled on the edge of the box, and Matheus Gonçalves took the shot , but the ball hit the crossbar. Flamengo sealed the victory in the 23rd minute with a quick counterattack: João Alves passed the ball accurately to Guilherme, who crossed for Iago to finish with precision, making it 3-1. With the advantage, the Rio de Janeiro team controlled the result until the final whistle.

FLAMENGO'S NEXT CHALLENGE

The Rubro-Negro U-20 team returns to action on the 16th at 10 a.m. , facing Bangu in Moça Bonita in the third round of the Guanabara Cup. The team is looking to maintain its positive streak and strengthen its campaign in the state competition.

As is customary, Flamengo was once again impacted by the Brazilian national team's call-ups . For the under-20 team's friendlies against Paraguay on August 8th and 11th, coach Ramon Menezes had called up four Flamengo players. However, after a request from the board, two of them were withdrawn .

Iago and João Victor, both defenders who came through the club's youth system, were removed from the list following an official request from Flamengo. Goalkeeper Lucas Furtado and midfielder Lorran remain confirmed and are expected to report to the national team this Monday (04), in São Paulo. This information comes from the 'Flazoeiro' channel.

WHY DID FLAMENGO ASK FOR THE CALL-UPS?

According to the website 'Coluna do Fla', the club's request was motivated by two main factors: the U-20 Club World Cup on August 23, when Flamengo will face Barcelona (ESP). Furthermore, Filipe Luís wants to count on the defenders for the main team's upcoming matches in the Brazilian Championship. Therefore, Iago and João Victor remain training at Ninho do Urubu.

PREPARATION OF THE U-20 NATIONAL TEAM FOR THE WORLD CUP

Brazil faces Paraguay again after their meeting at the South American Under-20 Championship earlier this year. Brazil won 3-1 in Caracas, securing early qualification for the Under-20 World Cup.

Since then, Ramon Menezes' team has played three friendlies in June in Egypt: a 4-0 victory over South Korea and draws with Iceland (0-0) and Saudi Arabia (1-1) . These matches are part of the preparation for the U-20 World Cup, where Brazil will seek its first title under the new generation.