Soccer
Flamengo vs Illawarra Hawks - where to watch and time of the Basketball World Cup
17 Set 2025 | 16:29
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Soccer
25 Abr 2025 | 08:52 |
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Team captain, with a contract renewed until 2030 and call-ups for the Brazilian national team , Gerson has never been so high-profile at Flamengo. However, his status has not spared the Joker from criticism for his role in the red-black attack.
Since last year, he has moved from being a defensive midfielder to playing further forward, as a right-wing midfielder . Despite his strength and intelligence on the field, he has contributed little when it comes to goals. This season, he has only scored one goal and provided two assists in 15 matches played.
In the classic against Vasco , last Saturday, he was the center of criticism for missing three good chances and showing slowness in setting up plays on his side. The constant need to set up the ball for his left foot, the dominant one, has cost time and made the team miss opportunities.
On Tuesday, against LDU , in another discreet performance, Gerson was defended by coach Filipe Luís, who said that the midfielder was "sacrificed for his physical condition" . These are the two most recent examples of the lack of confidence in a player capable of enhancing the team's dynamism, especially in a team whose wingers are often questioned for being "smooth wires" and not very good at scoring goals.
Gerson's change of area of activity and low contribution in goals and assists was not felt much in 2024, as Pedro concentrated most of Flamengo 's goals. After the center forward suffered a serious injury, the team knew how to distribute them until the end of the season, but things changed this year.
Since March, when the final phase of the Carioca was played and the Brasileirão and Libertadores began, the red-black team has only scored more than twice in a match in the 6-0 win over Juventude.
The number 8, however, cannot be held responsible for the shortcomings in the attacking sector . While Pedro is recovering, Juninho and Bruno Henrique have not been able to take on the role of reference in the attack. On the left, reserves Michael and Cebolinha have not yet proven to be reliable players and have not been able to take advantage of the many opportunities.
But Gerson also changes Filipe Luís's overall setup. Using him solely on the right means that Plata ends up moving centrally to find space , Luiz Araújo becomes a "second-half man", and fewer opportunities are opened up for young players requested by the fans, such as Matheus Gonçalves and Wallace Yan.
At the same time, the gap left by Gerson in the middle allowed De La Cruz to establish himself as a second midfielder , forming a close-knit duo with Pulgar. Returning to the sector does not seem to be the best solution.
One of the best versions of the midfielder appeared in 2023, when he was re-signed from Olympique de Marseille (France), where he played on the left of the attack. A possibility that could even be considered by Filipe, given the difficulty encountered in that area.
Playing on the strong side could also make Gerson more agile in finishing and passing . So far, however, the Joker is far from being the player who had his best season in Brazilian football, with six goals and 11 assists in 60 matches that year.
Reds standout Van Dijk recalls the atmosphere created by Mengão fans in the final played in Qatar in 2019 and says he is enchanted by the Brazilians
17 Set 2025 | 21:00 |
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Flamengo's fans continue to impress world football's biggest names . In 2019, Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk came face-to-face with the might of the Red-Black Nation at the FIFA Club World Cup final in Qatar. The atmosphere of that match left a lasting impression on the Dutch defender.
Liverpool's Van Dijk on Flamengo: "Their fans were incredible"
In an interview with TNT Sports, Van Dijk was asked about his knowledge of Brazilian football. The topic arose because striker Memphis Depay , a player for Corinthians and the Dutch national team, frequently talks to the defender about Brazil.
"I know very well the passion Brazilian fans have for their teams. We faced Flamengo in the Club World Cup in Qatar, and their support was incredible . Memphis also spoke to me several times about the Corinthians fans. We know how great Brazilian football is. I'm very proud of Memphis and hope he scores many goals for the national team," said the defender.
After eliminating Al-Hilal in the semifinals, Flamengo faced Liverpool again in a repeat of the 1981 final . However, Jorge Jesus's team failed to break down the English defense and lost in extra time. In the final, Van Dijk experienced one of the greatest moments of his career and was a key player in neutralizing the Flamengo attack. Players like Gabigol struggled against the defender's solidity.
Almost six years after that duel, the Nation is preparing for another big night. Tickets for Flamengo vs Estudiantes, this Thursday (18), at Maracanã, for the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals , are already sold out . More than 69 thousand fans will support Filipe Luís' team, which is looking to open up an advantage before the decisive match in La Plata.
The red-and-black team fails to overcome São Paulo's solid performance, concedes a goal from Duda Serrana and leaves the national tournament in the round of 16
17 Set 2025 | 20:45 |
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Flamengo said goodbye to the Women's Copa do Brasil after losing 1-0 to São Paulo, this Wednesday (17), at Morumbis. The Rio de Janeiro team even tried to react after falling behind on the scoreboard, but was unable to avoid elimination in the single duel of the round of 16. The decisive goal was scored by Duda Serrana, a standout for the São Paulo team.
In the first half, São Paulo dominated possession and adopted a more attacking approach , hindering Flamengo 's play. Flamengo struggled to exchange passes and impose their style. Even so, the visitors had the best chance of the first half: on a quick counterattack in the 30th minute, Duda had a good opportunity but shot wide.
Early in the second half, a poor clearance by the Flamengo defense resulted in the game-clinching goal. The defense poorly cleared the ball, and Duda Serrana fired a precise shot from outside the box, leaving Flamengo's goalkeeper with no chance . From then on, the Rio de Janeiro team pushed forward and sought to press in the final minutes, relying primarily on set pieces and crosses, but failed to create any real chances.
With this result, Flamengo ends its Women's Copa do Brasil campaign with one win and one loss. The team received approximately R$90,000 for its participation in the round of 16. After the final whistle, members of the Flamengo coaching staff complained about the refereeing in the center of the field, but the result remained unchanged.
Flamengo could take to the field with a different formation to face Estudiantes this Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), for the CONMEBOL Libertadores. The duel, decisive for the club's ambitions in the continental competition, will be broadcast live on Disney+.
The full-back played a key role in the 2-0 victory over Juventude and reveals that the coach's request enhances his characteristics.
17 Set 2025 | 20:00 |
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Flamengo beat Juventude 2-0 last Sunday (14), at Alfredo Jaconi, for the Brazilian Championship, and ended a 28-year winless streak in Caxias do Sul. Arrascaeta opened the scoring and Emerson Royal closed the score, scoring his first goal for the club .
Emerson Royal reveals Filipe Luís's request at Flamengo: "Filipe wants me to be sharp, exploring my physical strength"
After the match, the full-back revealed a conversation with coach Filipe Luís, who advised him on attacking positioning: "I received criticism when I played injured because I couldn't give my best. But I wanted to stay on the field to help Flamengo . Filipe explained to me what he wanted from me: to get to the far post. I even asked my teammates to watch me during that movement," Royal said.
It was the full-back's first game since returning from injury. Royal had sprained his left ankle on August 13 against Internacional in the Copa Libertadores. Since then, he had only played a few minutes in the draw with Grêmio at Maracanã.
According to the player, Filipe Luís asked him to play differently than he was used to in his career: "At Tottenham, I played as a defensive midfielder, on the inside. But Filipe wants me to be sharp, exploiting my physical strength, passing, and crossing. He knows my ability to support, and that can really help the team ."
Signed in July for €9 million (approximately R$58 million) from Milan, Emerson Royal is competing for a spot with Varela, who was rested against Juventude due to a groin injury. " Big teams are like that; they always have top-notch players . Varela has a lot of quality, and so do I. The competition is healthy, we work hard, and the choice is Filipe's," said the full-back.
On Thursday (18), Flamengo faces Estudiantes in the Libertadores (quarter-finals, first leg), at 9:30 pm, at Maracanã . The Most Beloved only returns to the field for the Brasileirão on Sunday (21), against Vasco, also at the sacred temple.
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