Soccer

Gonzalo Plata reveals that he saw Flamengo in the Libertadores and is eager to debut at Maracanã

Ecuadorian was the fourth Rubro-Negro reinforcement in this transfer window

Flamengo published it on FlaTV the video of Gonzalo Plata's arrival at Ninho do Urubu. The attacker visited Mais Querido's facilities, met new teammates, and had a moment with a former opponent and now commander. Coach Tite, when speaking to the player, asked if the athlete remembered him and Plata said yes because they faced each other in the Copa América and in the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.

To FlaTV, Gonzalo admitted that he didn't follow the Brasileirão, but said he had watched the Libertadores finals that Mais Querido won in recent years, one of them in Guayaquil, his homeland, he couldn't hide his anxiety about playing in a packed Maracanã.

“I'm really looking forward to playing at Maracanã, with the whole stadium full of Flamengo fans. Much earlier I also watched games. I didn't really follow the Brazilian league, but, of course, I saw the Libertadores final where they played against River. I remember they also played in Ecuador against Athletico-PR. Flamengo fills stadiums everywhere, so this fills me with anticipation to arrive at Maracanã and see the entire stadium in red, with people from Flamengo. I think it will be a very special day for me”, said Mengo's new 45 shirt.

The debut could take place exactly in the former Big One in the World, Flamengo hopes to be able to register the striker with the CBF BID this Monday ( 2), which would allow Rubro-Negro to register the player for the second leg of the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil against Bahia, which will be at Maracanã. Gonzalo Plata hopes to be able to repay the affection he has felt from the Nation.

“Long before arriving here in Brazil, people were already sending me a lot of messages, so I am very happy. When I already knew I was coming here, when they sent me my plane ticket, with that I said: "I've arrived"! Now that I'm here, yesterday they announced it to me, all the messages of support I received, I'm very happy about it. Now I just have to wait for my teammates, their welcome, which will be very important for me to adapt better”, declared the Ecuadorian.

Flamengo will be the fifth club of the player's career. Formed by Independiente Del Valle, from Ecuador, the striker had spells at Sporting (POR), Real Valladolid (ESP) and Al Sadd (CAT), however, Plata guaranteed that none of the teams he played for have a structure as good as that of the Rubro-Negro.

“I've been to many teams, but I think this is the best I've ever seen. So I think I'm going to like it a lot, there are a lot of things to recover and do here”, he concluded.

Soccer

Despite the nickname "smooth wire", Flamengo's attack dominates the offensive aspect in series A

Rubro-Negro dominates the offensive presence category, leading both in touches in the final third and in expected goals (xG)

Flamengo creates, on average, 3.6 big goal chances per game, although it still wastes two clear opportunities per match, something that, if adjusted

Flamengo continues to demonstrate why it is considered the most feared team in the 2025 Brasileirão. According to a survey by the "DataFut" profile, the Rubro-Negro dominates the offensive presence category, leading both in touches in the final third and in expected goals (xG). In practice, this efficiency translates into the best attack in the competition, with 11 goals scored so far.

The graph reveals that Flamengo is the team that exchanges the most passes in the attacking sector, but the biggest highlight is its ability to transform this possession into real goal opportunities. Rubro-Negro has an impressive 2.2 goals per game, with numbers that reinforce its high offensive quality.

10 of the 11 goals came from shots inside the box;
1 goal was scored from outside the area;
The team also scored 3 headed goals, showing versatility;
The right foot was the main weapon, with 5 goals scored, against 3 with the left leg.

*data collected from Sofascore

Even with a better attack, Flamengo wastes many chances

Flamengo creates, on average, 3.6 big scoring chances per game, although they still waste two clear opportunities per match, something that, if adjusted, could make the team even more lethal.

With 15.2 shots per game (6.2 of which were on target), Filipe Luís' team demonstrates aggression and consistency. The intense offensive movement is also reflected in the number of fouls suffered (11.6 direct shots per game).

Flamengo not only dominates possession and occupies the opponent's field, but also transforms this offensive presence into concrete numbers. Still, the Rubro-Negro can be even more objective due to the number of chances it creates. If this is corrected, it will be very difficult for the Mais Querido to have results like the 0x0 against Vasco.

This Sunday (27), Mengão will have the opportunity to show its offensive power in front of a completely packed Maracanã, with all tickets sold for the duel against Corinthians, at 4 pm, for the sixth round of the Brasileirão.

Soccer

Raul Plassmann reveals behind the scenes of his arrival at Flamengo in its golden age

Former goalkeeper told MengoCast how the unexpected invitation from the Rio de Janeiro club became the key to his career even after his decision to retire

Raul Plassmann recalls in MengoCast how an unexpected call from President Márcio Braga changed his trajectory (Photo / CRF)

An idol of Flamengo during the historic victories of the early 1980s, Raul Plassmann relived one of the most curious moments of his career in football. In an appearance on "MengoCast", the former goalkeeper revealed that he had already retired from his sports career when he received, without prior warning, the news that he would be the new signing for the Rio de Janeiro club . The announcement was made on national television, while he was having dinner with his parents in Curitiba.

The phone will ring soon. Five minutes later, it rang.” - said Raul about his announcement at Flamengo

PLAYER HAD RETURNED TO HIS PARENTS' HOME AFTER QUITTING FOOTBALL

The story begins in 1978. Raul, then 32 years old, decided to end his career after playing for Coritiba, São Paulo and Cruzeiro. According to him, the decision came at a time when he was feeling discouraged about football. “I stopped. Back in Belo Horizonte, I said: 'I don't want to do it anymore'. I took my car and left for Curitiba. I went to live with my parents”, he recalled. Despite his successful career, Raul said that he never dreamed of being a professional player — his initial goal was just to be able to buy a car.

NEWS CATCHES RAUL BY SURPRISE DURING FAMILY DINNER

At home, away from the field, Raul was surprised by a news story while watching Jornal Nacional. “ Fernando Vanucci came on air and said: ‘Raul is Flamengo’s new goalkeeper’” . According to him, silence took over the room. His mother, surprised, asked questions. His father, in shock, just watched. Raul, however, realized that it was not a joke. “I said: ‘The phone is going to ring soon’. Five minutes later, it rang”.

On the other end of the line, Márcio Braga, then president of Flamengo , was direct: “I bought your pass. You show up tomorrow.” Raul , still reluctant, said that he had already stopped playing. But the director insisted, stating that the goalkeeper was now a player for the club. At first, Raul rejected the offer. In addition to his lack of interest, he thought the salary was low and was uncomfortable with the idea of living with the youth players in São Conrado.