INCREDIBLE! FLAMENGO BECOME THE CLUB THAT INVESTS MOST IN THE BASIS IN THE LAST 5 YEARS; SEE VALUES

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 However, after a request from the board, two of them were withdrawn .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.

Flamengo's under-17 team achieved a convincing victory on Wednesday afternoon (3), beating América-MG 3-0 at Arena Vera Cruz, in Betim, Minas Gerais. With a strong offensive performance in the first 45 minutes , Mais Querido built the result that guaranteed them three important points in the 12th round of the Brazilian Under-17 Championship.

The Ninho Boys opened the scoring in the third minute, with Victor Hugo finishing with precision after a pass from Lucas Falcone. The pressure continued, and in the 15th minute, Rafinha doubled the lead with an assist from Gabriel Amâncio. Just before halftime, in the 42nd minute, João Vitor completed Rafinha's move and scored the third, solidifying the red-and-black team's dominance in the first half.

WITH 20 POINTS FROM FLAMENGO

With the result, Daniel Franklin's team reached 20 points and moved up two places in the standings , now occupying eighth place, the last place in the qualifying zone for the next stage of the tournament. This was Mengão 's sixth victory in the championship.

The team returns to action on August 6th, facing Fortaleza at José Bastos Padilha Stadium in Gávea. The team hopes to maintain its momentum and cement its place among the leaders of the national youth competition.

LINEUP AND EVERYTHING ABOUT THE GAME

Flamengo started the match with : Eduardo Clasen, Diego Guimarães, Daniel Monteiro, Levy Dias, Gabriel Amâncio, Rafael Henrique, Rogério Araujo, Lucas Falcone, Guilherme Ivo, João Vitor and Victor Hugo. On the bench were: Gabriel Werneck, João Victor, Pedro Pinho, Fábio Esteves, Heitor Fairbancks, Enzo Pinheiro, João Ricardo, Matheus Tiago, Kaio Gomes, Davi Waisman and Emanuel Silva.

Flamengo is out of the Brazilian Under-20 Championship . After drawing 1-1 in regular time against Cruzeiro, on Wednesday afternoon (30), at the Luso Brasileiro Stadium, the team was beaten 4-3 on penalties and said goodbye to the competition in the quarterfinals. Pedro Leão scored the Rubro-Negro's goal during the 90 minutes.

Bruno Pivetti's team created several chances, especially in the second half, but failed to convert their superiority into goals. Cruzeiro took the lead in the first half, with Baptistella scoring in the 26th minute. Mengão's response came early in the second half , with Pedro Leão capitalizing on an opposing defense error to equalize the match in the first minute.

Flamengo continued to press and had at least four good chances to turn the score around, notably shots by Lorran and Felipe Teresa. However, the ball stubbornly refused to go in, with a shot hitting the post and important saves by the Minas Gerais goalkeeper.

PENALTIES DECISION

In the penalty shootout, Cruzeiro scored with Pedro, Iago, and Wanderson , but Lorran and Guilherme missed their own. Goalkeeper Lucas Furtado even saved a penalty, but the final score of 4-3 secured Cruzeiro's place in the semifinals.

NEXT APPOINTMENT

With the national elimination, the focus of Flamengo 's youth team now turns to the Campeonato Carioca U-20. The debut is scheduled for Saturday (3), at 3 pm, again at the Luso Brasileiro Stadium, against Portuguesa-RJ. The coaching staff will continue working to adjust the team after the elimination, highlighting the good collective performance and the chances created throughout the match.