LUIZ ARAÚJO TALKS ABOUT GOALS FOR FLAMENGO: "HAPPY TO HELP MENGÃO"

At 35 years old and far from the spotlight of Série A, midfielder Camacho has found a sequence on the field again. Signed by CSA at the beginning of the season, the player has played 15 games for the blue team in 2025 and is enjoying a moment of stability in the Alagoas squad. Having played for Flamengo , Corinthians and Athletico, Camacho arrived in Maceió surrounded by distrust . His advanced age and recent history of injuries raised doubts about his usefulness to the team. But the midfielder has responded on the field.

A NEW MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER

Under the command of Higo Magalhães, Camacho gradually gained ground until he finally became a starter. He has already played in games of the Copa do Nordeste, Copa do Brasil, Campeonato Alagoano and Série C — in addition to the national qualifier for the knockout tournament. Camacho has played in three games of the Copa do Nordeste, three of the Copa do Brasil, three of the Campeonato Alagoano, two of the Copa do Brasil qualifiers and four of the Série C. His consistent performance in all competitions reinforces his current importance to the squad.

Despite not having scored any goals this season, the midfielder contributed one assist. He provided the pass for Bryann's goal in the 2-2 draw against Juazeirense, in the fifth round of the Copa do Nordeste. Experience has been Camacho's main asset in this return to football in the Northeast. With a career that includes stints at major clubs in the country, he is now seeking prominence in a more modest, but no less demanding, scenario.

OLD WAY, NEW FOOTBALL

CSA 's number 8 is one of the team's leaders off the field and has also been contributing in the locker room. The coaching staff values his tactical understanding and exemplary behavior with the younger players. Camacho played for Guarani in 2024, where he was a starter for part of the Série B campaign . Before that, he had spells at Flamengo, Corinthians, Santos and Athletico Paranaense, with moments of prominence especially in Curitiba and at Timão.

At Flamengo, he was part of the team that won the Brazilian Championship in 2009, while still at the beginning of his career. At Corinthians, he won the Brazilian Championship in 2017. In 2018, he lifted the Copa Sul-Americana trophy with Athletico, where he played in a rotation system under Tiago Nunes. His resume also includes winning the Série B with Audax and the Campeonato Paulista, as well as participating in Libertadores and international competitions. Even so, Camacho has become less frequent in the national news in recent years.

Matheus Sávio joined Flamengo 's professional squad in 2015, while still linked to the under-20 team. After an outstanding stint in the youth team and participation in the 2016 Copinha title, he was permanently integrated into the main group that same year. His career, however, did not have a solid sequence. Sávio alternated between occasional opportunities and loan spells. In an exclusive interview with the newspaper Lance!, the player acknowledged that he lacked maturity during that period.

URAWA REDS ON THEIR WAY

— Today, with the mindset I have today, the professionalism I have today, maybe I was a little immature when I started — said the midfielder, currently at Urawa Reds. In 2017, he had his most active season at Flamengo. He played 18 matches and scored three goals. Despite the modest number, he was seen as a useful player in the squad, especially in Campeonato Carioca games.

The following year was marked by another loan. This time, the destination was Estoril , in Portugal. The experience in Europe was short-lived: six games and one goal scored before returning to Ninho do Urubu. Back in Brazil, the midfielder had few opportunities at Flamengo in 2018 — just five matches — and ended up being loaned to CSA. At the club from Alagoas, he rediscovered his good football, scored four goals in 26 games and was state champion.

FLAMENGO OPENS ITS DOORS

His performance at CSA opened doors to the international market. In 2019, Matheus was loaned out again, this time to Kashiwa Reysol in Japan. On Asian soil, he played 20 games and was directly involved in ten goals. His performance attracted attention and the Japanese club bought his economic rights outright. Since then, he has built a solid career in Japanese football, with a notable stint at Kashiwa and, currently, at Urawa Reds.

At 28 years old, Matheus Sávio is preparing to play for the Japanese team in the Club World Cup. The tournament, which will be held in Saudi Arabia at the end of 2025, will once again put the midfielder in the spotlight. The player avoids any hard feelings with Flamengo, but he does not hide the fact that he would have liked to have performed better for the red-and-black team. For him, his personal circumstances and the stage of his career were important factors.

Flamengo returns to the field this Saturday (10), at 9 pm (Brasília time), to face Bahia at Maracanã, for the 8th round of the Brazilian Championship. After the 2-1 defeat to Cruzeiro away from home, the team led by Filipe Luis tries to get back to winning ways and stay among the top of the table.

REUNION WITH AN OLD FRIEND

On the other side, Rogério Ceni's Bahia arrives buoyed by the 1-0 victory over Botafogo, in Salvador, and with a special ingredient: the reunion with Everton Ribeiro, former captain of the red-black team, who commands the tricolor midfield and returns to Maracanã in a respectful atmosphere, but with the focus on the three points.

RECENT OVERVIEW

The last clash between the teams took place at Fonte Nova, still in this Brasileirão. On that occasion, Flamengo won 2-0 with goals from Ayrton Lucas and Carlos Alcaraz, the latter of whom has already been sold. The match marked the beginning of a new cycle under the command of Filipe Luís, then interim, before Filipe's permanent arrival.

To avoid surprises, Flamengo needs to keep an eye on at least five names that have been standing out on the Bahia side. Starting with midfielder Erick, who despite playing more defensively, is the team's top scorer this season with seven goals. Another name that draws attention is forward Luciano Rodríguez, responsible for six goals in 2025 and considered one of Bahia's big bets. The Uruguayan is the team's second-highest scorer and one of Ceni's offensive references.

On the left side, the versatile Luciano Juba has been making a difference. Despite being a striker by origin, he has been playing as a full-back and is leading Bahia in offensive participations in the Brasileirão. According to the SofaScore app, he has an average rating of 7.50 and has scored one goal and provided three assists in Série A. Another youngster who has made a good impression is Erick Pulga , another striker for the team from the northeast. With one goal, one assist and an average rating of 7.33, he is one of the pleasant surprises at the start of the championship and could appear as an option for Ceni, either as a starter or in the second half.