ANOTHER INJURED, FLAMENGO? TITE EXPOSES THE PROBLEM THAT LEAD HIM TO TAKE DE LA CRUZ OUT OF THE MATCH AGAINST AMAZONAS

Flamengo continues to wait for the return of Arrascaeta, who has been sidelined since August 18th, when he suffered an injury to his left thigh. The number 14 is being monitored by the club's Medical Department and his return to the field is still uncertain for the decisive clash against Bahia, valid for the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil. The game will take place on September 12th, at 9:45 pm, at Maracanã.

Arrascaeta has not yet started the transition phase to the field, remaining under the care of Flamengo's medical department. With less than a week to go until the match, the club is racing against time to count on the return of the Uruguayan star. According to journalist Venê Casagrande, the player is in the final stage of recovery and there is an expectation that he will begin the physical transition next Monday (09).

IMPACT OF INJURIES IN THE SECOND HALF

An undisputed starter at Flamengo and frequently called up for the Uruguayan national team, Arrascaeta has faced physical problems throughout the seasons, especially in the second half, when the calendar becomes more intense. Since 2019, the midfielder has suffered 70% of his injuries after June, totaling 20 absences for Flamengo, 14 of them from that period.

In the first match of the quarter-finals against Bahia, Flamengo won 1-0 away from home, with a goal from Bruno Henrique. With this result, Rubro-Negro can even draw at Maracanã to guarantee their place in the tournament's semifinals. The team hopes to count on Arrascaeta, but is also preparing alternatives to make up for his possible absence.

Flamengo still has some doubts for the clash, but the likely lineup has names like: Rossi, Wesley (Varela), Fabrício Bruno, Léo Pereira, Ayrton Lucas, Pulgar (Léo Ortiz), Allan, Gerson, Luiz Araújo, Bruno Henrique and Gabigol (Arrascaeta). 

Friday (6) marked a historic moment for American football fans in Brazil. For the first time, the NFL held an official game in the country, pitting the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers teams against each other. The event, which took place at the Neo Química Arena, in São Paulo, celebrated the expansion of the American league into Brazilian territory.

The Philadelphia Eagles emerged victorious in the duel against the Green Bay Packers, with a thrilling 34-29 comeback, being the first team to triumph on Brazilian soil in an official NFL game.

Among the highlights of the event, Eagles player C.J. Gardner-Johnson took advantage of the post-game moment to interact with fans and, in a symbolic gesture, received a Flamengo Imperadores shirt, a team from American football linked to the Clube de Regatas do Flamengo.

The history of Flamengo in American football began on May 17, 2013, when the club signed a partnership with the Imperadores team, resulting in the creation of Flamengo Futebol Americano. Since then, the red-black club has stood out on the national sports scene. In 2017, the team adopted the name Flamengo Imperadores, consolidating itself as one of the great forces of American football in Brazil.

In 2018, Flamengo Imperadores won the Carioca American Football Championship, beating Vasco in the final and asserting its supremacy in the sport in the state.

In addition to seeking supremacy in American football, Flamengo continues its successful campaign in field football. The club is in contention for the three main titles of the season: Copa do Brasil, Libertadores and Campeonato Brasileiro. The team's next commitment is for the Copa do Brasil, where they will face Bahia in the quarter-finals, on Thursday (12), at Maracanã.

Flamengo remains in the hiring market. After agreeing on Michael's return, the red-and-black team is now focusing its efforts on signing two full-backs, one right and one left, and a midfielder. For the midfield, the name of the moment in the corridors of Gávea is that of Argentine Carlos Alcaraz, which for former athlete Mancuso is the wrong move.

Mancuso, who played for Flamengo in the 90s, gave an interview to the channel 'Paparazzo Rubro-Negro'. The Argentine said that, despite Alcaraz being a great player, Flamengo needs a midfielder with different characteristics, treating as a priority a reserve for Arrascaeta, comparing the Southampton youngster to another Uruguayan in the Flamengo squad.

“If Flamengo has the wallet, pocket, money, go to the market and hire three or four bombs. You don't need to go to Europe and sign a player for 20 million, 25 million, you have to sign well. They were talking about Alcaraz, it's good, but it's box to box. Same characteristics as De La Cruz. We made the same mistake again.”

Box to Box is an expression in English for the player who goes from one large area to another, the one who attacks and defends with a similar quality. At Mengão, two players are the ones who most present these characteristics, De La Cruz himself and captain Gerson, who has been playing more advanced in the last matches with coach Tite.

Flamengo even agreed to negotiate with Southampton as forwarded for 18 million euros (R$ 108 million) and tried to convince Alcaraz to return to South America, but the English club asked that a young man like Victor Hugo or Iago be included or that the red-black team would increase the offer for 25 million (R$ 150 million) and the business crashed.