NEYMAR DECLARES TO FLAMENGO BY AUTOGRAPHING THE CLUB SHIRT

Before defending Flamengo, Samuel Lino played for Atlético de Madrid (ESP) and received assists from Antoine Griezmann. At Rubro-Negro, the one who supplies him is the Uruguayan Arrascaeta . In an interview with FlamengoTV, released this Friday (29), the striker drew a parallel between the two stars .

Samuel Lino on Flamengo's Arrascaeta: "It's the same thing as playing with Griezmann"

"(Playing with Arrascaeta) is the same as playing with Griezmann (laughs). A lot of quality. I think they're quite similar, except one has a left leg and the other a right . Arrascaeta is easy to play with, very straightforward, an intelligent player. That's very clear on the pitch," said Samuel Lino.

The striker also highlighted how easy it is to connect with the number 10: "I really enjoy playing with him because he plays a lot of one-twos and gets close to create plays. His strongest points for me are his intelligence and experience . Sometimes he thinks too far ahead and makes passes with a running start, while I prefer to receive the ball at my feet (laughs)," he concluded.

DOUBLE WORKS AGAINST VITÓRIA

In the 8-0 rout over Vitória, last Monday (25), the partnership shone. Right on the first goal, Arrascaeta provided the assist for Samuel Lino to open the scoring . In the third, the roles were reversed: the former Atlético de Madrid player passed to the Uruguayan, who finished with his left foot into the back of the net.

EXPECTATIONS FOR THE DUEL AGAINST GRÊMIO

The connection between Samuel Lino and Arrascaeta could be decisive again this Sunday (31), in the match against Grêmio, at 4 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã , for the 22nd round of the Brasileirão. The match will be broadcast on Rede Globo, on open TV, and Premiere, on pay-per-view.

Coach Filipe Luís will lead Flamengo's last training session this Saturday (30), at 9:30 am (Brasília time), at Ninho do Urubu, before the match against Grêmio, valid for the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship. The activity will serve to define the lineup that will enter the field on Sunday (31), at 4 pm, at Maracanã.

FLAMENGO'S PROBABLE LINEUP

Filipe Luís is expected to maintain the core of the team that thrashed Vitória, as the week off allowed the squad to recover physically. The likely starting lineup includes: Rossi; Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, and Ayrton Lucas; Allan (Jorginho), Saúl, and Arrascaeta; Plata, Samuel Lino, and Pedro. The only question mark is in midfield:

Midfielder Jorginho didn't train this week due to muscle discomfort and will be re-evaluated this Saturday. If he's unfit, Allan is the favorite to take over. Evertton Araújo and De La Cruz appear as alternatives.

CONFIRMED SHORTAGES

Two players are already out of the match. Erick Pulgar is still recovering from a metatarsal fracture he suffered during the Club World Cup, while Alex Sandro suffered a calf injury against Vitória and will be replaced by Ayrton Lucas at left back.

FLAMENGO X GRÊMIO BROADCAST

After four days of training, from Wednesday (27) to Saturday (30), Flamengo faces Grêmio in search of maintaining its isolated leadership of the Brasileirão . The match will be broadcast on TV Globo (open network) and Premiere (pay-per-view).

Newly arrived at Flamengo, midfielder Jorge Carrascal was called up by the Colombian national team for the last two rounds of the South American World Cup Qualifiers. The list was released this Friday (29) by the Colombian Football Federation and coach Néstor Lorenzo.

Besides Carrascal, only one other Brazilian soccer player was called up: Bahia's Santiago Arias. In total, the 26 players called up are spread across 12 different countries , reinforcing the Colombian national team's international reach.

COLOMBIA DECIDES PLACE IN THE WORLD CUP

The Colombian national team will play its final two qualifiers in September. On the 4th, it faces Bolivia in Barranquilla. Next, it travels to face Venezuela at the Monumental Stadium in Maturín.

Currently in 6th place with 22 points, Colombia holds the final spot for direct qualification to the World Cup . The outlook is balanced: a string of victories could vault them into the top spots, but slip-ups could prove costly , as Venezuela (18 points) and Bolivia (17 points) still dream of qualifying.

TABLE SITUATION MAINTAINS PRESSURE

Unlike Brazil, which has already secured its spot and is using the final matches as a time for coach Carlo Ancelotti's observations, Colombia is playing for its future participation in the World Cup. If it doesn't win, it could finish in 7th place , a position that only qualifies for the intercontinental playoff organized by FIFA .