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Defender Léo Pereira, from Flamengo, became the target of numerous criticisms on social media after his performance in the classic against Vasco. The player was directly responsible for the opponent's equalizing goal, which generated a flood of negative comments from fans, especially on digital platforms.

The move that resulted in Vasco's goal happened at a crucial moment in the match , which intensified the red-black revolt. Many Flamengo fans took to the internet to express their frustration with the defender's failure, pointing to the defensive failure as determining the final result. In the game, which is already naturally surrounded by tension as it is a classic between two of Rio's biggest football rivals, the responsibility of maintaining a solid defense is even greater.

However, Léo Pereira made a mistake that ended up being fatal for the Flamengo. The defender was unable to clear the ball in an aerial play, allowing Vasco to reach a draw. The failure occurred 30 minutes into the second half, at a time when Flamengo seemed to control the match, despite pressure from the opponent. However, the defender's positioning error allowed Vasco's attacker to take advantage of the opportunity, scoring a goal that changed the course of the game.

As soon as the game ended, social networks became a space for rant to Flamengo fans. Various profiles, from sports influencers to ordinary fans, spared no criticism of Léo Pereira's performance. Comments such as "unacceptable" and "another decisive failure" dominated mentions of the player.

On Bluesky, the hashtag with the player's name became one of the most talked about topics, and in fan groups on WhatsApp and Facebook, the conversation revolved around the need for reinforcements in Flamengo's defense. Many stated that the team, with the ambitions it has in competitions such as the Brazilian Championship and Libertadores, cannot afford to make such simple defensive mistakes.

Mengão will have to deal with the absence of Nicolás De La Cruz for another important game. The Uruguayan player did not participate in the classic against Vasco, last Sunday (15), and remains a doubt for this Thursday's match (19) against Peñarol, valid for the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana. The midfielder's presence is not yet guaranteed, as coach Tite explained during a press conference.

During the press conference, Tite revealed that, after a recent training session, he asked Nicolás De La Cruz about the possibility of playing for at least 20 minutes in the match against Vasco, but the player, smiling, indicated that was not in condition. “The physical department was categorical in stating that he was not fit, even if he felt good", commented the coach. Tite also reinforced that he hopes to be able to count on the athlete on Thursday, but there is still no guarantee that this will be possible.

Nicolás De La Cruz has been sidelined since suffering a muscle injury to his right thigh in the game against Bahia, valid for the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil. Since then, the midfielder was absent from the team in the matches against Corinthians, in the second game of the same competition, and in the Rio derby. and expectations for his return increase as the calendar narrows.

In addition to De La Cruz, CRF has already confirmed the absence of four other players for the clash against Peñarol, which they face. problems in their right thigh, and Pedro, Matías Viña and Everton Cebolinha, who suffered more serious injuries, will only return to the pitch in 2025.

With these absences, coach Tite will have to adjust the team to maintain performance and continue in search of victories in the competitions that the club still competes in.

Flamengo will sue FIFA to receive compensation for Pedro's injury during the FIFA Data. However, before sending the medical report to the highest football entity, part of the procedure, Rubro-Negro can also receive compensation from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) for the club's losses after the player was injured.

A lawyer Ana Mizutori, specialist in sports law, mentions that Brazilian sports legislation also deals with injuries to players that occurred while serving the national team.

"What was the old provision of the article 41 of the Pelé Law is now provided for in article 92 of the General Sports Law (Law 14,597/23), establishing that the participation of athletes in national teams will occur through an agreement between the convening sports organization and the club that gives the athlete to to play in the national team. The first paragraph maintained the provision regarding the duty of the convening sports organization (CBF) to compensate the team that maintains an employment contract with the athlete in question, and this duty must continue until the athlete is reintegrated into the sports organization that is in question. gave in."

"In this sense, it can be said that the responsibility for Pedro's injury, which occurred during his sporting performance for the Brazilian team, falls on the highest sports administration entity, and there may be specific adjustments in this sense, as observed today in FIFA regulations and the Club Protection Program, which provides compensation to clubs in these cases", he adds.

Journalist, lawyer and UOL columnist Andrei Kampff understands that " It would be important to seek this compensation, as it is the clubs' right. Flamengo could open a path that the legislation provides, but that the clubs do not use."

As explained by Lei em Campo last week, compensation by FIFA will take place through the Club Protection Program ( The FIFA Club Protection Programme). The ceiling for compensation is 7.5 million euros (R$46.7 million) over one year (365 days). thousand). Flamengo is already requesting this compensation.

The club, fulfilling the requirements established by the program, will be entitled to compensation aimed at covering medical expenses and losses caused during the period in which they will be unable to do so. rely on full compliance with the employment contract due to the injury.

Andrei Kampff, a lawyer specializing in sports law, highlights that "this mechanism is created to protect clubs that are obliged under internal provisions of the football to give their employees to the national teams. In other words, it is a type of insurance, since the athlete is also an important economic asset of the club."

To trigger compensation, the club must follow the procedure implemented by article 3 of the aforementioned regulation , communicating to the insurance company delegated by FIFA, presenting the necessary documents and forms, which cannot exceed a period of 28 days from the injury, under penalty of loss of the right to compensation.

Any dispute that arises in relation to the program will be submitted directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) - the last instance of Sports Justice at a global level.

Pedro was injured during the national team's training in a play alone, without contact with another player. The press had already left Caju's CT. The attacker underwent an MRI exam, in Curitiba, which showed the rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

The Recovery time for injuries of this type usually ranges from 9 to 12 months. The injury is the same as the one suffered by Neymar last year, which kept him out of action since October. In 2018, when he was wearing the Fluminense shirt, Pedro suffered the same injury, but to his right knee.