SANTOS ADVANCES WITH RESERVE GOALKEEPER FROM FLAMENGO - CHECK OUT

Flamengo striker Pedro has been a constant topic in the national sports press due to his current reserve status. After a period of recovery due to a serious injury, the player has not yet managed to return to the performance that consolidated him as one of the club's offensive references. Last Friday (04), ESPN commentator Rodrigo Bueno criticized the athlete's attitude and recent performance.

According to Bueno, Pedro's poor form justifies his current position in the squad. In his opinion, the player is not playing well enough to be a starter for Mengão and, consequently, should not be considered for the Brazilian National Team under Carlo Ancelotti.

“ The program talks, the television talks, and the field talks . And the field is talking: Pedro , you’re not well. Pedro, unfortunately, is a very nice guy, a great player, but this was his second serious injury, right? He had two very serious injuries, and he didn’t come back at the level that was expected, the level that we know he has,” declared the journalist.

PLAYER LOST SPOT IN THE TEAM

Pedro returned to the red-black squad at the beginning of this season after recovering from a serious injury sustained during training with the Brazilian national team. The recovery required surgery and a long period away from the pitch , compromising his sequence of games.

Since then, coach Filipe Luís has preferred to field a more dynamic attack , made up of players with greater mobility, such as Luiz Araújo, Bruno Henrique and Gonzalo Plata. This has meant that the number 9 has lost ground among the starters, despite his history as a top scorer and his strong participation in previous campaigns.

PEDRO'S SITUATION

During the Club World Cup , for example, Pedro was called up frequently, but failed to score any goals . Wallace Yan, a revelation from the youth academy, took advantage of his opportunities and scored twice, gaining prominence and more space in the squad.

“Today, both Carlo Ancelotti and Filipe Luís, I think, are not in a position to call him up for the Brazilian national team, and even Filipe Luís cannot put him in the starting line-up, given what he has been showing, or what he has not been showing,” added Rodrigo Bueno.

São Paulo gave clear signs of how it should present itself in the duel against Flamengo , this weekend, at Maracanã. Under the guidance of Argentine coach Hernán Crespo , the team held a training match on Friday (4), at CT da Barra Funda, beating the under-20 team 6-0. The movement on the training field indicated that the coach intends to use a system with three defenders, signaling a possible tactical variation between 3-5-2 and 3-6-1.

According to the “ge” portal, the defensive line was composed of Sabino , Venezuelan Ferraresi and Argentine Alan Franco. One detail caught the eye: Ferraresi played more centrally, as a sweeper, a strategic position that offers greater coverage and freedom when passing the ball.

FERNANDEZ TESTS LIBERO

Crespo 's tactical choice, although not unprecedented in his career, can be interpreted as a direct response to the opponent's offensive strength. Flamengo has the most productive attack and the least leaky defense in the Brasileirão so far. To try to contain this momentum, the Argentine coach is betting on compactness in the defensive sector and the freedom of the wingers to explore the flanks of the field.

The idea is to occupy the central spaces, reducing the opponent's infiltration options , and use the sides of the field as an alternative for quick transitions. The tactical movement of the wingers will be fundamental in this strategy, especially against a team that tends to push up its lines and press the opponent's field.

LINEUP IS STILL KEPT SECRET

Although the coaching staff has not officially announced the lineup for the game, images captured during training allowed us to project a likely starting lineup. The team that started the activity was composed of: Rafael; Sabino, Ferraresi and Alan Franco; Cédric Soares, Alisson, Marcos Antônio, Oscar and Enzo Díaz; Luciano and André Silva.

Victor Hugo's loan to Göztepe in Turkey has come to an end, but the midfielder trained at Flamengo will not remain on the Rio de Janeiro club's roster. The player will be transferred to Famalicão in Portugal on a new loan. The agreement does not provide for an immediate financial return for the Mais Querido, but the Brazilian team will keep 50% of the player's economic rights , with the expectation of profit in a possible future negotiation.

Two years ago, Flamengo turned down a €20 million offer (around R$107 million at the time) made by Wolverhampton , England, for Victor Hugo. At the time, the club believed in the midfielder's potential and believed that he could perform even better technically and financially. The player himself also chose to stay, believing that it was not the right time to leave Brazil.

YOUNG MAN LOST SPACE

Revealed as one of the great promises of the red-black youth team, Victor Hugo stood out in the victorious campaigns of the Copa do Brasil and Libertadores in 2022. In 2023, he played frequently under the command of Jorge Sampaoli , being used as a kind of 12th player. However, with the arrival of coach Tite, the midfielder began to have less space and saw his performance on the field being questioned by part of the fans.

PLAYER LIVED EXPERIENCE

The move to European football began with a loan to Göztepe , in Turkey, in September 2024. The negotiation was part of the agreement that brought the Argentine Alcaraz to the Rio de Janeiro squad, in partnership with the Sport Republic group, which also manages Southampton, in England.

Despite an encouraging start to 2025, Victor Hugo ended up losing his place in the Turkish team from March onwards and the club did not exercise the option to buy him. In total, he played 35 matches and scored three goals. The move to Famalicão is seen internally as a new chance to increase the player's value. With 50% of his economic rights maintained, Rubro-Negro hopes to capitalize on a possible future sale.