
Soccer
18 Abr 2025 | 13:29 |
On the eve of the classic between Flamengo and Vasco for the Brasileirão , Rômulo , a former midfielder who played for both clubs, starred in one of the most surreal and talked about videos of Friday (18). In an unlikely comparison between Vasco in 2011, which only won one Copa do Brasil due to the away goals criterion , and Flamengo in 2019, Brazilian champion with a historic campaign and winner of the Libertadores , the former Mengão player predicted Vasco's victory by 9 to 3.
The analysis caused outrage among fans, mainly due to the dubious logic behind the choices. In defense, Rômulo gave Vasco a total advantage: Fernando Prass beat Diego Alves , Fagner beat Rafinha , and the duo Dedé and Anderson Martins got the better of Rodrigo Caio and Pablo Marí . The first victory for the red-and-black team came only on the left side, with Filipe Luís beating Márcio Careca.
In the middle, Rômulo placed himself ahead of Willian Arão , claiming: “At the time, I think I.” However, he was forced to admit Gerson was superior to Juninho Pernambucano . The choices in attack, however, took the comparison to an even more questionable level .
Everton Ribeiro lost to Felipe , while Arrascaeta was outperformed by Diego Souza , according to Rômulo, "for what he represented, for my team". Bruno Henrique was also overlooked in favor of Éder Luis , classified as a "buddy". Flamengo's only clear victory came with Gabigol over Alecsandro . As coach, Rômulo preferred Ricardo Gomes to Jorge Jesus , justifying the choice by his personal relationship with the former Vasco coach.
The controversial comparison may be related to Rômulo's personal frustration during his time at Flamengo . Signed in 2017, after years in Russia, the midfielder failed to establish himself . That season, he played in 26 matches , totaling 1,404 minutes — an average of 54 minutes per game — with only one goal and no assists .
The following year, he had even less space : 13 games and 502 minutes on the field, without direct participation in goals. In 2019, he was loaned to Grêmio and left Flamengo permanently shortly after, heading to Chinese football.
The full-back played a key role in the 2-0 victory over Juventude and reveals that the coach's request enhances his characteristics.
17 Set 2025 | 20:00 |
Flamengo beat Juventude 2-0 last Sunday (14), at Alfredo Jaconi, for the Brazilian Championship, and ended a 28-year winless streak in Caxias do Sul. Arrascaeta opened the scoring and Emerson Royal closed the score, scoring his first goal for the club .
Emerson Royal reveals Filipe Luís's request at Flamengo: "Filipe wants me to be sharp, exploring my physical strength"
After the match, the full-back revealed a conversation with coach Filipe Luís, who advised him on attacking positioning: "I received criticism when I played injured because I couldn't give my best. But I wanted to stay on the field to help Flamengo . Filipe explained to me what he wanted from me: to get to the far post. I even asked my teammates to watch me during that movement," Royal said.
It was the full-back's first game since returning from injury. Royal had sprained his left ankle on August 13 against Internacional in the Copa Libertadores. Since then, he had only played a few minutes in the draw with Grêmio at Maracanã.
According to the player, Filipe Luís asked him to play differently than he was used to in his career: "At Tottenham, I played as a defensive midfielder, on the inside. But Filipe wants me to be sharp, exploiting my physical strength, passing, and crossing. He knows my ability to support, and that can really help the team ."
Signed in July for €9 million (approximately R$58 million) from Milan, Emerson Royal is competing for a spot with Varela, who was rested against Juventude due to a groin injury. " Big teams are like that; they always have top-notch players . Varela has a lot of quality, and so do I. The competition is healthy, we work hard, and the choice is Filipe's," said the full-back.
On Thursday (18), Flamengo faces Estudiantes in the Libertadores (quarter-finals, first leg), at 9:30 pm, at Maracanã . The Most Beloved only returns to the field for the Brasileirão on Sunday (21), against Vasco, also at the sacred temple.
Flamengo competes in the 2025 Club Basketball World Cup, with games broadcast by FlamengoTV, narrated by João Guilherme and commented by Duda Machado
17 Set 2025 | 19:00 |
FlaBasquete has an international challenge ahead in the FIBA Intercontinental Club Cup , considered the basketball world championship. The red-black team debuts this Thursday (18) against NBA G League United, from the USA, at 6 am (Brasília time).
On September 19th, also at 6 am, Flamengo faces the Illawarra Hawks of Australia , with decisive matches scheduled for the weekend. All matches will be broadcast exclusively on Flamengo TV , bringing every play of the competition directly to the red-and-black nation.
João Guilherme will be the narrator, with commentary from Flamengo basketball legend Duda Machado. Emerson Santos, also known as Emershow, will be reporting from the courts in Singapore .
Under the command of Sérgio Hernández, known as "Oveja," Flamengo held a training camp in Spain, facing local teams. The coach highlighted the club's confidence and structure: " We are very happy and excited to represent the continent in a competition of this magnitude. We want to put Flamengo at the top of the world – where it should always be ," stated Oveja.
Flamengo has already won the world title on two occasions: 2014: Victory over Maccabi Haifa (Israel), 90 to 77, at Maracanãzinho, with highlights for Marcelinho Machado, Marquinhos, Laprovittola and Olivinha . 2022: Two-time championship in Egypt, beating Hereda San Pablo Burgos (Spain), with Yago, Olivinha and Luke Martínez leading the team.
Players are still recovering and will not be available to Filipe Luís for the duel this Thursday (18), at Maracanã, for the first leg of the quarterfinals
17 Set 2025 | 19:00 |
Flamengo held a training session at Ninho do Urubu on Wednesday afternoon (17) with the entire squad on the field. However, Pulgar, Jorginho and Alex Sandro are still doing specific work and will not be available for the game on Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm, at Maracanã, for the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores.
Chilean midfielder Erick Pulgar has returned to action on the pitch, but still needs at least two weeks to be cleared for the final phase of physical conditioning. He is recovering from a fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot, suffered in June.
Jorginho and Alex Sandro are also out of the squad . The Italian-Brazilian midfielder is treating a muscle swelling in his left thigh and is undergoing transition activities supervised by physiotherapists. The left-back, meanwhile, continues to recover from a left calf injury.
Without the trio, Flamengo should enter the field with: Rossi; Varela (or Emerson Royal), Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Ayrton Lucas; De la Cruz (or Allan), Saúl and Arrascaeta; Gonzalo Plata, Bruno Henrique (or Pedro) and Samuel Lino.
On the other side, coach Eduardo Domínguez projects a balanced match and highlighted Estudiantes' confidence in achieving a good result away from home. The Argentine team had a solid campaign in the group stage, eliminating Cerro Porteño in the round of 16 , and has three away wins, losing only to Botafogo .