Tite opens the game and explains why Léo Ortiz is a reserve at Flamengo - check it out

With Flamengo's defeat to Peñarol in the Libertadores, it was necessary to bear the nuances of a winner who was not content with victory on the field, but needed to celebrate away from home, almost provoking the locals. The Uruguayan team left the locker room with lots of celebration, laughter and music.

The Peñarol players passed through the Maracanã mixed zone with a speaker playing Uruguayan music. The athletes were happy and smiling. But some even passed by, looking at the Brazilian journalists with a sideways smile, in an air of mockery while the music played.

The party was led by defender Guzmán Rodríguez, who passed by holding the speaker . It was the athlete who gave some ironic looks to the journalists, unable to contain his happiness at beating Flamengo 1-0 last Thursday night (19).

After passing through the mixed zone, some Uruguayan players took the wrong path and went straight ahead instead of returning behind the banners towards the visiting bus. Stadium security had to prevent them from going to the restaurant area, where Flamengo had dinner after the match.

After the 1-0 defeat, it's up to Flamengo to turn things around away from home. Rubro-Negro dreams of a fourth championship, and to do so, they need to reach the semifinals by eliminating Peñarol. If you win by a goal difference, the decision will go to penalties. To qualify directly, Mengão needs to win by two or more goals, waiting for Botafogo or São Paulo in the next phase.

With the defeat, Flamengo saw its positive record fall when playing as home team in the World Cup Liberators. There were 28 unbeaten games, chasing Boca Juniors' record. Furthermore, there were 17 consecutive victories, needing just two to equal El Nacional.

At 33 years old, Alex Sandro also felt the weight of physical exhaustion after the run of two consecutive games. After four months of inactivity, the full-back started two consecutive matches, which ended up taking its toll. In the 16th minute of the second half, he was replaced by Ayrton Lucas, showing signs of tiredness.

The player's physical condition raises doubts about his participation in the next match Flamengo, valid for the Brazilian Championship. On Sunday (22), the team will face Grêmio, in Porto Alegre, at 6:30 pm (Brasília time). Given Alex Sandro's obvious wear and tear, it is possible that coach Jorge Sampaoli will choose to preserve the athlete for the decisive game against Peñarol, next week. The player's physical preservation can be fundamental for him to be in full condition in the second leg of the Libertadores.

Flamengo is now finds himself in a delicate situation at Libertadores. With the defeat at Maracanã, the team will need to reverse the result in Montevideo to guarantee classification for the next phase of the competition. Despite the setback, Alex Sandro believes that Flamengo has all the conditions to beat Peñarol in Uruguay. According to him, the team has experienced players who know how to deal with the pressure and the hostile environment they will find at the Campeón del Siglo Stadium.

"We know it will be a difficult game, but Flamengo We have a qualified squad. We have experienced players, used to this type of situation. We are going there with confidence that we can turn the score around and advance in the competition", commented the full-back. Coach Tite will also need to make adjustments to the team for the second leg. The expectation is that Flamengo will enter the field with a more aggressive stance, seeking to control the game from the beginning and avoid the mistakes that cost them victory in the first duel. The team will not be able to repeat the passivity shown at Maracanã, at the risk of being eliminated from the Libertadores early.

This last Tuesday (10), Chile ended up being defeated by Bolivia 2-1. Thus, the Chilean team is going through a new crisis and now occupies the penultimate place in the World Cup Qualifiers table. World 2026. Former Flamengo midfielder, Arturo Vidal cited Erick Pulgar and criticized coach Ricardo Gareca.

To be able to criticize the moment the Chilean team is going through, Vidal used his own Kick channel, on YouTube. Currently at Colo-Colo (CHI), the midfielder criticized the Argentine coach's substitutions.

“I wanted Vicente Pizarro alongside Erick Pulgar or Esteban Pavez. These are players who know Carlitos Palacios and know the right moment to pass the ball”, said the former Flamengo player.

In addition to highlighting that he is against Gareca's substitutions, the former Flamengo player was emphatic that say that the Chile team should not have changed coaches. It's worth remembering that the Chilean federation fired Eduardo Berizzo in November 2023.

“I'm speechless, it hurts me a lot (losing at home to Bolivia). It doesn't make sense to lose like that, having players […] I don't understand some decision-making. He is respected because he is the coach, but I don't understand the approach. It's difficult to talk now […] I would never have changed Eduardo Berizzo. The press is disgusting, the only thing it does is ruin the team”, commented the midfielder who played for Flamengo.

See you At the moment, Chile has five defeats, two draws and just one victory in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, occupying ninth place in the league table. Peru is at the bottom, with three points. Remembering that only the first six countries in the Qualifiers qualify for the world competition.