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Flamengo was defeated by Santos on Wednesday night (16), with a goal from Neymar. After scoring the goal, the number 10 of the São Paulo team made a point of provoking the coach of Mais Querido , Filipe Luís.

After scoring for Santos, Neymar celebrated with the players and fans present at Vila Belmiro. Immediately afterward, he headed to midfield and, before the ball was rolled again, turned to Filipe Luís and said, " I told you I was going to score ." Thus, he "taunted" his former teammate.

PRE-MATCH PROVOCATION

It's worth noting that this wasn't the only time Neymar provoked Filipe Luís during the match. Early in the match, the player attempted to flick the ball at the coach, but the manager prevented the play. Shortly afterward, the pair embraced.

FLAMENGO'S SITUATION IN THE BRAZILIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

With the defeat to Santos, Flamengo remains with 27 points and is still leader of the Brasileirão. However, Cruzeiro, second place, faces Fluminense this Thursday (17) and in case of victory can take the top of the table, pushing Mais Querido to second place.

FOCUS ON THE NEXT GAME

Thus, Flamengo returns to the field against Fluminense this Sunday (20), in a match valid for the 15th round of the Brasileirão, at 7:30 pm, at Maracanã. Rubro-Negro will try to return to the path of victory to continue in the fight for the title.

On Wednesday night (16), Flamengo was defeated by Santos 1-0 at Vila Belmiro , in a duel valid for the 15th round of the Brazilian Championship. The only goal was scored by Neymar, who returned to the starting lineup for the São Paulo team and made his debut at the stadium that revealed him.

The defeat didn't knock the Red-Blacks off the top of the table, but it sparked off-field debate— particularly surrounding Pedro's absence, who was not included in the squad again. Coach Filipe Luís, however, took a firm stance and avoided dwelling on the issue.

FILIPE LUÍS REMAINS RESERVED

Pedro was left out of the squad for both the match against São Paulo and Santos . According to reports, his absence stemmed from inappropriate behavior in training, which had been bothering members of the coaching staff and teammates. Even after apologizing internally, the number 9 remained out of the plans for the match at Vila.

When asked, Filipe Luís was direct: " The Pedro issue is already closed. I said everything I had to say at the press conference and he has already taken a position. The matter is closed. The only thing left for both of us is to work and help Flamengo," said the coach.

He then reinforced that he does not intend to comment further on the matter: "I repeat, the matter of my case is completely closed. I prefer not to give an opinion on this. It is a matter for the management staff , for you to address directly to them. From my technical side, what I said is already completely closed."

FLAMENGO REMAINS LEADER

With the loss, Flamengo remains top of the Brasileirão with 27 points , just one ahead of Cruzeiro. Their next match will be the derby against Fluminense, this Sunday at 7:30 pm at Maracanã. The coach is expected to have a more complete squad at his disposal, and attention is turning to how Filipe Luís will handle Pedro's reinstatement.

After Flamengo refused to sell Matheus Gonçalves to Cruzeiro, the young midfielder was named in the squad for the match against Santos, but he ended up not playing in the match that ended 1-0 for the São Paulo team. After the game, coach Filipe Luís spoke out about the player's absence.

Filipe Luís was also asked why Wallace Yan was given minutes on the pitch, while Matheus Gonçalves, despite being included in the squad, was not called upon. Thus, according to the coach, the forward's introduction was not "pre-calculated," but a response to the game's demands at the time.

Filipe Luís talks about choosing Wallace Yan: "He's a player who has been playing very well."

He continued: " He has always responded when we needed him, in numerous and diverse positions ," said the commander, highlighting the athlete's versatility and contribution with goals and assists.

PROMISE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR METHEUS GONÇALVES

Soon after, Filipe Luís made a point of praising Matheus Gonçalves 's attitude. The Flamengo coach described the young man's desire to play and seek a place in the team as "very noble."

"He's a kid who has always trained well, always, always trains well. Now with this sequence of games, he will certainly have opportunities to demonstrate and speak on the field, " said the coach.

FOCUS ON THE NEXT GAME

Thus, with Matheus Gonçalves available, coach Filipe Luís focuses his attention on the match against Fluminense . The Most Beloved faces the team from Laranjeiras on Sunday (20) , at 7:30 pm, at Maracanã, for the Brasileirão.