COME COME MENGÃO! FLAMENGO IS OFFICIALLY SCHEDULED FOR THE CLASSIC AGAINST BOTAFOGO

Flamengo continues to wait for the return of Arrascaeta, who has been sidelined since August 18th, when he suffered an injury to his left thigh. The number 14 is being monitored by the club's Medical Department and his return to the field is still uncertain for the decisive clash against Bahia, valid for the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil. The game will take place on September 12th, at 9:45 pm, at Maracanã.

Arrascaeta has not yet started the transition phase to the field, remaining under the care of Flamengo's medical department. With less than a week to go until the match, the club is racing against time to count on the return of the Uruguayan star. According to journalist Venê Casagrande, the player is in the final stage of recovery and there is an expectation that he will begin the physical transition next Monday (09).

IMPACT OF INJURIES IN THE SECOND HALF

An undisputed starter at Flamengo and frequently called up for the Uruguayan national team, Arrascaeta has faced physical problems throughout the seasons, especially in the second half, when the calendar becomes more intense. Since 2019, the midfielder has suffered 70% of his injuries after June, totaling 20 absences for Flamengo, 14 of them from that period.

In the first match of the quarter-finals against Bahia, Flamengo won 1-0 away from home, with a goal from Bruno Henrique. With this result, Rubro-Negro can even draw at Maracanã to guarantee their place in the tournament's semifinals. The team hopes to count on Arrascaeta, but is also preparing alternatives to make up for his possible absence.

Flamengo still has some doubts for the clash, but the likely lineup has names like: Rossi, Wesley (Varela), Fabrício Bruno, Léo Pereira, Ayrton Lucas, Pulgar (Léo Ortiz), Allan, Gerson, Luiz Araújo, Bruno Henrique and Gabigol (Arrascaeta). 

Friday (6) marked a historic moment for American football fans in Brazil. For the first time, the NFL held an official game in the country, pitting the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers teams against each other. The event, which took place at the Neo Química Arena, in São Paulo, celebrated the expansion of the American league into Brazilian territory.

The Philadelphia Eagles emerged victorious in the duel against the Green Bay Packers, with a thrilling 34-29 comeback, being the first team to triumph on Brazilian soil in an official NFL game.

Among the highlights of the event, Eagles player C.J. Gardner-Johnson took advantage of the post-game moment to interact with fans and, in a symbolic gesture, received a Flamengo Imperadores shirt, a team from American football linked to the Clube de Regatas do Flamengo.

The history of Flamengo in American football began on May 17, 2013, when the club signed a partnership with the Imperadores team, resulting in the creation of Flamengo Futebol Americano. Since then, the red-black club has stood out on the national sports scene. In 2017, the team adopted the name Flamengo Imperadores, consolidating itself as one of the great forces of American football in Brazil.

In 2018, Flamengo Imperadores won the Carioca American Football Championship, beating Vasco in the final and asserting its supremacy in the sport in the state.

In addition to seeking supremacy in American football, Flamengo continues its successful campaign in field football. The club is in contention for the three main titles of the season: Copa do Brasil, Libertadores and Campeonato Brasileiro. The team's next commitment is for the Copa do Brasil, where they will face Bahia in the quarter-finals, on Thursday (12), at Maracanã.

Vasco closed, on Sunday night, the day before the transfer window closed, its sixth signing: the midfielder Maxime Dominguez, from Gil Vicente, signed with the club and is expected in Rio de Janeiro next Wednesday.

With the end of the window approaching, Vasco needed to speed up negotiations. Therefore, Maxime signed the agreement while still in Portugal, and the document was sent digitally so that the club can resolve the rest of the bureaucracy in time. The window closes this Monday.

Once in Rio de Janeiro, the 28-year-old Swiss midfielder will undergo medical examinations before he can be officially announced as a new reinforcement. The agreement is for the purchase of 100% of Maxime's rights for 2 million euros (R$ 12.4 million). The contract will be valid for four years.

Maxime Dominguez played his last game this Sunday with the Gil Vicente shirt: he entered the second half of the goalless draw with Braga, in a game valid for the fourth round of the Portuguese Championship. The agreement was made by businessman Paulo Pitombeira, who at Vasco also looks after the careers of goalkeeper Léo Jardim and defender João Victor.

With spells at clubs in Switzerland and Poland, Maxime has been playing for Gil Vicente for two seasons and had two more years on his contract with the club. He is a midfielder who plays on the right, a part of the field for which a signing became a priority for Vasco after the injury to Adson, who is unlikely to play again in 2024.

Vasco previously signed strikers Emerson Rodríguez and Jean David, midfielder Souza and midfielders Phlippe Coutinho and Alex Teixeira. The club is still trying to sign a defender before the window closes.