The Globe
Flamengo drags its feet in the Brazilian league but promises to fly in the F-Superleague
Joel puts three defenders against Atlético-PR. Priest will bless Gávea
Photo caption: ROGER AND COACH Joel Santana have a tough mission tonight: to erase the bad impression left by Sunday's defeat to Santos
Márcio Tavares
The true flagship, the soccer team, faces another tough test in this Brazilian Championship at 21:45 p.m. today against Atlético-PR at the Arena da Baixada. And everyone knows that a new slip-up will further complicate the fight to escape the second-to-last position in the relegation zone. In Curitiba, coach Joel Santana, who is close to receiving the black flag, makes a pit stop and hides the team's lineup. In Rio, Flamengo opens its pit doors and surprises by announcing its participation in the newest category in world motorsports, Formula Superleague, which will have its first season in 2008.
But while things are still in their infancy on the track, the situation on the field is so dire that the more superstitious Flamengo fans believe midfielder Renato, by leaving the club, buried a dead horse in Gávea—since his departure, the team has been going downhill, unable to even touch the curbs. To dispel this suspicion, on Monday, Father Benedito, from the Parish of Saint Jude Thaddeus, Flamengo's patron saint, will bless the entire Gávea area.
Rodrigo Arroz returns to being improvised as a defensive midfielder
Perhaps, by banishing the negative vibes, Father Benedito will help the team achieve a campaign worthy of Formula 1, the premier category in global motorsports. Until then, Flamengo is limited to this single-seater championship, with 750 horsepower. The cars will represent the colors of clubs such as Milan (Italy), Porto (Portugal), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands), Olympiacos (Greece), Anderlecht (Belgium), and Borussia Dortmund (Germany), in a slightly more relaxed situation than the red-and-black team. The board guarantees that everything is sponsored and Flamengo will not spend a cent on the F-Superleague.
Until divine help arrives to move up a division and out of the relegation zone—which won't happen even with a win today—coach Joel Santana is trying to choose the best midfielder, align the steering, balance the wheels, and adjust the shock absorbers to avoid skidding against Atlético-PR. Still reeling from the controversy surrounding his instructions in the match against Santos, which could result in a suspension from the Superior Court of Sports Justice, he confirmed that he doesn't have time to think of magic formulas for promotion.
Despite his efforts, he knows that another defeat will only reactivate the volcano that grips Flamengo with each setback. He tried to keep it a secret, but made it clear that his option is to field three center-backs, as he can't count on the two defensive midfielders who have been playing. Cristian is contractually ineligible, Jaílton has been ruled out, and Paulinho is out of the plans because he could transfer to Israeli football. Rodrigo Arroz is expected to play in front of the defense.
Atlético-PR: Guilherme, André Rocha; Danilo, Rodolpho; Edno (Alessandro); Valencia, Roberto, Netinho (Edno) and Ferreira; Marcelo and Dinei. Flamengo: Bruno, Irineu, Rodrigo Arroz and Ronaldo Angelim; Leonardo Moura, Ibson, Roger, Renato Augusto and Juan; Obina and Paulo Sérgio. Referee: José Henrique de Carvalho (SP).\ BROADCAST: Rede Globo\
Sports Journal
Roger: 'Fla lacks chemistry'
DANIEL PRADO dprado@jsports.com.br
Despite being revealed by Fluminense, Roger guarantees that he really supports Flamengo.
Even with the reinforcements on the field, Flamengo has been unable to improve its position in the Brazilian Championship. The Red-Black team languishes in 19th place in the standings and is looking to players like Roger and Ibson for the strength to climb out of the relegation zone.
The former Corinthians player acknowledges that the team isn't in the best of times, but believes the team will soon find the right chemistry to win and overcome its poor run. He also commented that the team played well at the beginning of the match against Santos, but let their guard down when they conceded the first goal.
"Of course, we're in a complicated situation. I think the team is renewing itself. Ibson and I just arrived, and there's a defender coming. We haven't reached the ideal chemistry yet. We played well in the first 25 minutes against Santos, but they conceded a goal that really destabilized the team. But I think we're on the right track to getting the team right," Roger said in an interview with Rádio Globo.
Flamengo faces Atlético-PR this Wednesday, at 21:45 pm, at Arena da Baixada.
Old fight on the edge of the lawn
Wallace Teixeira
Coach Joel Santana will face off against his old friend, Antonio Lopes. Both have won the Rio de Janeiro championship several times.
In tonight's match between Flamengo and Atlético-PR, there will be a clash of old acquaintances. Veterans Antônio Lopes, coach of the Paraná team, and Joel Santana, of Flamengo, are accustomed to meeting in the title race. This time, however, the story will be different.
Both the Hurricane and Flamengo aren't having strong campaigns in this Brazilian Championship and desperately need the experience of their managers to rise from the ashes. While Joel arrived at Rubro-Negro just over a week ago, "Delegado" has been in charge of Atlético since May.
The upcoming match will be decisive for both teams to determine what they'll be fighting for this year: whether it's to avoid relegation or at least to secure a spot in next year's Copa Sudamericana.
Flamengo's Executioner\ For Atlético-PR, an old executioner will be on the field tonight. Striker Marcelo, who scored four goals in the match against Flamengo this year for Madureira in the Guanabara Cup, will reunite with the club where he had a brief stint last year.\
"I know that scoring four goals against Flamengo again is almost impossible. I was very happy that day, but every game is different, and it's unlikely I'll be able to repeat that feat. I'm already on a different team, and the situation is different. It will be a very difficult match for us," warned Marcelo.
Despair knocking on Flamengo's door
The team needs a victory over Atlético-PR to begin its fight against relegation.
Thiago Bokel
Flamengo now has the club's latest revelation, young striker Paulo Sérgio, who will form a partnership with Obina. Paulinho could also play.
In a desperate attempt to see a light at the end of the tunnel, Flamengo faces Atlético-PR today at 21:45 p.m. at Arena da Baixada, in a match valid for the 18th round of the Brazilian Championship. Both teams are having a terrible campaign. While the Rio de Janeiro team is in second-to-last place with just 12 points from 13 matches, the Paraná team is first above the relegation zone with 19 points from 17 matches. Therefore, the match will be a duel of desperation.
Concerned about the vulnerability of his defense, coach Joel Santana trained his team yesterday at the Vila Olímpica do Boqueirão with three defenders. The big news was the presence of Rodrigo Arroz as a sweeper, alongside Irineu and Ronaldo Angelim. The coach, however, has not yet confirmed the player in the starting lineup, and the one competing for the defender's spot is Paulinho, who may be transferring to Maccabi Haifa in Israel.
Another new addition to the starting lineup is Paulo Sérgio, who will partner with Obina. With Souza's suspension, the young talent will have another chance to prove his worth and establish himself on the team.
The Flamengo team that will take the field today promises to be more offensive than the one that defeated Santos. Jaílton was benched, and his defensive partner, Cristian, a former Atlético player, will not be able to play due to an agreement between the two clubs that prohibits his selection. For the same reason, Claiton, who left Gávea about a month ago, will also be absent.
Flamengo desperately needs the win, but it won't be easy. They haven't beaten tonight's opponent in their home stadium for 33 years. Now, more than ever, this taboo will need to be broken.
Flamengo Juniors in search of the Club World Cup
If the main team isn't bringing the red-and-black nation the joy it deserves, the same can't be said for Flamengo's juniors. The team, the current Taça BH champion, debuts this Wednesday morning at 7:45 a.m. in the Interclub World Cup in Malaysia. Urubu will face their strongest opponent in the first phase in the opening game: Milan. However, the Italian team isn't the team's only concern. Fatigue could hamper Flamengo's ambitions.
The Flamengo delegation faced a marathon flight to reach Malaysia: boarding the last flight early Wednesday afternoon in Rio de Janeiro, stopping over in Buenos Aires, Cape Town, and Johannesburg before arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 5:40 a.m. the following day. To make matters worse, Malaysia is 11 hours ahead of Brazil.
In addition to Flamengo and Milan, other big teams in the World Cup are Ajax, Boca Juniors and Arsenal.
Flamengo meets Madureira's executioner again
On February 17, 2007, the red-and-black fans met Marcelo. In a Guanabara Cup match, the striker scored all four goals for Madureira in a 4-1 victory over Flamengo. His strong performances for Tricolor Suburbano made him famous, and now, playing for Atlético-PR, he has another chance to score against Urubu.
At the time of the rout, Flamengo held the Copa do Brasil title and was a contender for the Copa Libertadores, a far cry from the second-to-last spot they currently occupy in the Brasileirão. Even facing a team in deep crisis, Marcelo doesn't believe they'll repeat their feat.
"Scoring four goals again is almost impossible. In football, every game is a story. I was very happy that day, but I know it's a very rare thing to happen. The match this time will be completely different. Flamengo has different players, I'm on a different team, and the game situation is also different," says the striker.
The player also makes no secret of his team's situation. Also struggling, the Paraná team hasn't won at home in four games and sits in 16th place in the Brazilian Championship.
"Both teams are in a delicate position in the standings and need a win at any cost. That's why not only I, but all the players are counting on our fans to help us overcome this challenge," reveals the athlete.
Fla and Furacão face each other next Wednesday, at 21:45 pm, at Arena da Baixada.
Flamengo will have a motorsport team
Flamengo has reached an agreement to join AC Milan, FC Porto, PSV Eindhoven, Olympiacos, Borussia Dortmund, and Anderlecht in the new series, which will feature 750-horsepower single-seaters, called Superleague Formula. The cars will feature the crests and colors of their respective clubs. The category debuts in 2008.
The competition will have six rounds per season, each with two races featuring a reversed starting grid. The cars are being manufactured by Panoz/ELAN Motorsport Technologies in the United States, while the 12 bhp V750 engines are being developed by Menard Competition Technologies (MCT) in Leafield, England.
The club's president, Márcio Braga, promises to fight for the category title, to honor Mengão's traditions.
"We are very proud to be part of this initiative and to have the opportunity to take the Flamengo name and its glory in other sports to a new competitive category: motorsports, where we will certainly maintain our tradition of fighting for the title!" he said.
Superleague Formula President and CEO Andreu praised the qualities of the Rubro-negro club, which, according to him, has many fans, not only in Brazil, who will follow the sport.
“The club has a huge fan base across South America, and although the first season will be held solely in Europe, I'm sure fans will be eager to watch their car in action on television.”
Superlegue Formula's Chief Operating Officer, Robin Webb, said the team is one of the favorites, due to the passion of Flamengo fans and South Americans in general.
“We know that European fans are crazy about football, but South American fans take it to another level!” he said.
Webb followed Andreu's lead and recalled Flamengo's historic glories and said that having a club like that in the running is an honor.
"Looking at the history of Brazilian sport, both in football and motorsports, it is no surprise that the inclusion of a club the size of Flamengo becomes a milestone in our championship."
Israel's proposal for Paulinho arrives in the next few days
A standout in the Campeonato Carioca, Paulinho has gradually lost his place in Flamengo's first team. The player is unhappy on the bench and is finally expected to finalize a move abroad. After nearly a month of speculation, an offer from Maccabi Haifa of Israel to buy him from Gávea will arrive in the coming days. The financial situation will be interesting for the athlete, who will receive double his salary at Flamengo.
Flamengo's futsal coach wants a futsal classic at Maracanãzinho
Flamengo coach Cid Esclarte believes this State Championship will be one of the strongest ever. Besides the traditional rivalry between Flamengo and Vasco, teams from the interior of the state have made significant investments, including those from Petrópolis, Cabo Frio, Macaé, and Teresópolis.
The coach believes it's feasible to face Vasco at Maracanãzinho. "A match with both sets of fans would be a great fit for this wonderful stadium. It would be great for futsal," commented Cid, who expects a very evenly matched state championship.
"This championship will undoubtedly be stronger than the Carioca. Flamengo doesn't yet have a fully professional structure. We only train for a period of time and we'll be facing very structured teams, like Vasco, Petrópolis, and Cabo Frio. This issue of training time makes a difference, as does the size of the court. We train on a 30 x 17m court and go out to play on 40 x 20m courts. Which makes things much more complicated."
O Dia
Joel closes Flamengo
Coach selects three defenders to break 33-year taboo against Furacão
Curitiba - What seemed bad could get even worse. Therefore, the order of the day is to forget the disastrous return of coach Joel Santana, who ordered the red-and-blacks to beat Santos when Flamengo was trailing 3-0, a result that kept the team in second-to-last place.
But beating Atlético-PR this Wednesday at 21:45 p.m., at the opponent's home ground, where Flamengo hasn't won in 33 years, seems like a daunting task. The coach, however, still believes his team can perform well. Dissatisfied with the poor performance at Vila, Joel is expected to field three defenders.
On Tuesday, he trained the team with Irineu, Rodrigo Arroz, and Ronaldo Angelim in defense. Therefore, midfielder Jaílton is expected to be benched. Meanwhile, the club may try to undo the agreement made with the Paraná team, so that midfielder Cristian, formerly of Atlético, and Claiton, who was at Gávea, will not be on the field soon.
Up front, Joel realized that Obina wasn't playing well alone up front, and he should start Paulo Sérgio up front. This would return Renato Augusto, who had been playing up front, to his original position in midfield.
Without many weapons to face the enemy, Joel prefers to announce the team's lineup only before the game, at the stadium.
"I'll wait a little longer to decide on the team. But we'll have to make some changes. We can't concede three goals the way we did. We had four shots and three goals. These were defensive errors, as has been the case for some time now. The players are uneasy," analyzed Joel.
Despite the loss to Santos, supporter Roger remained optimistic. "Of course, we're in a difficult situation. But the team is slowly renewing itself. Íbson just arrived, and so have I. And Fábio Luciano hasn't even made his debut yet. There's a lack of chemistry, but the team played well in the first 25 minutes against Santos. Because of the psychological pressure, they ended up falling apart after the first goal."
Newly signed defender Fábio Luciano is expected to make his debut on Saturday against Náutico at Maracanã.
Léo Moura: 'A turnaround is possible'
Second-to-last in the table, poor results, and off-field chaos... Nothing seems to faze full-back Leonardo Moura, who still believes in a comeback. For him, today's match will be the beginning of a new phase.
"The game against Atlético-PR will be different, and we'll soon get out of this situation. We have a team capable of fighting for the title," says the confident Flamengo defender.
According to him, the mood among the players, despite the poor run, is not bad. "We're calm, because we're going to bounce back," he says.
Having struggled on the field, Flamengo will attempt to honor its traditions on a different field starting next year. Yesterday, the Flamengo board confirmed that it will compete in a new motorsports category.
This is the Superleague Formula, a 750-horsepower single-seater category that will debut next year. In addition to Flamengo, other clubs such as Milan, Porto, PSV Eindhoven, Olympiakos, Anderlecht (Belgium) and Borussia Dortmund will have cars with their colors represented in the races. The debut calendar will have six stages.
Souza breathes a sigh of relief after trial
Rio - After escaping a minimum 120-day suspension, striker Souza thanked the heavens. Leaving the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD), the player expressed satisfaction with the five-match ban for his expulsion and assault on Grêmio supporter Tcheco. Having already served a one-match suspension, Souza will miss four more matches for Flamengo in this Brazilian Championship.
"Thank God, because I feel even more relieved. I'm glad the defense favored me. It was a victory. I already wanted to be playing for Flamengo, but I only have four games left on my suspension," says Souza.
Paulo Sérgio takes Souza's place, who is suspended
Revelation will be Obina's attack partner
Rio - Without Souza, who was suspended for five matches by the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD), striker Paulo Sérgio will have plenty of time to demonstrate his full potential in this Brazilian Championship. At 18, the youngster will be Obina's new strike partner. Coach Joel Santana has already announced that he will use Flamengo's new prospect in the match against Atlético Paranaense on Wednesday at Arena da Baixada.
The player has been attracting attention in the team's training sessions. Previously, Paulo Sérgio had been included in the team several times under former coach Ney Franco.
PeléNet
Flamengo Juniors debut in the category's world championship
From the Editorial Team\ In Rio de Janeiro\
Under the command of coach and former player Adílio, Flamengo's youth team - which this year has already won the state championship for the third time and the Belo Horizonte Cup - makes its debut in a world tournament in the category this Wednesday, at 7:45 am (Brasília time), against Milan-ITA, in Alor Star, Malaysia.
In addition to the powerful Italian club, the Brazilian team will also have to overcome fatigue to win in its debut. After all, the players went through a "marathon" to reach the Asian country.
The delegation departed from Rio de Janeiro last Wednesday at 13:10 p.m. After stops in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Cape Town, and Johannesburg—both in South Africa—the group only arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 5:40 a.m. local time. The time difference between Brasília and Kuala Lumpur is 11 hours ahead.
Despite being tired, the team trained on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning to begin adjusting to the time difference. Also on Saturday, they participated in the tournament's opening ceremony and then traveled seven hours by bus to the city of Alor Star, where they will play the first two matches of the competition.
In Alor Star, the team trained on Monday and Tuesday mornings and, in the afternoon, accompanied by the Arsenal-ING team, held a football clinic for around 200 children at a local school.
The World Youth Championship is contested by 16 teams. In addition to some of the biggest European clubs, Boca Juniors and two Asian teams are also participating. Flamengo's group includes Ajax (Holland) and Arsenal (England).
GROUP A\ Flamengo\ Ajax\ Milan\ Arsenal\ GROUP B\ Juventus\ Barcelona\ Paris St.-Germain\ Qatar U-19 team\ GROUP C\ Porto\ Manchester United\ Boca Juniors\ Inter Milan\ GROUP D\ Bayern Munich\ PSV\ Chelsea\ Malaysia U-20 team\
Atlético-PR and Flamengo try to avoid the risk of relegation
From the Editorial Team\ In Rio de Janeiro\
In a clash of "desperate" teams, Atlético-PR and Flamengo face off this Wednesday at 21:45 p.m. in Curitiba for the Brazilian Championship. Threatened with relegation, both teams are seeking a victory to stave off the threat, but only the team from Paraná can achieve their goal in this match.
As it has only 12 points from 13 matches (four less than most of its opponents), Flamengo, second-to-last, will remain in the relegation zone even if it wins, as it has seven points less than the first team outside the risk group - Atlético-PR itself.
In any case, they need to win to prevent their direct rival from escaping in the same goal and start the sequence of positive results necessary to escape the "relegation".
The Curitiba team, which has 19 points, will move away from the bottom four if it secures a positive result. However, if not, it could enter the danger zone.
"It will be a six-point game. Our opponent is also in a difficult situation," commented Flamengo coach Joel Santana. "We need to be very careful during the ninety minutes," he warned.
Besides avoiding relegation, Atlético-PR is also seeking a positive result to end a frustrating five-match winning streak. The team last won a game on July 18, when they thrashed Juventude 4-0.
Since then, Atlético-PR has drawn three games and lost two, the last of which was in the last round. "It's a tough championship. We lost the game against Sport and another place, and the complication has increased. Despite losing this last game, we played well and are improving," analyzed coach Antônio Lopes.
Flamengo will compete in a new motorsport category
From the Editorial Team\ In Rio de Janeiro\
Having struggled in football, Flamengo will try to honor its traditions in another sport starting in 2008. This Tuesday, the club confirmed that it will compete in a new motorsports category.
This is the Superleague Formula, a 750-horsepower single-seater category that debuts next year. In addition to Flamengo, other clubs such as Milan-ITA, Porto-POR, PSV Eindhoven-HOL, Olympiacos-GRE, Anderlecht-BEL, and Borussia Dortmund-GER will have cars in their colors represented in the races.
"We are very proud to be part of this initiative and to have the opportunity to take the Flamengo name and its glory in other sports to a new competitive category: motorsports, where we will certainly maintain our tradition of fighting for the title," commented Flamengo president Márcio Braga.
The debut Superleague Formula calendar will feature six rounds, each consisting of two races per weekend. Interestingly, one of them will have a completely reversed starting grid.
Launched in April this year, the Superleague Formula will feature more than 20 of the world's top football clubs pitting their strength against each other on six of Europe's best racetracks.
The Flamengo-colored car is expected to be officially unveiled at Maracanã Stadium on a date yet to be determined. The driver who will drive the red-and-black car has also not yet been announced.
BalloonSport
Flamengo Juniors debut in Malaysia
Cariocas face the Italian Rubro-Negro in the international tournament of the category
Marcio Iannacca
Flamengo's under-20 team is in Malaysia seeking its first world title
Flamengo returns to Asia on its way to a world title. This Wednesday, at 7:45 a.m. (Brasília time), the Rubro-Negro youth team takes the field to face Milan in Alor Star, Malaysia, in its debut in the category's International Tournament. The Rio de Janeiro team, led by Adílio, the 1981 World Cup winner in Japan, will play in its traditional red and black uniform. The Milanese team will have to play in white.
The team arrived in Malaysia on August 3rd and is still struggling with the local time zone. Flamengo's squad is the same one that won the Copa Belo Horizonte title last week. Coach Adílio's standout players include midfielder Vinícius Colombiano and forward Wander.
In addition to Milan, Flamengo will also face Ajax and Arsenal in Group A matches. Former goalkeeper Raul Plassman is the Flamengo's ambassador for the tournament, as the regulations require a former player to be part of the delegation.
Fla enters the Superliga Formula
As anticipated by GLOBOESPORTE.COM, the board will present the project in Gávea\ Márcio Iannacca\
Maldini shows off the car that will represent Milan in the competition\ Flamengo's board will present this Wednesday, at 14 p.m., at the Rogério Steinberg auditorium in Gávea, the prototype of the car that will be used by the club in the Formula Superliga, a new motorsports category that will be contested in six stages, with two races per weekend. GLOBOESPORTE.COM had already anticipated the information on April 3.\
In addition to Flamengo, 19 other clubs from around the world will participate in the competition. Milan, Porto, and Borussia Dortmund are just some of the teams that will be represented by cars and drivers in the first season. Flamengo's board hasn't confirmed their lineup yet, but Gualter Salles is expected to drive the red-and-black car.
President Marcio Braga will be unable to attend this Wednesday's press conference, as he will be in Brasília seeking solutions to the club's problems. However, the director left a message on Flamengo's official website.
"We are very proud to be part of this initiative and to have the opportunity to bring the Flamengo name and its glory in other sports to a new competitive category: motorsports. I can confidently say that we will maintain our tradition of fighting for the title," says the director.
Flamengo's marketing department chose not to release photos of the car, which will be red and black.
Souza will only return to Fla on the 23rd
Suspended for four matches, the striker will be able to face Juventude at Maracanã
Marcio Iannacca
A light punishment from the Superior Court of Justice (STJD) brought a smile to the face of the Flamengo striker. Suspended by the Superior Court of Justice (STJD) for five matches for the assault on Grêmio midfielder Tcheco, striker Souza already has a date set to return to the Flamengo team. He will be able to play normally against Juventude on the 23rd in the Brazilian Championship.
At the trial, held on Monday, Souza was concerned that he could face a suspension of 120 to 720 days. However, the court took Tcheco's provocations into account and reduced the red-and-black striker's sentence.
Leaving the STJD, Souza appeared relieved and said he felt like a winner.
"Of course it's a victory. The work Flamengo's lawyer did was excellent, and I want to get back to playing as soon as possible," says the striker.
Without Souza, Paulo Sérgio is the hot topic
Punishment of Flamengo's number 9 opens the door for a promising newcomer to get a chance on the team
Marcio Iannacca
Paulo Sérgio has been excelling in training, and Joel Santana is keeping an eye on him. Striker Paulo Sérgio will have a great chance to establish himself in Flamengo's squad. With Souza suspended for five matches, the 18-year-old will be used by coach Joel Santana in the starting lineup. He will play alongside Obina in this Wednesday's match against Atlético-PR at Arena da Baixada in the Brazilian Championship.
Paulo Sérgio has been a standout performer in Flamengo's training sessions. His goals, beautiful plays, and combinations with his attacking teammates have caught the attention of the coaching staff and, especially, vice president of football Kléber Leite, who is a fan of the player's football.
Joel Santana is willing to give the striker a chance. At Tuesday's training session in Curitiba, Paulo Sérgio will train alongside Obina.
Throw
Fla and Furacão fight to shake off their bad form
Atlético-PR has gone five games without a win at the Arena. Flamengo has been in the relegation zone since June.
Rafael Ximenes and Tiago Pereira
Coach Joel Santana's Flamengo debut didn't go as he expected: a 3-0 loss to Santos at Vila Belmiro. The coach has a chance to erase the negative impression of his return this Wednesday at 21:45 p.m. against Atlético-PR at Kyocera Arena in Curitiba, in the 18th round of the Brazilian Championship.
The match is under pressure, as both teams sit at the bottom of the table. The Rio de Janeiro-based team is second-to-last with 12 points from 13 games, while the Paraná-based team is in 16th place with 19 points from 17 matches. Flamengo's form is so bad that since June 17th, the team has been unable to leave the bottom four spots. They have now spent 12 rounds in the danger zone.
Since the Brazilian league's points-based era began in 2003, Flamengo has lost all four matches against Furacão at the Arena. To break this streak, Joel Santana has already announced he will make changes to the team. In Tuesday's training session, the coach tested a three-defender formation (Rodrigo Arroz playing sweeper alongside Irineu and Angelim). Léo Moura and Juan remained on the wings, while Ibson, Roger, and Renato Augusto formed the midfield. The attack consisted of Obina and Paulo Sérgio.
Striker Souza is definitely out, having been suspended for five games in a trial held this Monday, and will only return on August 23, against Juventude, at Maracanã.
"The relegation situation deserves attention. The opponent is in a difficult situation, and it will be a six-point game," said Joel Santana.
Right-back Leonardo Moura is not thinking about relegation.
- We have a team to fight for the title and we will soon get out of this situation - said the player, who must have forgotten that leader São Paulo has 22 points more than Rubro-Negro.
The relegation zone, pressure from fans, and constant lapses in the final stages of matches: these are the ghosts Atlético-PR intends to exorcise against Flamengo. These factors stem from a five-match winless streak.
In the last game against Sport, in Recife, the lack of momentum became even more evident. After leading the first half 2-0, the team conceded three goals from set pieces in the second half, much to the dismay of coach Antônio Lopes. Knowing the situation is delicate, Lopes promises changes to the team.
"We have to win games. Of course, the expectation of falling into the relegation zone is always pressing, and these negative results have an impact. We're working hard to get out of this situation as quickly as possible," said the coach.
According to recent training sessions, Claiton is expected to be removed from the team, making way for playmaker Netinho, who, alongside Ferreira, would be responsible for creating plays. Defensive midfielders Valencia and Roberto complete the Hurricane's midfield.
Up front, Lopes will once again field Dinei and Marcelo, as he won't have Alex Mineiro until the end of October. For Dinei, one of the players who has had the most opportunities under the coach, this is a time for total concentration, especially to avoid late-match stumbles.
"We have to be calm on the field, because we're playing well. We're faltering late in games, so we have to be careful, because this victory over Flamengo will be crucial. We'll play alongside our fans and we can't disappoint them again," said the striker.
Reinforcements Ramon and Antônio Carlos have not yet been regularized in the Daily Information Bulletin (BID) and should only debut against São Paulo, next Saturday, at Morumbi.
Fla will try his luck in motorsports in 2008
Club confirms participation in World Superleague Formula
Borussia Dortmund, from Germany, has already presented its car (Credit: Official website of Superleague Formula)
Anderlecht, from Belgium, has also shown its machine for 2008 (Credit: Official Superleague Formula website)
LANCEPRESS!
One of Brazil's biggest clubs, with an estimated fan base of 33 million, Flamengo will announce this Wednesday its participation in the first season of the World Superleague Formula (WSF), the newest category in world motorsports, which will debut in 2008. The Gávea club will join other clubs such as Milan, Porto, PSV Eindhoven, Olympiakos, Borussia Dortmund and Anderlecht in the new series that will feature 750-horsepower single-seaters, parading in the colors of the most traditional clubs on the planet.
Along with soccer, motorsports will also join rowing, Olympic gymnastics, and water polo, some of the club's sports of note. President Márcio Braga made a point of emphasizing the importance this new venture will have for the club.
"We are very proud to be part of this initiative and to have the opportunity to take the Flamengo name and its glory in other sports to a new competitive category: motorsports, in which we will certainly maintain our tradition of fighting for the title," he assured.
The new category's debut calendar will feature six rounds, all in Europe, each consisting of two races per weekend, one of which will feature a completely reversed grid. Launched in April of this year, the WSF will feature more than 20 of the world's top football clubs.
"We want to see the best clubs fighting for victory in the Superleague Formula, and Flamengo's entry is a great step towards establishing our championship as one of the most important competitions on the international stage," said the category's president, Alex Andreu.
Rogério Lourenço calls up the U-18 team
Among those selected, Dentinho, from Corinthians, stands out.
LANCEPRESS! Brazilian U-18 coach Rogério Lourenço announced the players for the Sendai Tournament in Japan on Tuesday. Brazil will debut in the competition on the 29th against Tohoku, a local club. They will then face Japan and France.
The Brazilian team has competed in the Sendai Tournament since 2003. In four participations, it was champion in 2003, 2005 and 2006 and runner-up in 2004.
Check out the list of those called up:
Goalkeepers: Renan (Botafogo) and Rafael (Palmeiras)\ Full-backs: Gerônimo (Atlético-PR), Everton (Corinthians) and Cássio (Guarani)\ Defenders: Sidnei (Internacional), Raphael (Flamengo) and Leandro (Coritiba)\ Midfielders: Diego (Santos), Peca (Flamengo), Rafael Souza (Grêmio), Mayaro (Fluminense), Rodriguinho (Botafogo), Sérgio (São Paulo) and Tarta (Fluminense)\ Forwards: Luís Gustavo (Figueirense), Renan (Atlético-MG) and Dentinho (Corinthians)\
Joel trains Flamengo with three defenders
Rodrigo Arroz enters and plays the role of libero alongside Irineu and Ronaldo Angelim
LANCEPRESS!
After the 3-0 loss to Santos last Sunday at Vila Belmiro, coach Joel Santana decided to make some changes to Flamengo's squad. In Tuesday's training session, the Flamengo coach fielded a starting lineup with three center-backs: Irineu, Rodrigo Arroz (as sweeper), and Ronaldo Angelim. Juan and Léo Moura remained on the wings, while Ibson, Roger, and Renato Augusto formed the midfield.
The only question mark was in attack, as in the first part of the tactical training, striker Obina was doing muscle strengthening exercises separately from the group, while all the other forwards in the squad trained with the reserve team. But Joel made no bones about it, and during the training session, he chose young Paulo Sérgio as Obina's attack partner.
The coach did not allow the activity to be filmed.
Fla under-19 debuts this Wednesday against Milan
Rubro-Negro is in Group A, alongside Arsenal, Ajax and the Italians
LANCEPRESS!
Flamengo's youth team will debut this Wednesday in the Malaysian Under-19 International Tournament, against Milan, at 18:45 pm (local time), 7:45 am (Brasília time), in the city of Alor Setar.
Rubro-Negro is in Group A, alongside Arsenal and Ajax, and faces them on the 10th and 12th, respectively, in the first round. The top two teams advance to the quarterfinals.
Still in the tournament: Group B: Juventus, Barcelona, PSG, and Qatar. Group C: Porto, Manchester, Boca Juniors, and Internazionale. Group D: Malaysia, Chelsea, Bayer Munich, and PSV.
Flamengo's standout players are forwards Kaike and Pedro Beda, who finished top scorer in the Taça BH with nine goals. The tournament is a kind of World Cup for the division.