Rubro-Negro falls behind on the scoreboard, but the kids show a lot of grit in the second half, reach victory in injury time and put their hand on the spot

GLOBOESPORTE.COM Hortolandia, SP

After a 1-1 draw with União Barbarense last Sunday in their debut in the São Paulo Junior Football Cup, Flamengo returned to the field this Wednesday seeking recovery. A slip-up against ABC would have left the team in a difficult position to continue in the competition. And it was through sheer will that Flamengo defeated ABC 2-1, coming from behind, at the Nelson Cancian Sports Center, and finished the round as leaders of Group E. In the other group game, Hortolândia defeated União Barbarense 2-0. With the result, the Rio de Janeiro team has four points, one more than Hortolândia and ABC - the latter dropping from the lead to third place, as Hortolândia has the advantage on goal difference (10-14). With just one point, União Barbarense must defeat the team from Rio Grande do Norte by a good goal difference and hope for a victory. Only then will they have a chance of securing a spot among the ten best second-place teams. \ The final round will be next month, the 16th. União Barbarense and ABC face off at 24 p.m., and Hortolândia and Flamengo play the main match at 38 p.m. Both games will be at the Nelson Cancian Sports Center in Hortolândia. \ The Rubro-Negro suffered a heavy blow just three minutes into the game. Jackson was brought down by Lucas in the box, and João Paulo took the penalty, displacing goalkeeper Diego Lima, to open the scoring for the Rio Grande do Norte team. The Rio de Janeiro team responded in the eighth minute, when Bruno Paulo took advantage of Elivelton's pass and crossed into the box, but the ball went wide without anyone reaching it to finish. A minute later, Diego Lima came out well from his goal, denying Jackson a shot that could have extended ABC's lead. \ From midway through the first half, Flamengo dominated, tightening their defense and making it difficult for the opposition to clear the ball. In the XNUMXth minute, Diego dribbled past Wellington, who rushed out of goal, and played the ball into the middle of the box. Once again, he was short a player to complete the move. A minute later, Bruno Paulo received a beautiful pass from Camacho, controlled the ball, and shot over the bar. In the XNUMXth minute, it was Camacho who almost equalized, but the ABC goalkeeper made a great save. ABC has a player sent off, and pressure from Flamengo stops the wrong conclusions\

While the Rio Grande do Norte team returned to the second half intent on stemming Flamengo's momentum by exploiting counterattacks, they had to rethink their plans. In the second minute, Edson brought down Jorbison, was displeased with the foul, and was sent off after complaining blatantly. The Rio de Janeiro team capitalized on their numerical advantage to increase the pressure, and in the seventh minute, after a one-two with Bruno Paulo, Rafael Galhardo hit Wellington's crossbar. Three minutes later, the Flamengo full-back headed the ball just wide of the ABC post. Flamengo equalized in the 14th minute, but the goal was correctly disallowed by the referee, who saw Vinícius Paquetá as offside—the forward was ahead when he received the ball from Bruno Paulo. Cornered, ABC took the lead with shots from Jackson and João Paulo in the 15th and 17th minutes, respectively, but without causing any trouble. Diego Lima made a calm save. The penalty, however, came soon after. In the 18th minute, Rafael Galhardo was pulled down by Jorginho outside the box, but he fell inside. Camacho's poorly awarded penalty was partially saved by Wellington, but the midfielder himself pounced on the rebound and sent it into the net. In the 21st minute, ABC came back on the attack, and Diego Lima made a fine save from Wlademir's shot. The match became more exciting, but both teams, especially Flamengo, were lacking in their finishing. Camacho, free in the box, headed wide in the 27th minute. Three minutes later, Wellington saved the team from Rio Grande do Norte with an excellent save from Rafael Galhardo's shot. Needing a win to avoid relying on other results in the final round, the Red-Blacks went on the attack. Despite their haste, they achieved their goal in stoppage time. In the 46th minute, Jorbison missed a shot in the box, and Lucas made no mistake, firing a powerful shot to secure the three points and first place. SPC: Wellington, João Paulo, Edson, Eduardo and Iury (Jorge); André, Sorato, Coimbra and Wlademir (Afonso); Luciano (Lua) and Wlademir. Coach Artur Neto \ FLAMENGO: Diego Lima, Rafael Galhardo (Hugo), Lucas, Henrique and Jorbison; Lenon, Paulista, Camacho and Elivelton (Juninho); Bruno Paulo and Diego (Vinicius Paquetá). Coach: Armênio Moura\