Flamengo has returned to the Brazilian youth national teams. Later today, at 22 p.m., three Flamengo players will take the field for the team's debut in the Punta del Este International Tournament in Uruguay. Full-backs Jorbison and Rafael Galhardo, as well as center forward Diego Maurício, are confirmed for the squad that will face Chile in Friday night's match. The trio, who expect to be integrated into the professional squad soon, are excited about the opportunity and confident of a strong performance.

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Bahia native Jorbison is only 18 years old, but he's risen quickly at Flamengo. After performing well in the youth ranks, he quickly progressed through the juniors, where he played in the 2008 São Paulo Cup and the Rio de Janeiro State Championship, and was soon promoted to the senior team to be Juan's immediate backup at left-back. His standout performances in the youth ranks led to a few chances with the senior team, and now, a call-up to the national team.

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"I'm very excited for this match. It's my first call-up and my first opportunity as a player for the Brazilian national team. I hope to do well, I'm confident, and I hope to continue to be remembered in the future. It's an important tournament, with tough opponents, and I believe that if I do well here, I can be called up again," said Jorbison.

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The tournament will feature Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, and Uruguay and will be held from January 6 to 12, 2010. Flamengo, with three players called up, is one of the teams that form the base of the national team. Grêmio, Internacional, and São Paulo also had three players called up to represent the country. Cruzeiro, Santos, Vitória, Vasco, Atlético-PR, and Botafogo each have one player called up.

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"Playing for the Brazilian national team is important for any player at any level, and it's no different for me. I was very happy with the call-up and hope to do well enough to be called up again soon. It's going to be an important tournament, against great teams, and I believe it will be a great experience," said Rafael Galhardo.

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With the call-up, Galhardo, Diego and Jorbison will be missing from the Rubro-Negro youth team in the first phase of the São Paulo Junior Cup.