After 19 rounds, the Brazilian Under-20 Championship reaches its knockout stage. Flamengo qualified for the quarterfinals in fourth place and will face Cruzeiro, who finished fifth, this Wednesday (30), at 15 pm, at the Luso Brasileiro Stadium, on Ilha do Governador. The definition of one of the semifinal spots will be decided in a single match. In the event of a tie, there will be a penalty shootout to determine the winner. Sportv will broadcast the match.

In the final round of the qualifying round, the Red-Blacks defeated Fortaleza 1-0 away from home, with a stunning goal from midfielder Joshua in the 31th minute. Bruno Pivetti's team performed well and demanded a lot from the opposing goalkeeper, who made some excellent saves.

Since July 6th in office, Pivetti commanded the last activity before the decisive duel against Cruzeiro on Tuesday afternoon (29), at CT Georde Helal. In addition to the triumph over Fortaleza, the coach led Flamengo's under-20 team in the two-goal draw against Botafogo and in the 4-2 victory over Atlético-MG, for the Brazilian championship of the category. The coach was also in charge of the red-black under-20 team in the 5-1 rout over the professional team of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, from Germany, in a friendly held at Gávea. 

Flamengo finished the first phase of the Brazilian Under-20 Championship with 33 points (10 wins, three draws, and six losses), scoring 30 goals and conceding 24. The "Mais Querido" has won the competition twice, finishing third three times and fourth twice. Cruzeiro finished fifth with 32 points, ten wins, two draws, and seven losses. The Minas Gerais team, which won a title in 2017, scored 35 goals and conceded 21 goals.