Fla will face Cruzeiro in the quarterfinals of the Brazilian Under-20 Championship
Rubro-Negro beats Fortaleza, away from home, and will play a single game for a place in the semis, in their domains
By Communication - in
With a goal from Joshua, in the 31st minute of the second half, Flamengo beat Fortaleza 1-0, away from home, in the Brazilian U-20. The match, valid for the last round of the first phase of the competition, was played this Wednesday (23), at CT Ribamar Bezerra, in Maracanaú, near the capital of Ceará. Rubro-Negro qualified for the quarterfinals in fourth place and will face Cruzeiro.
Flamengo moved up one position with the victory over the Ceará team, thanks to Cruzeiro's 2-1 loss to Botafogo at Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro's North Zone. Now, the red-and-black team will play Cruzeiro at home, a one-off match for a spot in the Brazilian Under-20 semifinals. The date and venue have not yet been determined.
The game
Just four minutes in, Shola received a pass from Felipe Teresa on the right wing and crossed into the box. Gusttavo finished, and the Fortaleza goalkeeper made his first difficult save. Ceará's number one, César, had to work again in the 4th minute, palming away a Shola shot that deflected off the defense.
Flamengo dominated the match from the start, but didn't create any clear chances until the 44th minute, thanks to another fine move by Felipe Teresa. The Flamengo number 7 passed to Gusttavo, who appeared in front of goal and headed the ball into the middle of the box. The opposing goalkeeper intercepted it.
In the 46th minute, two more chances followed: Joshua and Felipe Teresa shot from outside the box, forcing the goalkeeper to work again. The end of the first half was eventful; Fortaleza's goalkeeper held the ball for more than eight seconds, and the referee awarded a corner to Flamengo, as required by law. The shot was harmless.
It was Fortaleza who first threatened in the second half. Tomas received the ball on the left wing and shot. Gusttavo managed to block it, and the ball went out of bounds in the third minute. Fortaleza returned from the break giving the red-and-black defense more trouble.
The pressure in the second half shifted to Fortaleza, forcing goalkeeper Leo Nannetti to work harder in 15 minutes than he had in the entire first half. Flamengo stepped up their game. Felipe Teresa struck from distance in the 20th minute, and the ball went over the opponent's goal. Less than two minutes later, Shola made a good play, crossing from the left, and the opposing defense cleared it after a rebound.
The red-and-black goal finally came in the 31st minute, in a well-worked play. Felipe Teresa passed to Da Mata, who passed to Pedro Leão, who only passed to Joshua, who curled the ball into César's top left corner. A masterpiece! Fortaleza fought back and nearly equalized, but the ball hit the post in the 40th minute. Finally, the opponent had a great chance to equalize in the 48th minute, when the striker couldn't reach the crossbar.
Flamengo
Coach: Bruno Leão.
Substitutes: Eduardo Jung, João Victor, Johnny, Lucas Barbosa, Kaio Nobrega, Luiz Phellipe, Jorge Mora, Christian, Bill and Alan Santos.
Technical sheet
Flamengo 1x0 Fortaleza
Location: CT Ribamar Bezerra, Maracanaú-CE
Date and time: 23/07/2025, at 15pm
Goal: Joshua (31'2nd half).
