It's champion! Flamengo defeated Botafogo again 3-1 at the Luso Brasileiro Stadium to win the Taça Rio U-20 title. Matheus Savio, Fabrício, and Lucas Silva scored the goals, with Pachu scoring for Flamengo. Flamengo also won 3-1 in the first leg of the final in Nova Iguaçu. The Campeonato Carioca final will be against Botafogo on August 3rd and 6th.
The game
Despite the significant lead gained in the first leg, Flamengo started by taking the initiative, enjoying greater possession and constantly posing a threat to the black-and-white defense. After failing to capitalize on a few crosses and making mistakes with the final pass, Flamengo narrowly missed opening the scoring on two occasions. In the first, after a Matheus Sávio free kick, Gabriel Ramos had a clear chance to score, but Botafogo goalkeeper Lucão made a great save. Then, from a corner kick, Vinicius rose unmarked and headed the ball against the crossbar, thrilling the red-and-black fans who had gathered at the stadium.
The opponent's response came minutes later, in the 32nd minute, when Pachu also hit the crossbar with the first chance created. The move roused Botafogo, who began to prowl Flamengo's box more often—but without any danger. In the final minutes of the first half, Fabricio almost scored after a cross from Michael, but the ball went wide.
In the second half, Flamengo continued to show their superiority and had already created three excellent opportunities within less than five minutes. However, the goal didn't come until the 10th minute. Matheus Sávio led a counterattack and passed to Lucas Silva. The number 11 entered the box and was brought down. Matheus Sávio, the number 10, took a penalty to open the scoring. The goal eased the anxiety of the Flamengo boys, who began to value possession and move out on the wings. On one of these attacks, in the 20th minute, Lucas Silva delivered an excellent cross for Fabricio to head in with style, scoring the second.
Botafogo pulled one back in the 30th minute, with Pachu converting a corner kick, but nothing could spoil the party for the Red-Blacks, who had been superior throughout the 180 minutes. Lucas Silva, the best player on the field, still had time to score a stunning goal in the 46th minute, making it 3-1. In the stands, the traditional "Party in the Favela" chant provided the soundtrack for the victory lap. They're champions!