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Flamengo is the undefeated champion of the U-15 Brazil Cup

Team coach says: "We worked hard to get here, we are very happy"

By - in
Undefeated. That's how the red-and-black boys were crowned champions of the U-15 Brazil Cup this Sunday morning (January 25.01). After a flawless campaign, and defeating Corinthians in the semifinals, Flamengo faced Grêmio to decide the title of the competition in a game full of emotion, worthy of a final.

With a goal from Joarley, who came off the bench to decide the match in the second half, Mais Querido won its first title.

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Brazil U-15 national team coach Claudio Caçapa has called up five Flamengo players for a week of training in Itu, São Paulo state. They are: Athirson (full-back), Wesley (full-back), Patrick Silva (defender), Marx Lenin (midfielder), and Vinícius (forward). The players will be training from February 2nd to 7th. Besides serving as a training camp for the category's South American Championship (date and location yet to be determined), the training sessions are aimed at competing in the Montaigu World Tournament, which will be held from March 31st to April 6th in France.

The game 
Coach Dudu Patetuci's men took the field this Sunday visibly determined to write their name in Flamengo's history. Up next, the red-and-blacks faced Grêmio, two-time Copa Brasil champions, who had already lost in the first stage of the competition. Early in the match, Vinícius, one of the Mais Querido's standout performers in the World Cup, showed his calling card with a shot that hit the post. Despite intense pressure, the red-and-blacks were unable to break the deadlock in the first half.

While Flamengo pressed forward, goalkeeper Victor Hugo ensured nothing reached the Rio de Janeiro team's goal. The young player—another standout player for Patetuci's team in the competition—defended any attempt by the Rio Grande do Sul team to open the scoring with confidence.

Aware of the need to score to secure the title, the Flamengo coach made changes to his team and changed the game. Joarley's introduction gave Flamengo a new lease of life. In the 20th minute of the second half, the player spotted the Grêmio goalkeeper out of position and fired a powerful shot over him, opening the scoring for the "Mais Querido" (Most Beloved).

The match, which seemed to be decided for the unprecedented title, took on an even more dramatic tone. Shortly after the goal that made Flamengo champions, Vinícius was sent off. Down ten men, Flamengo tried to defend and capitalize on a few counterattacks, and in one of them, they nearly doubled the lead through Matheus Alves. And so the match continued until the final whistle, which crowned the Flamengo U-15 boys champions of the 2015 Copa Brasil. 

At the end of the match, coach Dudu Patetuci, very proud of the victory, spoke about the achievement. "The game was very difficult. They came out with a defensive approach, and we were constantly playing, but we ran into their defense, which consisted of five players. In the second half, we brought on Joarley and Ferrari, who really moved the match, and that's when we were able to open the scoring. It's an unprecedented title and very difficult because we faced the best teams in Brazil. We worked hard to get here, with all the help, commitment, and confidence of the coaching staff, management, and doctors. We're all very happy."