January 25, 2016, was a memorable day for Flamengo's youth teams. On that day, playing in a packed Pacaembú stadium, the Rubro-Negro defeated Corinthians on penalties (after a 2-2 draw in regulation time) and became three-time champions of the São Paulo Junior Football Cup, the most important youth soccer competition in Brazil. Today, almost a year later and once again undefeated, the two teams face off again, this time in the quarterfinals of the tournament, and in a new venue: Arena Barueri. The winner will play Juventus or Bragantino next Sunday in a Copinha semifinal match. The derby between Flamengo and Corinthians will be broadcast live on SporTV and ESPN Brasil.

"The victory against Cruzeiro, the way it was, shows maturity and gives our group a lot of confidence. Despite this, we ask for a lot of balance from everyone, because we haven't achieved anything yet. We're aware that our journey here is step by step, game by game. The competition is very tough. We're coming off a very difficult match against Cruzeiro, and we'll now have Corinthians ahead of us, another great team. It's a shame that we'll meet in the quarterfinals. Given what both teams have been showing since the beginning of the competition, it would have been more fitting if it had been a final. But it's part of football, and the important thing is that our team is very well prepared and confident in playing another great match, perhaps the toughest of the championship so far, and putting our football into practice to move forward with our main objective, which is winning the title. Today we have another step to take in that direction," said coach Gilmar Popoca.

Focused and highly concentrated for the derby against Corinthians, Flamengo has been in Barueri since Monday, where they have been preparing for the big game on Thursday night. Confident, the Boys from Ninho know the importance of the match.

"Our group is very prepared and focused. We know it will be a very difficult match. We need to be calm to deal with all the pressure we will face, and we are prepared for it. We hope to play a great game. Personally, I really enjoy games like this. The stadium will be packed, the whole country will be watching. Our expectations are the best possible. We are aware of the difficulty, but we hope to come away with the victory and, God willing, be able to bring joy to the nation once again," said Vinícius Junior.