Flamengo faces Ji-Paraná in the debut of the São Paulo Junior Football Cup
Ninho Boys debut against Rondônia team this Wednesday (3)
By Mariana Sa - inThe season begins now for the Boys of the Nest. In the first challenge of the year, Flamengo debuts in the 2018 São Paulo Junior Football Cup this Wednesday (3), facing Ji-Paraná (RO), at 21:30 pm, at Arena Barueri, in São Paulo. For the Most Beloved, the match marks the beginning of the search for the fourth title of the competition.
Led by coach Maurício Souza, the Mais Querido kicks off the main youth competition against the team from Rondônia. Flamengo, which is in Group 21 of the Copinha, also shares a group with Aimoré and Oeste.
Hey, coach!
"Expectations are high, as we had a good amount of preparation time. We lost some key players for the competition, but the team has some great players to fill in. We're confident we can put on a great Copinha," said Maurício Souza, U20 coach.
Words by Hugo Moura
Captain of the last São Paulo Cup and playing for the final year in the Juniors, midfielder Hugo Moura spoke about his expectations for the start of 2018. "It's an extremely important tournament. We intend to have a great Copinha to go for our fourth title. The preparation was good, we had good and intense training sessions. We know how important this competition is, as most of the squad is in their final year of the U20s. We trust the younger players; they know how to work and had a good season. Now it's time to work towards this achievement," he said.
the opponent
The reigning champion of the Rondônia Junior Football Championship, Ji-Paraná, arrives in Barueri with the same core team as last year. Coached by Giovanny Siqueira, the Rondônia club played friendlies in São Paulo in preparation for the Copinha tournament in December. The team's last appearance in the tournament was in 2014, when they fell in the first round with one win and two losses.
Transmission
The match will be broadcast on subscription channels ESPN Brasil and SporTV (with Jota Jr and William Machado). Those who are proud to be members make the team stronger and always have more Flamengo: discounts on tickets and pay-per-view, exclusive videos to stay up-to-date, advantages in official stores to get the jersey and other products, and much more. Click and join now!
Social media coverage
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