After debuting with a 5-0 thrashing of Central (PE) last Wednesday, Flamengo returns to the field this Friday (06.01), at 18:45 pm, to face São Bento (SP) at Anacleto Campanella Stadium, in São Caetano do Sul. If they win again, the Garotos do Ninho will qualify for the knockout stage of Brazil's biggest youth soccer competition, and will keep alive the dream of winning two consecutive titles, and the club's fourth title in the tournament's history. SporTV will broadcast the match live.

With only one day off between games, the Rubro-Negro team held a recovery workout on Thursday afternoon at the gym of the hotel where the team is staying, in the city of São Paulo's ABC region. One of the team's standout performers in the opening match against Central, midfielder Jean Lucas, participating in the competition for the first time, spoke about the campaign's strong start and said that the team—and he himself—still have room to grow throughout the tournament.

"Thank God we had a great debut. We played a great match, dominating the action from the start. In the first half, we were a bit lacking in our finishing, but we came back more focused after the break and managed to build on the rout. Individually, I've been working hard to improve every day, and I'm very focused on this competition. I think I played well, and I'm grateful for the help from my teammates. But I know I can improve and grow a lot throughout the Copinha," said Jean Lucas, participating in the tournament for the first time.

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Another standout performer for the team in the rout over Central was Gabriel Silva. The speedy striker, also playing in the Copa São Paulo for the first time and making his mark by scoring the red-and-black's second goal of the match, celebrated the victory in the competition's debut and previewed the match against São Bento.

"Debuts are always a bit more complicated. It's normal for the team to start a little more nervous and take a few minutes to loosen up. That's what happened to us in the game against Central. We created a lot of chances in the first half, but unfortunately the ball didn't go in. In the second half, we came back more relaxed, and with everyone's effort, we managed a great win. Wearing the Sacred Mantle is a dream come true, and scoring in my debut was great, as it gives me even more confidence for the rest of the competition. We know the game against São Bento will be very tough, but we're prepared and focused on putting in a great performance and correcting the mistakes we made against Central. We'll have a great game," said Gabriel Silva.

In the opening of the second round of Group 23, at 16:45 pm, São Caetano, who beat São Bento 4-2 in their debut, face Central, defeated by Flamengo 5-0.