It couldn't have gone better. Without needing to overexert themselves, Flamengo's youth team made a strong start to the 41st edition of the São Paulo Cup. With a solid and dominant performance from the start, the red-and-blacks defeated Shallon (RO) 3-0 and took the lead in Group S of the Copinha. Dudu, Eliabe, and João Vitor scored the winning goals for the team from Gávea. On Wednesday, Flamengo returns to the field to face Paulista de Jundiaí at 16 p.m.

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Flamengo took the field with: Marcello Vidotti, Alex, Michel, Christianno, and Anderson; Maicon, Lorran, Guilherme (Nixon), and João Vitor; Dudu (Lucas), and Eliabe (Elivelto). Flamengo's attack worked well, leaving Shallon's defense undisturbed from the opening minutes. The attacking trio of Eliabe, Guilherme, and Dudu, which also included the arrival of full-backs and brothers Anderson and Alex, as well as defensive midfielder João Vitor, gave their opponents no respite. Controlling the game from the start, the team from Gávea had little trouble opening the scoring.

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After Guilherme missed two good scoring opportunities in the 17th minute, center forward Dudu decided to do it all himself. He received a pass from Alex, with his back to the goal, played pivot, dribbled past two defenders, and took a chance from the edge of the box: a stunning goal to open the scoring for Mengão. With the goal open, it was even easier to score the second goal. The same Dudu was brought down inside the box: a penalty, which Eliabe skillfully converted to extend the lead in the 20th minute.

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From then on, with the heat and the poor condition of the pitch, the Rubro-Negro slowed down a bit. But, right after the second half resumed, just 30 seconds into the second half, midfielder João Vitor, who will be integrated into the professional squad after the end of the Copinha, received a great pass from Guilherme and skillfully tapped the ball over the Shallon goalkeeper to make it three.

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The result gave Flamengo even more peace of mind, and coach Armênio Moura took the opportunity to test other players. He sent on Nixon, Elivelto, and Lucas Quintino, but even with Shallon having a player sent off, the result remained unchanged. The red-and-blacks continued to simply manage their lead, even having opportunities to extend their lead, but the final score was 3-0.

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"I think the team did very well. It's a young team, but they showed personality, offensive play, and a high-quality style of play. It was very positive. But I believe that in the next few games we'll have a better understanding of the team's performance. We'll have a better projection in the upcoming matches, but we want to improve with each game and fight for the title," said coach Armênio Moura after the match.

Title in the 90s Flamengo has won the competition only once, in 1990. Boasting talents such as Nélio, Djalminha, Piá, and Júnior Baiano, the team led by coach Ernesto Paulo defeated Juventus (SP) 1-0 at Pacaembu Stadium in São Paulo. The campaign had one loss, three draws, and seven wins. That same generation also included names like Marcelinho Carioca, Marquinhos, and Paulo Nunes, who participated in the 1991 state title and 1992 Brazilian championship campaigns.

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