Last Saturday (29), Flamengo's under-17 team won the Guanabara Cup for the third time, the category's third title this year. In April, the Ninho Boys won the Adidas Generation Cup in Dallas, and in August, the Evergrande Cup in China. Continuing their brilliant season, coach Phelipe Leal's team faces a new challenge: the quest for their first Copa do Brasil title. This Tuesday (02), Flamengo faces Londrina at Estádio do Café, at 15 pm, for the first leg of the competition's first phase.

Midfielder João Gabriel, who was on the field for the category's three victories this year, spoke about the importance of the weekend's victory and highlighted the need to focus on the Copa do Brasil, a competition featuring the best clubs in Brazil and played in a knockout format.

"We know the importance of this third Guanabara Cup title, but now is the time to turn things around and focus 100% on the Copa do Brasil, which is a knockout tournament and holds great significance for us. We are 100% prepared and confident for any challenge. You can expect a lot of determination and joy."

Coach Phelipe Leal named the following players for the match:

Braian, Bruno, Bruno Gabriel, Daniel Cabral, Dhouglas, Gabriel Noga, Gomes, Italo, João Gabriel, Lazaro, Lucas Freitas, Lucas Gabriel, Luis Gustavo, Luiz Fernando, Natan, Pedro Arthur, Pedro Victor, Rhyan, Weverton, Yuri.

Despite not yet winning the U-17 Brazil Cup, Flamengo has been performing well in the competition. In 2013, the year the Cup began being organized by the CBF, the "Mais Querido" finished runner-up, losing to São Paulo in the final. Since then, Flamengo has been among the top four teams in the country on three occasions, bowing out of the tournament in the semifinals.

This is Londrina's second appearance in the national competition. The Tubarão comes into their first match against Mais Querido coming off a 3-1 loss to Paraná in the second phase of the Campeonato Paranaense.

Tickets for the match will be sold at the time of play for R$10,00, with only the covered seating area being available. Fans will be able to purchase tickets starting at 13 p.m. at the Estádio do Café entrance gates. The Red-Black Nation is welcome to support the Garotos do Ninho in their quest for their first U-17 Copa do Brasil title.

In total, 32 teams are divided into 16 home-and-away knockout matches. The team that earns the most points advances to the next stage. If the visiting team scores two or more goals, the second leg is eliminated. If the teams are tied on points at the end of both matches, the following tiebreaker criteria will be used: 1st - goal difference; 2nd - penalties.