The "win, win, win" chanted in the Flamengo anthem has been part of the DNA of Flamengo athletes since childhood. And the U-14 soccer team, brilliantly led by coach Leonam Kasali, is proof of this. The "Garotos do Ninho" defeated Belenenses (POR) 2-0 (Bryan Esteves and Neto) on Tuesday afternoon (12) at the Municipal Sports Stadium in Madrid, Spain, and with a historic campaign, they became undefeated champions of the IberCup. In seven games, Mengão had six wins and one draw. They scored 28 goals and didn't concede any. This was the sixth title won by Flamengo's youth team in the 2022 season. The U-14 team now heads to Cascais, Portugal, where the next stage of the IberCup will be played.

Historic campaign in Madrid

In their opening match, Mengão crushed Boadella (ESP) and won by a resounding 7-0. In the second round, they thrashed Maccabi Petah (ISR) again, this time 4-0. The red-and-blacks' third IberCup match was against US Saints (ESP), with Mengão winning 5-0. In the fourth and final round of the first phase, the "Garo do Ninho" took the field and defeated Moratalaz (ESP) 4-0.

In a match valid for the second phase of the competition, the Mais Querido scored once again. The indisputable 6-0 victory over Belenenses (POR) gave Mengão the chance to qualify for the final, needing only a draw against Las Rozas (ESP) to secure their spot in the grand final of this important and traditional international competition. And that's what happened. The 0-0 draw, followed by a 4-2 penalty shootout victory for Flamengo, which earned Flamengo the extra point, put the Garotos do Ninho in the IberCup final.

In the final, they faced a familiar opponent: the same Belenenses (POR), who had been thrashed 6-0 in the second phase of the competition. Like every final, the match was more evenly matched and tense than the previous encounter. But the final result was the same: a 2-0 victory for the red-and-blacks, this time, and an undisputed and more than deserved title for the 2008 generation of Mengão, who enchanted Madrid.

"This part of our athletes' development process is very important. With international competitions, we give them the opportunity to experience new cultures, interact with athletes from different backgrounds, and introduce them to other ways of playing football, allowing them to face these challenges on the field. All of this helps to instill in them, from an early age, the maturity we want in a Flamengo athlete. This applies not only to the athletes themselves, but also to all members of our coaching staff, who are involved in this development process. I congratulate everyone for their excellent work and the pride they show in wearing the Sacred Mantle," said Vitor Zanelli, Flamengo's Vice President of Youth Football, Women's Football, and Futsal, who is accompanying the delegation in Madrid.

Flamengo: Matheus, João Victor, Bryan Esteves, Ricardo, Gabriel Gonçalves; Davi, Enzo, Jheferson; Diego, Marçal and Victor Hugo. Coach: Leonam Kasali.