After debuting in the RS Internacional Sub-20 Cup with a 2-1 defeat to Criciúma, playing on a pitch completely flooded by the heavy rains that hit the capital of Rio Grande do Sul last Saturday, Flamengo took advantage of the break in today's round to begin its preparation for the next match, which will be held on Wednesday, December 07.12th, at 18:30 pm against Cruzeiro, with live broadcast on SporTV.

After the morning training session at the Ulbra Campus in Canoas, midfielder Patrick, who scored the goal and was a standout for Rubro-Negro in the competition's debut, previewed the match against Cruzeiro and analyzed Flamengo's chances in the rest of the championship.

"Unfortunately, we faced a very unusual situation in our opening game due to the pitch conditions. Our team is very technical and is known for its ball control, and we weren't able to implement that against Criciúma because of the puddles. But we didn't lack will. We are very united and committed, our group is a winner, and we will certainly fight for victory in the upcoming games," said Patrick.

Coming off the bench, striker Juninho made a strong start, bringing a new dynamic to Flamengo's attack during the second half of the match against Criciúma. He analyzed the team's debut and discussed the two scoring chances he had. Both times, the opposing defense cleared the ball off the line, preventing Flamengo from equalizing. 

"There's no denying that the flooded field really hampered our style of play in the match against Criciúma. In the second half, the field improved a bit, and we created several scoring chances. I had two good chances myself, but unfortunately, the defenders managed to clear them on the line. We also had a ball hit Loran's post. But it wasn't our day. We're aware that we still have a lot to improve in this competition; our goal is to go far. This group is very special, and I'm sure we still have a lot to achieve here in the Copa RS," said Juninho.

The game against Cruzeiro takes place next Wednesday, December 07.12th, at 18:30 pm at PUC Stadium, and will be broadcast live on SporTV.