Flamengo defeats Internacional in the first leg of the Under-20 Brazil Cup
The match, valid for the quarterfinals of the competition, featured goals from Natan and Luiz Henrique
By Mariana Sa - inOn Thursday afternoon (11), Flamengo beat Internacional 2-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the U-20 Brazil Cup. With a goal from Natan in the first half and one from Luiz Henrique at the end, Rubro-Negro takes the lead in the fight for a place in the next phase of the competition. With the result, Mais Querido opens up an advantage for the return leg, scheduled for next Wednesday (17), at 15 pm, in Porto Alegre.
Natan opens the scoring in the first half
Flamengo started the match better and soon demonstrated its attacking prowess. In the 7th minute, Rodrigo Muniz arrived well on the attack but ended up wasting a shot, firing over the bar. Shortly thereafter, in the 16th minute, Marx crossed from a corner and Muniz deflected it, which was saved by the goalkeeper. Defender Natan pounced on the rebound and opened the scoring. Internacional still tried to create chances up front, but were unable to break through the Mais Querido's well-positioned defense.
The best opportunity after the goal came in the 38th minute, when Marx had a great chance from a set piece at the edge of the box and hit the post with a free kick. After that, Flamengo kept moving the ball around, looking for openings to score, but their opponents were able to block their attempts. Thus, the first half ended 1-0 in favor of Flamengo.
A slow second half, but Luiz Henrique extends the lead
Internacional had a good opportunity in the first minute, but the red-and-black defense managed to clear it. Trailing, the opponent began to apply more pressure, but the Red-and-Blacks continued to look for opportunities to increase their lead. Goalkeeper Hugo Souza also had a strong performance, appearing very well. Vinicius Souza, Rodrigo Muniz, and Yuri created the best opportunities of the second half.
The match remained fierce until the end, with both teams coming close to scoring. Wanting a draw away from home, Inter still managed to come close, but it was Flamengo who scored. In the 46th minute, Luiz Henrique received the ball at the edge of the box and sent a powerful shot into the back of the net. An opposing player was subsequently sent off. Thus, with determination until the end, the "Mais Querido" won 2-0.
Flamengo lineup: Hugo Souza; Matheus França, Nathan, Natan and Ramon; Henrique (Christopher), Vinicius Souza and Marx (Reinier); Yuri (Luiz Henrique), Rodrigo Muniz (Rhyan) and Bill (Vitor Ricardo). Coach: Maurício Souza.