Flamengo is in the knockout stage of the 41st edition of the São Paulo Junior Football Cup. And the red-and-black youth squad didn't even have to sweat to achieve their goal. The team entered the field needing to beat Taubaté to secure a spot in the knockout rounds. An 11-goal victory would have put the team in first place in Group S, but that was practically impossible. Even so, the youngsters fought back, winning 5-0, placing themselves among the best second-place teams in the competition and securing a spot in the next round. The stars of the match were João Vitor, with three assists, and Dudu, with two goals.

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The first half was anything but encouraging. The intense heat, poor pitch, and the pressure of victory hampered the red-and-black team, which was unable to achieve its best rhythm. The match was tight, with numerous errors on both sides, until center forward Dudu, who had been decisive in Flamengo's other two matches in the competition, decided to shine again. In the 37th minute, he received the ball near the half-moon, saw the opposing goalkeeper out of position, and fired a powerful shot over the bar to open the scoring. The goal galvanized the team from Gávea, who extended their lead four minutes later with a beautiful free kick from defender Christianno.

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The result didn't guarantee Flamengo the lead, but it did guarantee Flamengo a place in the knockout stage. Even so, the team didn't stop attacking. The result came naturally. In the 21st minute, defender Michel Pereira also scored. He received a great cross from João Vitor, unmarked, and slotted it past the goalkeeper. Ten minutes later, João Vitor delivered another decisive pass: he found Dudu, the team's top scorer in the competition with four goals in three games, free, to make it 4-0 to Flamengo. There was still time for João himself to score a minute later, making it 5-0.