The Boys of the Nest debut in the 54th São Paulo Junior Football Cup this Friday (5), at 17:30 pm, against São José-RS, at the José Liberatti Municipal Stadium, in Osasco, headquarters of Group 19. The match is broadcast by CazéTV, on Youtube. Before, coach Mario Jorge made final adjustments in the last training session in preparation for the first game of Rubro-Negro football in 2024.

The reigning Brazilian Under-20 champion, Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, arrives at the 54th São Paulo Junior Football Cup with the same goal as every competition: to win the title! Four-time champions of the competition, the Red-Blacks this time have a squad of players born between 2003 and 2007, who will represent the Sacred Mantle in the kickoff of Brazilian football in 2024. In other words, for the first time, they will have Under-21 players on their roster (see those listed below). Twenty-four players traveled to Osasco and participated in the final training session. Regarding the finalization of the training session, coach Mario Jorge spoke about his expectations for the match.

"It's more of a training session for fine-tuning, trying to remember some things we've already been doing and trying to put them into practice. And the debut always brings a mix of anxiety and nervousness for everyone, for the boys, for us too. It's a competition that has its value, that has its charm. The São Paulo Cup is the biggest youth competition in Brazil, right? It embraces many athletes, many professionals. So, the expectation is that we can accomplish everything we've set out for the game and debut well! The important thing is to try to debut well, put in a good performance, and, consequently, seek victory," said the Garotos do Ninho manager, who concluded by talking about being one of the last teams to finish the first round.

"We have a general overview of how the other teams are doing, and that's important, but I don't see it as a benefit. It's a natural thing, especially since we opened the São Paulo Cup in 2023. So the benefit came from another team. I don't see it as a benefit, a natural thing, it's a lucky draw. So let's try to enjoy the moment we're in as much as possible. We're starting a new project, with several players who came from the U-17 and U-16 teams. So, we're trying to build a balanced team for 2024, which has a very busy schedule for us."

Arriving for his second participation in Copinha, defender Darlan also spoke about his expectations for the match against São José-RS:

"The preparation was very good, I think expectations are very high. We had a great preparation with Mário. Now we have three games to play, have an excellent first phase, and aim for qualification."

 

Thanks to their second national championship last year and reaching the final of the U-20 Carioca Championship, the "Garotos do Ninho" will have a fully booked schedule for the first time: Libertadores, Brasileiro, Copa do Brasil, Estadual, and Copa Rio. And the quest for another record-breaking season in youth championships (100 titles in 44, repeating in 2022) begins with the Copinha. And the nation can support the 2023 season opener for free. Tickets for Flamengo and São José-RS can be secured free of charge through this link: https://www.sympla.com.br/evento/copa-sao-paulo-2024-1-rodada/2285137. Entry for the Rubro-Negra fans will be exclusive, through gate 3, located at Rua Julio Adão, 79. Let's go Flamengo!