Ever more mature, the Garotos do Ninho climbed another step towards their unprecedented U-20 Brazil Cup title. In a tough match against Avaí at Ressacada Stadium in Florianópolis, the Mais Querido withstood intense pressure from the opposing team and their fans, who turned out in large numbers and sang from start to finish, maintaining their unbeaten run in the competition with a 2-2 draw (Loran and Fabrício) with the Santa Catarina team, confirming for the first time in the club's history their spot in the grand final. Now, the Rubro-Negro will watch from the box seats the semifinal between Vasco and Atlético MG, which will decide their rival in the title race. Before that, this Sunday (May 28.05th), Flamengo takes the field against Madureira at 10 am in Gávea, and with a victory they will also secure a spot in the State Championship semifinal.

Playing shorthanded once again (there were five absences today), Flamengo's U-20 squad once again proved its quality and value. Aware of the importance of a first-half goal, having lost 2-0 in the first leg, and spurred on by their home crowd, who turned out in strong numbers at the Ressacada stadium, Avaí attacked from the first minute and created their first good chance in the eighth minute, forcing Gabriel Batista to make a great save. In the 12th minute, the Santa Catarina team took a dangerous free kick, Gabriel Batista did his best, but Avaí opened the scoring on the rebound. Nervous on the field, the Rubro-Negro created their first chance only in the 19th minute, after a great shot from the edge of the box by João Pedro.

Afterwards, the Ninho Boys gathered in the middle of the field during a medical appointment, had a quick chat, and collected their thoughts. From then on, they calmed down, put the ball on the ground, and, playing their game, equalized. In the 31st minute, Gabriel Silva crossed into the box, João Pedro did a great job as a pivot and passed to Loran to tie the game, giving the red-and-black team even more peace of mind and confidence.

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The second half seemed under control until the 13th minute, when Avaí scored the second goal from a corner kick. The crowd erupted and chanted loudly again, but the "Garotos do Ninho" kept their heads and, despite the intense pressure, didn't suffer. In the 32nd minute, Flamengo nearly killed the match after a good shot from outside the box by Patrick, saved by the goalkeeper. In the 41st minute, "Mais Querido" sealed its place in the final. Fabrício and Lincoln, who had come off the bench, exchanged a one-two inside the box, and Fabrício showed remarkable composure to dribble past the goalkeeper and tap the ball into the back of the net. 

"I'm very concerned about building a group, a family. In a team sport like soccer, you'll never achieve anything alone. We need everyone, and that's been our greatest strength in this tough competition. I've been using our entire squad, and everyone who comes in decides games. This gives us a lot of confidence. And I have great confidence and belief in all of our athletes," said coach Gilmar Popoca, who added: "Flamengo is a winning club, by nature. Of course, we're still developing, but it's important that these boys get used to winning from an early age, because that's in the club's DNA. We'll celebrate, rest a lot, and prepare very hard for this final. Whether it's Atlético MG or Vasco, we know we'll face a very tough opponent, and we need to do our best to win the Copa do Brasil for the first time in this category," concluded Gilmar Popoca.

The Nest Boys were lined up with Gabriel Batista, Kleber, Bernardo, Rafael, Moraes (Wesley), Theo, Jean Lucas (Gabriel Magalhães), Lucas Silva (Fabrício), Gabriel Silva (Luiz Henrique), João Pedro (Patrick) and Loran (Lincoln). Coach: Gilmar Popoca.