A respectable rout! The U-17s crush Vasco 6-1, become Rio de Janeiro champions, and end the season undefeated.
A 10-1 aggregate score is unprecedented in a division final. It's a red-and-black party in Gávea!
By Ian Sena - in
It's become routine! After easily defeating Vasco 4-0 in the first leg of the Taça Rio final at São Januário Stadium, Flamengo hosted Vasco da Gama in the return leg this Wednesday morning (16.11/1) at Gávea Stadium, and once again humiliated their opponent. After a tight first half in which they led by just 0-12, "Mais Querido" (the most beloved team) came out on top in the second half, scoring four goals in 6 minutes and winning again, this time by an impressive 1-10. The 1-17 aggregate score, unprecedented in a category final in the state, gave Flamengo not only the Taça Rio title, but also the Campeonato Carioca title without the need for a final, as Flamengo had also won the Taça Guanabara. Furthermore, Flamengo's U-XNUMX team finished the season undefeated in all four competitions it participated in.
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The start of the game even gave the impression that Flamengo would have a tougher time this time. The first half was evenly matched, with Vasco do Sul dominating at times and trying to put pressure on the Flamengo defense. In the 35th minute, Vasco once again demonstrated the team's greatest strength: its quick counterattacks. Vinícius Junior crossed, and the opportunistic Bill simply rolled the ball into the empty net.
The second half arrived, and Flamengo returned to the field determined to win the match. And what we saw in the first 15 minutes was a truly memorable performance from the entire team. Vinícius Souza scored the second goal after just two minutes, Lincoln added the third shortly after, in the fifth, and became the competition's sole top scorer with 2 goals. In the eighth minute, Vinícius Junior dribbled past the entire Vasco team and was only stopped inside the box. He took the penalty himself, with a quick stop, to make it 5-20. In the 8th minute, Wesley took another penalty with skill, scoring the fifth. The fans had already gone wild, chanting "olé" with every Mengão pass, when Wesley crossed the ball to the head of top scorer Lincoln, who scored his 4st goal of the competition and made it 0-14. In the 21th minute, Vasco was awarded a penalty. Hugo saved it, but Robinho tapped in the rebound to score Vasco's consolation goal.
"What we did here today is inexplicable, as is the feeling of making history at Flamengo, the biggest club in the world. Being able to represent the millions of people who support us is a huge pleasure. We train for them every day, and now it's time to celebrate this achievement," said Vinícius Junior, who was named the championship's best player by the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation (FFERJ).
"The entire group, coaching staff, and board deserve congratulations for the wonderful year we've had. This is the result of hard work and dedication, from a group that is more than family to me. Winning with Flamengo, defeating Vasco in the final, is incredible. This would never have been possible without the help of my teammates," said Lincoln, the competition's top scorer.
Thuler, defender and team captain throughout the season, praised the team's unity and commitment and explained why this result, although unusual, was no surprise to the team members. "This title crowns an incredible season we had. Not only on the field, but especially our friendship and unity off it. Everyone likes each other, everyone helps and supports each other, and being part of this family is incredible. All these factors directly influenced this achievement, and I'm sure this season will be remembered for the rest of my life," revealed the captain.
Behind a great team, there's always a great coach. After Zé Ricardo moved to the professional ranks, Gilmar Popoca took over the U-20 team, and Marcinho was given the responsibility of leading the golden generation of the U-17 team. And he demonstrated that his leadership skills are also outstanding, and he played a crucial role in the victory. "It was a wonderful season, in every sense. Our team is sensational. We've been undefeated in almost two years, and that's no coincidence. We were eliminated from the Copa do Brasil and the Taça BH on penalties, without losing a single game, and that made us all even more eager to win this Carioca. The players were brilliant in both those matches against our great rival. But both at São Januário and today here at Gávea, our performance was paramount, and we didn't give them a chance to even dream of beating us. I want to thank the entire group and also our board, who always provide us with the best possible working conditions," concluded coach Marcinho.
Become a fan club member and invest in red-and-black football! Click here and sign up now for less than R$1 per day!
The start of the game even gave the impression that Flamengo would have a tougher time this time. The first half was evenly matched, with Vasco do Sul dominating at times and trying to put pressure on the Flamengo defense. In the 35th minute, Vasco once again demonstrated the team's greatest strength: its quick counterattacks. Vinícius Junior crossed, and the opportunistic Bill simply rolled the ball into the empty net.
The second half arrived, and Flamengo returned to the field determined to win the match. And what we saw in the first 15 minutes was a truly memorable performance from the entire team. Vinícius Souza scored the second goal after just two minutes, Lincoln added the third shortly after, in the fifth, and became the competition's sole top scorer with 2 goals. In the eighth minute, Vinícius Junior dribbled past the entire Vasco team and was only stopped inside the box. He took the penalty himself, with a quick stop, to make it 5-20. In the 8th minute, Wesley took another penalty with skill, scoring the fifth. The fans had already gone wild, chanting "olé" with every Mengão pass, when Wesley crossed the ball to the head of top scorer Lincoln, who scored his 4st goal of the competition and made it 0-14. In the 21th minute, Vasco was awarded a penalty. Hugo saved it, but Robinho tapped in the rebound to score Vasco's consolation goal.
"What we did here today is inexplicable, as is the feeling of making history at Flamengo, the biggest club in the world. Being able to represent the millions of people who support us is a huge pleasure. We train for them every day, and now it's time to celebrate this achievement," said Vinícius Junior, who was named the championship's best player by the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation (FFERJ).
"The entire group, coaching staff, and board deserve congratulations for the wonderful year we've had. This is the result of hard work and dedication, from a group that is more than family to me. Winning with Flamengo, defeating Vasco in the final, is incredible. This would never have been possible without the help of my teammates," said Lincoln, the competition's top scorer.Thuler, defender and team captain throughout the season, praised the team's unity and commitment and explained why this result, although unusual, was no surprise to the team members. "This title crowns an incredible season we had. Not only on the field, but especially our friendship and unity off it. Everyone likes each other, everyone helps and supports each other, and being part of this family is incredible. All these factors directly influenced this achievement, and I'm sure this season will be remembered for the rest of my life," revealed the captain.
Behind a great team, there's always a great coach. After Zé Ricardo moved to the professional ranks, Gilmar Popoca took over the U-20 team, and Marcinho was given the responsibility of leading the golden generation of the U-17 team. And he demonstrated that his leadership skills are also outstanding, and he played a crucial role in the victory. "It was a wonderful season, in every sense. Our team is sensational. We've been undefeated in almost two years, and that's no coincidence. We were eliminated from the Copa do Brasil and the Taça BH on penalties, without losing a single game, and that made us all even more eager to win this Carioca. The players were brilliant in both those matches against our great rival. But both at São Januário and today here at Gávea, our performance was paramount, and we didn't give them a chance to even dream of beating us. I want to thank the entire group and also our board, who always provide us with the best possible working conditions," concluded coach Marcinho.