A group victory. That's the best way to describe Flamengo's dramatic comeback against Toluca (MEX), in the best match of the Copa RS Internacional U-20 so far. The final score of 5-3 (Juninho, Dener, Vinícius Junior, Lucas Silva, and Lincoln), with three comebacks, clearly reflects the game, and leaves the "Mais Querido" (the most beloved team) relying solely on itself to qualify for the quarterfinals of the competition. If it defeats Santos next Sunday at 20:30 PM at PUC Stadium, the "Rubro-Negro" will secure its qualification, which could even come with a draw, depending on the result of the match between Cruzeiro and Toluca. SporTV will broadcast the national derby live, which will be Flamengo's lifeline in the Copa RS Internacional.

As had happened in their debut against Criciúma, Flamengo started pressing and opened the scoring after just six minutes. Gabriel Silva charged through the middle and took a shot from outside the box. The ball deflected off the defense and fell to Juninho to make it 6-1 for the Mais Querido. With the advantage on the scoreboard, the Rubro-Negro relaxed and suffered the comeback in the final minutes of the first half, with goals in the 0rd and 43th minutes.

Flamengo returned for the second half with a different approach after the halftime conversation with coach Gilmar Popoca, who brought on Lincoln for Loran and Patrick for Juninho. In the seventh minute, Kleber took a free kick, and captain Dener beat the Mexican defender to level the score. In the 7th minute, Patrick nearly turned a free kick just wide of the post. With Flamengo dominating the match, the Mexicans made it 15-3. 

Proving that the group is cohesive and maturing with each game, Flamengo didn't feel the goal and went in search of victory, the only result that would keep them alive in the championship. In the 30th minute, Vinícius Junior passed to Michael behind the full-back, who received the ball in the box to tie the game again and score his first goal in the U-20 category. By this point, Flamengo was completely dominating the game and demonstrated far superior physical conditioning, as had been the case in the previous two matches. The comeback seemed only a matter of time, and it didn't take long. In the 36th minute, Jean Lucas delivered a great cross, and Lucas Silva showed opportunism to score Flamengo's fourth. Flamengo still had the energy to add the fifth, with Lincoln, who also found the net for the first time in the category.

"Our team was very inconsistent in today's game. Despite that, we didn't lose heart when we conceded the lead or the third goal, which is very positive. But today's game proved what I've been telling our players since the beginning of the competition: I need everyone. Football isn't won with just 11 players. Football is won with the group. And there's no doubt that this was a victory for the group. All of those who had been starting and today started on the bench (Jean Lucas, Patrick, and Lucas Silva) came into the game with a different attitude and contributed greatly to the final result, as did João Pedro, Juninho, and Théo, who started as starters. Today we truly had a victory with the greatness of Flamengo," said coach Gilmar Popoca.

"I have no doubt that after achieving this victory, the way it was, our group will be even more united. We showed that we are strong. The guys who came off the bench came in and got the job done. We know we have a lot to improve, but as Popoca said, if technique isn't working, we have to go for it with grit and determination, because that's Flamengo's hallmark. And that's exactly what we did in today's game," reinforced captain Dener, who today showed that he also knows how to find the net in attack. 

More alive than ever in the Copa RS Internacional, Flamengo returns to the field on Sunday, December 11.12th, at 20:30 pm against Santos at PUC Stadium, with live coverage on SporTV. If they defeat Santos, Flamengo will qualify for the quarterfinals. In the event of a draw, the result will depend on the match between Cruzeiro and Toluca, who also face each other on Sunday at 18 pm.