After five days and four training sessions in Quito, a city located 2.850 meters above sea level, the time has come for Flamengo's debut in the U-20 Libertadores. The Garotos do Ninho will enter the field at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa this Saturday (7), at 19 pm (21 pm, Brasília time), to face Estudiantes de Mérida-VEN. FlamengoTV will broadcast the match, with images.

With an average age of approximately 18 years, the squad is quite different from last year, when Flamengo won the tournament for the second time in Paraguay. Five players remain in the group: right-back Daniel Sales, center-back Da Mata, left-back Gusttavo, defensive midfielder Pablo, and attacking midfielder Guilherme. Center-back João Victor, champion of the 2024 edition, is another who has already played in the tournament.

The Flamengo delegation landed last Monday afternoon (3) in the Ecuadorian capital. The aim of arriving five days in advance, rather than the two days stipulated in the regulations, is to have more time to adapt to the altitude. Coach Bruno Pivetti led the first training session the following day, at the Complejo Sociedad Deportiva Aucas, in Quito. After two more sessions, the team held their final training session before the opening match, this Friday (6) — all at the same location.

Flamengo will have two more matches in the group stage of the U-20 Libertadores. The second match will be against Bolívar-BOL, next Tuesday (11), at 17 pm (19 pm, Brasília time), at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado Stadium. In the third match, Flamengo will face Independiente Medellín-COL, Friday (13), at 19 pm (21 pm, Brasília time), when it will play its second game at Atahualpa Olympic StadiumThe top teams from each of the three groups advance to the semifinals. The best second-placed team from the three groups completes the qualifying quartet.