Flamengo came very close to being eliminated from the Brazilian Under-20 Championship. Qualification only came midway through the second half of the red-and-black team's final match in the first phase, when Diego Maurício scored the second goal in a 2-0 victory over Náutico on Wednesday night. It took a while, but it finally happened. And now that they're confirmed for the quarterfinals, the team from Gávea is already dreaming bigger: they want the national title.

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Flamengo's youth team, by the way, is thirsty for titles. Accustomed to winning titles, Mengão hasn't lifted a trophy since the 2007 Octávio Pinto Guimarães Cup. In 2008, the team failed to win, and to avoid a repeat this season, nothing better than ending the year by winning the Brazilian Championship. That's why right-back Rafael Galhardo warns: the team will seek this unprecedented title in the club's history.

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"This victory was very important for us to qualify. Congratulations to the group; they fought until the end, gave their best, and got the goals they needed. Our team had already done well in the other three games, but we failed to concede late goals. This time was different, and we needed this result. Now we're even more confident, and God willing, we'll emerge champions from here," he said.

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The hero of the classification, striker Diego Maurício, who is one of the top scorers in the Brazilian Under-20 Championship with four goals in four matches, took the opportunity to share the laurels of the victory with his teammates and stated that, regardless of the opponents that come their way, the team can only have one thought: to win.

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"My goal average is good, but the important thing is that we secured our spot. It's a pleasure to play with this wonderful group, and if the goals are coming, it's thanks to everyone's help. Now it's time to work towards the finals and, regardless of who comes, fight to emerge victorious," said the goalscorer.

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Flamengo will decide a spot in the semifinals of the competition next Friday at 18 p.m. against Atlético Mineiro, who also secured their spot in dramatic fashion. In the other quarterfinal matches, Botafogo faces Fluminense, Corinthians plays Inter (both games this Thursday), and Grêmio faces Coritiba in the preliminary round between Flamengo and Atlético.