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U-13 team loses on penalties and misses out on the Metropolitan Championship final

The Ninho Boys take a 2-0 lead in the first half, but miss many opportunities and see Fluminense win in the penalty shootout.

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Flamengo was superior and opened a 2-0 lead in the first half of the Rio Cup final of the Under-13 Metropolitan Championship played on Saturday afternoon (25) at the Laranjeiras Stadium. But they wasted good chances to increase the score and kill the game - including a penalty, saved by the tricolor goalkeeper Álvaro -, saw Fluminense tie the game in normal time and ended up being defeated by a score of 3-1 in the penalty shootout. Thus, the team is out of the general final of the Metropolitan Championship (the State Championship of the category), which will be played between Botafogo and Fluminense, in the next two weekends. 

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In the 11th minute, Fluminense took the lead. Yuji struck a powerful shot from outside the box, but goalkeeper Kauã made a solid save. Flamengo opened the scoring with their first goal-scoring opportunity. França challenged the defender and goalkeeper and, on the rebound, intelligently passed the ball to Vitor, who slotted it into the back of the net and opened the scoring. In the 30th minute, Falquer delivered a superb pass to França. He burst into the box and shot at mid-height, but Álvaro made a good save, palming it out for a corner and preventing Fluminense's second. Falquer then put Fortaleza in a good position to score. He fired a first-time shot, and Álvaro saved Fluminense once again. 

 The Ninho Boys pressed, and in the 33rd minute, França faced his marker and fired a cross-shot. The ball skimmed past Álvaro's right post, but this time he could only hope. But in the 35th minute, there was no way out. Jonathan took a free kick into the box, and the ball fell to Vitor, who turned with great skill and fired a shot on goal to score the Rubro-Negro's second goal in the final, in the final play of the first half.

The second half began with Fluminense pulling one back. Just four minutes in, Diogo took a free kick from inside the box, the ball sailed past everyone and into Kauã's net. In the seventh minute, they nearly equalized, but Londrina reached the ball on the line and saved the Garotos do Ninho. In the tenth minute, Kauã made a great save after a close-range header. Fluminense tied the game in the 15th minute, with Fábio Andrei. 

Fluminense's Mais Querido reorganized itself on the field and returned to attacking. In the 25th minute, Gabriel cut deep and crossed to Vitor. He struck first-time, but Álvaro made a good save. On the next attack, França hit a bomb against the post. Following the play, Peterson was brought down inside the box and was awarded a penalty. Vitor took a low shot to the right corner, and Álvaro made the save, keeping the score tied. In the 34th minute, Vitor struck a powerful shot, but Álvaro, Fluminense's standout player, made a great save. Peterson attempted a goal from the rebound but was blocked by the defense. 

The decision went to a penalty shootout. Kauã saved the first penalty and found the corner on every kick, but Fluminense won 3-1, claiming the Taça Rio title and facing Botafogo in the final. 

Flamengo: Kauã, Cohen (Hygor), Londrina, Darlan (JP), Jonathan (Gabriel), Muller, Dudu, Falquer (Arthur), Vitor, Fortaleza (Peterson) and França. Coach: Leonam Kasali.