With the Guanabara Cup qualifying rounds in the State Championship for the Under-15 and Under-17 categories complete, the Garotos do Ninho have shown that, just like last season, in 2017 they are once again strong candidates to win the title in all categories. 

In 13 rounds, the U-17 (Youth) team remains undefeated in the competition. A near-perfect record of 11 wins and only 2 draws, with 48 goals for and 11 against (a positive goal difference of 37), has comfortably secured the sole lead in the Guanabara Cup qualifying round for Mais Querido, who will play at home both the semifinals (a single match against Fluminense next weekend in Gávea, playing for a draw) and the final, if they qualify, which will be played in two-legged matches. The champion of this round already qualifies for the general State semifinals, which will be played only after the conclusion of the Rio Cup. 

"This generation of athletes from 2000 has always been considered a generation with a great future since they were very young, but with the leading players reaching the U-20s (Vinicius Junior, Lincoln, and Wesley), it's become clear that they truly are a different generation, because despite all the difficulties, they managed to continue their physical, tactical, and technical development. Today, more mature and with new benchmarks, our team manages to remain strong and consistent in every game. With players born in 2001 who also arrived after being champions last year in the U-15s, the group of players has become stronger. Our unbeaten run is the result of hard work and dedication, match by match and day by day in training, in addition to the international competitions we compete in, which undoubtedly gave the boys even more experience and experience," said coach Márcio Torres, who added: "Regarding the semifinal against Fluminense, we are preparing to do our best. The opposing team is also qualified, but we are confident and working very hard to take Flamengo to another final." and, consequently, win another title for the Rubro-Negra nation", concluded Marcio.

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The U-15 (Children's) team has also been doing well in the competition. With a record of 11 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, with 47 goals for and only 6 against (a positive goal difference of 41), the Rubro-Negro finished second overall and had the advantage of playing the semifinal at home against Vasco da Gama next weekend, with the advantage of a draw. 

"Although we had to play some matches from other competitions in this championship, such as the tournament in Italy and the Nike Cup, we performed well in the qualifying round. We were able to use all of our U-15 players, and in many matches, we also provided opportunities and observed U-14 players, which is very important for their development. Our team has been demonstrating attacking and balanced defensive play. We are striving to improve with each match as a team. This is our daily challenge, so that these players can be promoted to the U-XNUMX team in very satisfactory conditions," said coach Ramon Lima, who has already projected the semifinal against Vasco da Gama next weekend. "We know we will face a very qualified opponent in the semifinal, but we will look to put in a great performance and take advantage of the advantage we gained on the field by playing at home, with the support of our fans," concluded Ramon.

The semifinals of both categories will be played in Gávea, next weekend, with no time yet set.