Under-16s beat Real Madrid and become undefeated champions in Dubai
The Ninho Boys fight to the end and win a difficult international competition that puts them at the top of the world
By Ian Sena - in
Celebrate, Nation! Continuing a magical season, which in the first four months of the year already saw the U-20 team win the Copa São Paulo four times and the Taça Guanabara, the U-17 team win the Adidas Generation Cup in Dallas, and the U-15 team win the Nike Premier Cup and qualify for the World Cup in Austria, Flamengo's youth team achieved another achievement this Thursday (19) that shows that the Boys of the Nest are on top of the world. In the final of the 8th Hamdan International Football Championship in Dubai, the U-16 team, led by coach Ramon Lima, defeated none other than Real Madrid 4-2 on penalties, after a 1-1 draw (Jean Carlos) in regulation time, and to the sound of "Aquarela do Brasil" celebrated in the desert.
The game started tense, evenly balanced, and carefully considered, as all major decisions tend to be. In the eighth minute, Reinier made his first appearance, making a fine individual play and delivering a beautiful pass behind the defense to Samuel, who was offside. In the 18th minute, Carles Mascardo finished with a shot from outside the box, posing little threat to Bruno's goal. In the 26th minute, after a free kick in the box, the ball fell to David Barreno, who fired over the red-and-black crossbar. The Merengue team threatened again in the 34th minute, with Diego Lopez heading just wide of Bruno's right post.
The Mais Querido (São Paulo's Beloved) once again showed strong attacking momentum and nearly opened the scoring in the 36th minute. Pedro Arthur crossed into the box, Samuel headed it in, and Reinier struck powerfully first time. The ball went just wide of Lucas Canizares' goal. Marcos Felipe then passed to Reinier, who narrowly avoided controlling the ball in front of the Spanish goal. In the 41st minute, the referee awarded a controversial penalty by Daniel Cabral after a dispute for the ball inside the Mais Querido box. David Barreno converted the penalty and opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the final crucial play of the first half.
After halftime, the match remained evenly matched with few scoring chances. In the 13th minute, a fatal incident worried everyone in the stadium. After a ball was lofted into the box, goalkeeper Lucas Canizares kneed Lorenzo Herrera hard in the head, leaving him unconscious and motionless on the pitch. Medical assistance quickly attended to the athlete, who was immediately taken from the stadium in an ambulance to the nearest hospital.
With the ball rolling again, the Boys from the Nest looked to pressure their opponent. In the 30th minute, after a corner kick, Samuel beat the goalkeeper out of the goal, and the defense saved almost on the line, preventing the Mais Querido from equalizing. In the 33rd minute, Caio made a beautiful individual play and crossed low into the box. The defender cut it out and saved the Spanish team, who almost extended their lead in the following minute. It was goalkeeper Bruno's turn to step up and save the Rubro-Negro with two great saves in a row.
The game was thrilling. In the 44th minute, Pedro Arthur lined up and shot toward goal, but the defender showed great control and deflected the ball, saving the Spaniards once again. Due to the lengthy treatment given to the injured player, the referee signaled ten minutes of stoppage time. In the 50th minute, Reinier found a perfect pass to Jean Carlos, who outpaced the defense and the goalkeeper and slotted it into the back of the net, leveling the score and sending the title decision to a penalty shootout.
And then, the Ninho do Urubu goalkeeping school showed up again, and Bruno shone. The red-and-black defense saved two shots, including one from David Barreno, who had taken the penalty in regulation time. The Ninho Boys were flawless, making all four shots, and to the sound of "Aquarela do Brasil," they celebrated the title in Dubai.
The champion Flamengo took to the field with Bruno, Marcos Felipe, Gabriel Noga, Otávio, Caio; Dhouglas (Maycon), Daniel Cabral, Samuel (Jean Carlos); Pedro Arthur, Reinier and Lázaro. Coach: Ramon Lima.