Led by Ramon Lima, while the starting lineup defeated Palmeiras 4-2 and now prepares for the Evergrande Cup final in China, an alternate team took to the field to face Boavista in the Guanabara Cup this Saturday morning (25) at CFZ. Like the U-15s, the category also won. The score was narrow, it's true. But the goal, scored by Rodrigo Muniz in the 50th minute of the second half, was legendary. He noticed the opposing goalkeeper was advanced and shot with great awareness from midfield, scoring a truly GREAT GOAL, securing three more points for Flamengo, which remains in sole leadership of the competition, now with 49 points.

 

The first chance fell to Teo in the sixth minute, but his header went wide. Flamengo threatened again in the 43rd minute. Samuel took a quality free kick, but goalkeeper Caio made a fine save.

Flamengo came out on top in the second half. In the second minute, Samuel outpaced his marker and reached the baseline, but his cross was weak, allowing Caio to run out. In the sixth minute, Rodrigo Muniz received the ball in the box, pivoted, and fired a shot. Caio flew and made a great save. From a corner kick, Denilson nearly scored. In the 15th minute, Otavio headed the ball just wide of Boavista's right post.

 

In the 24th minute, Ramon took a free kick, the ball sailed past everyone and nearly ended up in the net. The rebound, Caio, fired over the bar. The pressure was all over the red-and-blacks. In the 37th minute, Caio crossed, and Jean nearly opened the scoring with a header. He was injured in the play and had to be taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital. In the 49th minute, Gabriel Borsatto nearly scored with a header. The best play of the match was yet to come.

 

At 50, repeating what he had done in Dallas earlier in the year, Rodrigo Muniz picked up the ball in midfield, spotted the opposing goalkeeper out of position, and fired a deliberate shot from the edge of the box, surprising everyone with a truly fantastic goal that sealed another victory for the red-and-blacks in the competition. It's worth noting that the same Rodrigo Muniz had already scored a goal from midfield during the Dallas Cup-winning campaign earlier in the year in the United States.

 

For the State Championship, the category returns to the field next weekend, when it hosts América, in a match initially scheduled for Gávea but which may undergo a change of location. Before that, on Tuesday (28), the starters decide the Evergrande Cup against Villarreal, from Spain, in search of nothing less than the fifth international conquest of the red-black base in the 2018 season.

 

Flamengo: Bruno, Marcos Felipe, Teo, Otavio, Ramon; Rykelmo, Denilson, Peçanha (Mayquinho); Samuel (Caio), Jean (Gabriel Borsatto) and Rodrigo Muniz. Coach: Ramon Lima.