U-17 beats Sporting (POR) and finishes third in the Puskas Cup
Red-and-black youth football achieves another good result in international competitions in the 2018 season
By Ian Sena - inWith three wins in four matches played, Flamengo's U-17 team, led by coach Phelipe Leal, heads back to Brazil this Tuesday (22) bringing with them third place in the 11th Puskas Cup, an important international competition played over the last week in Hungary.
This is another strong result for the "Garotos do Ninho" (Nest Boys) in international competitions this season, which has already seen three important victories in the first half of the year: the Adidas Generation Cup U-17 in Dallas; the Dubai International U-16 Tournament, with impressive victories over Borussia Dortmund (GER) in the semifinals and Real Madrid (ESP) in the final; and the Nike Premier Cup U-15, a national competition that guaranteed the "Mais Querido" a spot in the world championships to be held in Austria in August. The U-20 team also won the Copa São Paulo, the Taça Guanabara, and the State Championship, defeating Vasco da Gama at the Maracanã stadium last Saturday.
"Participating in international competitions is crucial for the development of our athletes for two main reasons: the first is to provide the young players with the opportunity to compete at the highest technical level possible in their respective categories. The second factor is the cultural aspects of these international trips. I say this not only considering the on-field aspect, but also the fact that these competitions can facilitate a much easier adaptation for the boys in the future when, after establishing themselves in Flamengo's professional football (which is our first and main objective), they may have a much easier transfer to European football, having already gained a deeper understanding of other cultures, peoples, types of food, laws of other countries, etc. All of this contributes immensely to the development of our athletes," said Eduardo Freeland, Manager of the Rubro-Negro Youth Football Team.
"Flamengo is a club that has greatness at its core. In Hungary over the past week, we faced and defeated important European opponents, such as Panathinaikos (Greece), Bayern Munich (Germany), and Sporting (Portugal). Previously, in Dubai, we had already defeated other giants, such as PSV (Netherlands), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), and Real Madrid (Spain). This gives our players maturity and an understanding of the different schools of football, and much greater versatility in these encounters," continued Freeland, who concluded his analysis with an important observation:
"The excellent results our youth academy has been achieving over the past few years show that we are on the right track in our development, winning important games and championships in all categories and producing eye-catching football, always with the Flamengo identity," concluded Freeland.
In the bronze medal match in Hungary, the Ninho Boys defeated Sporting Club of Portugal 2-1, with goals from Gomes and Yuri de Oliveira. The team isn't resting on its laurels, and returns to the field next Saturday at 11 a.m. to face Botafogo in a derby for the 10th round of the Guanabara Cup.