In a match played at Gávea Stadium on Friday afternoon (19), Flamengo's U-20 team maintained its excellent form and defeated América 2-0 (Sidney and Reinier), in the fifth round of the Guanabara Cup. The result gives Mais Querido the sole leadership of Group A with 11 points, in an undefeated campaign with three wins and two draws. Botafogo was defeated by Boavista and has ten points. Before facing Resende away from home on the 27th, the Garotos do Ninho will go to Nova Serrana to face Cruzeiro in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil semifinal, scheduled for next Wednesday (24) at 16:30 pm, with live broadcast on SporTV. The return leg will be in Gávea, on May 2nd.

Even with a significantly altered team, Flamengo launched into the attack from the opening whistle. Just four minutes in, Reinier had the first chance with a header inside the box, but goalkeeper Gabriel Palma made a good save. In the ninth minute, Reinier delivered a beautiful pass behind the defense to Rhyan. The Flamengo center forward fired a dangerous shot to the right of Gabriel Palma's goal. The pressure paid off, and the Boys from the Nest opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Luis Gustavo crossed to Reinier, whose shot was blocked by the defense. The ball fell to Sidney, who fired a beautiful, level shot with great awareness into the American goal's top corner, scoring a truly stunning goal, his first in the U-20 category.

América Mineiro continued to press. In the 18th minute, Yuri de Oliveira received the ball on the left wing, beat his marker, and shot, but Gabriel Palma made a solid save. América Mineiro nearly equalized in the 21st minute, when Renan Costa's free kick deflected off the wall and bounced off Pedro Caracoci's crossbar, but he couldn't stop it. América Mineiro nearly scored their second goal in the 28th minute, when Pablo delivered a perfect cross to Rhyan. He controlled the ball well inside the box but had his shot blocked just as he was about to finish. A minute later, Sidney took another shot from outside the box. This time, the goalkeeper managed to get to the ball and made a good save.

In the 34th minute, América threatened again. Breno delivered a beautiful pass to Caju, but goalkeeper Pedro Caracoci smothered it at the right time, preventing the penalty, and making a great save. In the last play before halftime, Caju received the ball and shot across goal, forcing another good save from Pedro Caracoci. 

América had the first chance of the second half. Caju received the ball as a pivot at the edge of the box, turned around his marker, and fired past Pedro Caracoci, who made a great save, maintaining the red-and-black's lead and solidifying his excellent performance in the match. But it was Flamengo who extended their lead in the 17th minute with another stunning goal. Yuri received the ball in the crescent and dismantled the entire defense with a wonderful backheel pass to Reinier. The number ten controlled the ball with his sights set on goal and cleverly chipped it into the left corner of Gabriel Palma's goal, who touched the ball but couldn't prevent the Garotos do Ninho's second goal of the game.

In the 31st minute, Luis Gustavo burst into the box at speed but shot weakly, forcing a comfortable save from Gabriel Palma. In the 37th minute, it was almost a perfect goal at Gávea. Lucas Gabriel noticed the goalkeeper was ahead and shot from midfield, but the ball went wide of the goal. It was the last scoring chance of the match.

Coach: Mauricio Souza.