Flamengo's U-20 team finished its preparations to face Santos with a recovery workout at the gym of the hotel where the delegation is staying in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul. This Sunday's derby (December 11.12), the fifth and final round of the group stage of the Copa RS Internacional, is crucial for Flamengo. If they defeat Santos, the "Mais Querido" will qualify for the quarterfinals of the competition. A draw could also suffice, provided Cruzeiro beats Toluca (MEX) by a maximum one-goal margin in the opening match of the round. Flamengo and Santos face off at 20:30 pm at PUC Stadium. The match will be broadcast live on SporTV throughout Brazil.

A state champion with the U-17 team less than a month ago, midfielder Vinícius Souza transitioned to the U-20s shortly after winning the title and is making his debut in the new category in the Copa RS. Having started every match in the competition so far, he had his best performance in the match against Toluca.

"I confess that I was a little shy at the start of the first game, but little by little I've loosened up and, after three games, I can say that I'm feeling more comfortable with my new teammates. The group is very strong, and we demonstrated that in the final part of the match against Toluca. Now we have a decisive game against Santos, and we'll be very focused from the start to guarantee our qualification and qualify for the Copa RS title," said Vinícius Souza.

A starter in the first two matches of the competition, striker Lucas Silva started the match against Toluca on the bench. Coming on in the second half, he had his best performance in the Copa RS, even scoring a goal, and helped the team secure the important victory that kept Flamengo alive in the championship.

"I'm aware that I didn't play well at the beginning of the competition. Against Toluca, I started on the bench, and we all know that in this situation we have to be prepared so that when we get the opportunity to come on, we give our all for the team. Thank God I was able to start well and play a great game. Now it's time to continue in this same vein and, together with my teammates, achieve the goal of getting through this first round and continuing to fight for the title," said Lucas Silva.