Flamengo's under-20 team left on Tuesday afternoon for Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, where they will debut in the Copa do Brasil. The Mais Querido's first challenge in the competition will be on Wednesday (23.09) against Avaí, at 15 pm, at the Ressacada Stadium. 

The tournament features 32 teams competing in a knockout format, based on the number of points earned in that phase, with tiebreakers decided by goal difference, goals scored away from home, and penalty shootouts, in that order. In the first phase, the visiting team that wins the first game by a margin of two or more goals eliminates the need for a second leg. If the Red-Black team advances to the second phase, they will face Cruzeiro or Fast Clube on September 30th at the Gávea headquarters.

With the team already focused, the junior technical coordinator, Léo Inácio, spoke about the importance of the competition.

"It's the start of an important competition in our calendar. The group is having a good season at OPG. The players are focused and have high expectations for this round. Avaí is a strong team, leading the Santa Catarina championship, and has everything needed to be a great match," he said.