While Flamengo's first team continues to concede a high number of goals, the youth team boasts a defense that rivals would envy. Coach Armênio Moura, like Andrade on the senior team, has also suffered absences and has not been able to repeat the same lineup for his team even once in the Campeonato Carioca. Despite this, his defenders have been up to the task, and the team boasts the best defense in the competition.

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In seven rounds, Flamengo conceded only six goals—an average of less than a goal per game. And the defensive pairing has already changed significantly in this short time. Christianno has already paired with Michel Pereira, Lucas Galdino, and Marlon. However, not even a lack of chemistry could shake this defense. Michel, who missed the last two rounds due to injury, has now recovered and is ready to help the team maintain its defensive strength for the remainder of the competition.

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"We had three injured defenders, now there are only two, but the important thing is that whoever comes in is responding well. The defense is very good and I think that, regardless of who plays, the defense is doing its job and managing to maintain the same level always," he said.

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A distinguishing feature of this defense, and of most of the defenders emerging from Flamengo's youth academy, is their ability to play out from the back, connecting the defense and offense with quality. There's no shortage of examples of this, and the greatest and most recent is Juan, now at Roma and considered one of the best defenders in the world. For Michel, the secret to this is just one: hard work.

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"Without a doubt, our team's defenders have outstanding technical quality, not just on our team, but across all of the club's youth teams. This is the result of a lot of hard work," he added.

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Flamengo will not play again in the Campeonato Carioca de Juniores until the weekend of February 27th and 28th, against Macaé, at a location yet to be determined. Until then, the team will continue training at Ninho do Urubu.