CBF releases schedule and regulations for the Brazilian Under-18 Women's Championship
Rubro-Negro is in group E, with Botafogo, Fortaleza and Goiás
By Rafael Rezende - inOn Monday night (4), the CBF held the draw for the groups in the first phase of the Brasileirão Sub-18. Having finished fifth in the last edition, Mais Querido was one of the seeded teams and will face Botafogo, Fortaleza and Goiás. The competition will take place between January 26 and February 6, in Sorocaba-SP. In total, 24 teams will participate. It is important to remember that the tournament refers to the year 2020, but will be played now due to the pandemic.
Initially, the clubs will face off in a home-and-away format. Eight teams will advance to the second phase, which will be played in Criciúma, Santa Catarina, and will be divided into groups again. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals. From the knockout stage onward, home and away matches will be played at home.
After training online for a few months, the girls returned to the tournament on November 10th and are intensely preparing for the championship. Marcos Gaspar, who has been in charge since the team's inception, assessed the situation, spoke briefly about the work they've done, and revealed that the athletes are highly motivated to put Flamengo on top.
"We have a group that already played in this competition in 2019 and finished fifth. At the time, the team had little experience, but now it has a bit more. Even so, Flamengo's women's youth soccer program will only complete two years in 2021, with a pandemic in between. I believe the championship will be more balanced, and we've been drawn into a group with a derby. We're working hard, strengthening ourselves, and beefing up the squad. The girls are excited to represent Flamengo in the best way possible and will certainly honor the Mantle, as they want to bring joy to the nation," she declared.