After a long preparation, Flamengo/Marinha debuts this Saturday (11), at 16 pm, in the Brazilian Women's Football Championship against Vitória (BA). The match, valid for the first round of the tournament, will be played at the Manoel Barradas Stadium, Barradão, in Salvador.

In its fifth edition, the Brasileirão has a new format, new teams, and two divisions. This year, 16 clubs are competing for the Série A1 title, the competition's elite. Defending champion Flamengo/Marinha arrives prepared to defend the title and is in Group 2, which features strong opponents.

Preparing since early January, the "Mais Querido" is ready to debut in the Brazilian Women's Championship. The reigning national and state champions, Flamengo/Marinha will have a strong and strengthened squad. Losing six players from last season, the "Rubro-Negro" has signed key names, and coach Ricardo Abrantes has selected 27 players, including top scorers Pâmela and Larissa.

"We know there are nerves ahead of the opening game. We don't have much information about our opponent, but we know everyone wants to beat the current Brazilian champion. We need to win to start off on the right foot and gain confidence for the upcoming games," said the coach.

This will be the first meeting between the clubs. The current Bahia champion, Vitória, is entering its first Brazilian Championship appearance reinforced with nearly ten players. The team secured a spot in Série A1 thanks to the national men's soccer tournament and will be Flamengo/Marinha's first opponent.

In the red-and-black bracket, only two teams did not participate in the last edition of the Brasileirão. Of the other five, three made it to the semifinals, and Rio Preto was the Mais Querido's opponent in the final. Furthermore, two champions are among the eight participants, in addition to São José, which finished runner-up twice.

Flamengo/Marinha's victorious campaign in the 2016 Brasileirão was built on 14 matches, with nine wins, two draws, and three losses. The powerful Flamengo attack scored 23 goals, while the defense conceded 11. This will be the team's third appearance in the competition.

The Brazilian Women's Championship is divided into two phases, the first of which is played in two groups and a points system. Four teams advance from each group, and the winners advance from the quarterfinals to the semifinals and then the final. All matches are home and away.

*Collaborated under the supervision of Isabela Abirached.