The expectation of the first game as a starter
Diego Maurício is anxious about starting to play and scoring his first goal as a professional.
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
Midway through last week, Diego Maurício was playing with the juniors in the Rio de Janeiro State Championship. On Saturday, he received the news: he would be training with the seniors. And on Sunday, he came on in the second half of the match against Prudente at Maracanã and even won a penalty, which Vagner Love converted, sealing the red-and-black team's 3-1 victory. In the following match, he came on at halftime, in the derby against Fluminense, and now he's looking forward to starting against Grêmio.
This Saturday, at 18:30 p.m., the team from Gávea hosts the Gauchos, and Rogério Lourenço's main question mark regarding the lineup is precisely between Diego and Vinícius Pacheco. If chosen to start, the number 49 promises to be dedicated to securing the three points.
"The expectations are very high. I've been working for a long time to get this chance. Being a starter for Flamengo has always been a dream of mine, and if it comes true in this game, I'll be very happy. I'm willing to help the team get the three points. But even if I don't start, I'll do my best to come away with the victory," he said.
Still young, Diego reveals that he felt the traditional butterflies in his stomach before his debut in the professional team, but now he guarantees that he is already getting used to the new routine, with the help of the more experienced ones.
"The first game was definitely nerve-wracking, but then it sunk in. The pressure here at Flamengo starts from the youth academy, right? But I'm calm and hope to continue getting opportunities, take advantage of them, and help the team whenever possible. The experienced players, like Bruno and Leonardo Moura, for example, talked to me, have been helping me, and I hope to repay them on the field," said the center forward, who scored 22 goals in the youth academy this season alone and hopes to achieve the same success in the professional ranks.
"It's been two games and I still haven't scored. At youth level I was always scoring goals and I want to repeat that in the professional league," he added.
This Saturday, at 18:30 p.m., the team from Gávea hosts the Gauchos, and Rogério Lourenço's main question mark regarding the lineup is precisely between Diego and Vinícius Pacheco. If chosen to start, the number 49 promises to be dedicated to securing the three points.
"The expectations are very high. I've been working for a long time to get this chance. Being a starter for Flamengo has always been a dream of mine, and if it comes true in this game, I'll be very happy. I'm willing to help the team get the three points. But even if I don't start, I'll do my best to come away with the victory," he said.
Still young, Diego reveals that he felt the traditional butterflies in his stomach before his debut in the professional team, but now he guarantees that he is already getting used to the new routine, with the help of the more experienced ones.
"The first game was definitely nerve-wracking, but then it sunk in. The pressure here at Flamengo starts from the youth academy, right? But I'm calm and hope to continue getting opportunities, take advantage of them, and help the team whenever possible. The experienced players, like Bruno and Leonardo Moura, for example, talked to me, have been helping me, and I hope to repay them on the field," said the center forward, who scored 22 goals in the youth academy this season alone and hopes to achieve the same success in the professional ranks.
"It's been two games and I still haven't scored. At youth level I was always scoring goals and I want to repeat that in the professional league," he added.