It didn't work out. The dream of a second Libertadores title will remain a dream for another year. The red-and-black Nation packed the Maracanã and did its part. Renato hit two impressive shots, and there was plenty of grit and determination. But Flamengo's 2-0 win over Defensor Sport wasn't enough. The Uruguayan team remains in the competition and will face Grêmio in the quarterfinals.

The game started tensely. Three minutes in, players from both teams were arguing over a challenge by Sorondo on Léo Moura. The Uruguayan received a yellow card, but the atmosphere remained tense.

In the 12th minute, Flamengo's first good chance came from a pass from Juan to Renato Augusto. But goalkeeper Silva saved the Flamengo midfielder's shot.

Flamengo had no shortage of grit, dominating the match throughout the first half, with nearly 70% possession. But chances were rare. Play down the wings was met with misplaced crosses from Léo Moura and Juan. In midfield, there was no one to create and break through Defensor's well-organized defense.

It wasn't until the 32nd minute that Flamengo started to threaten again. Souza received the ball in the box amid four Uruguayans. He struggled and struggled, but couldn't finish. In the 34th minute, Renato Augusto was awarded a penalty by Martinez, but Hector Baldassi didn't score.

And just when all seemed lost, Renato appeared. Almost 36 minutes in, a free kick from a long way out, he unleashed a powerful shot. The ball hit the wall and went in, reviving the hope of the 57.767 Flamengo fans who endured the cold and rain at Maracanã.

The drama would last 45 minutes, and the fans were given more reason to believe in a happy ending just two minutes into the second half. Renato again. Another long-range shot, into Silva's top corner. A stunning goal that shook the Maracanã stadium.

The rain intensified, and the game became increasingly dramatic, but Flamengo couldn't break through Defensor's defense, who were overly defensive, stopping the game whenever possible. In the 24th minute, Ney Franco took a risk: he brought on youngster Paulo Sérgio for Claiton and used a trio of attackers to score the goal that would send the match to penalties. And in the 32nd minute, he completely eliminated the midfield defense by taking off Paulinho and bringing on Léo Lima to help with the playmaking. He planned 15 minutes of suffocation to secure Flamengo's victory.

And that opened up space for Defensor to mount counterattacks. In the 36th minute, he broke through to Bruno, who managed to palm the ball away for a corner. In the 39th minute, Martinez attempted a free kick, but the goalkeeper saved it again. Two minutes later, another miracle came from the goalkeeper, who saved Morales' shot.

And that's how it ended. Now, the dream of a second Libertadores title starts all over again. Time to try to qualify for the 2008 Libertadores in the Brasileirão, which starts on Saturday.

TECHNICAL SHEET\ FLAMENGO 2 x 0 DEFENSOR (URU)\

Location: Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro (RJ)\ Date/Time: 9/5/07 - 21:45 p.m.\ Revenue/Attendance: R$636.981,00 - 57.767 in attendance\ Referee: Héctor Baldassi (ARG)\ Assistants: Pablo Lunati and Gustavo Esquivel (ARG)\ Yellow Cards: Léo Moura, Roni and Souza (FLA); Fadeuille, Fernandez, Martínez and Sorondo (DEF)\ Red Cards: None.\

GOALS: Renato, 35'/1st half (1-0); Renato, 2'/2nd half (2-0)

FLAMENGO: Bruno, Leonardo Moura, Ronaldo Angelim, Irineu and Juan; Paulinho (Léo Lima, 32'/2nd half), Claiton (Paulo Sérgio, 24'/2nd half), Renato and Renato Augusto; Souza and Roni. Coach: Ney Franco.

DEFENDERS: Silva, Sorondo, Martinez, Cáceres and González; Fadeuille, De Souza and Pezzolano (Fernandez, half-time); Amado, Ariosa and Peinado (Morales, 20'/2nd half). Coach: Jorge Da Silva.