Playing away from home, Flamengo draws 0-0 against River Plate.
Flamengo advanced to the Round of 16 of the Conmebol Libertadores in second place in Group 4 of the international competition.
By John Peter Granette - in
In a match valid for the last round of the group stage of the Conmebol Libertadores, Flamengo traveled to Buenos Aires to face River Plate and drew 0-0. Playing at the Monumental de Núñez, the "Mais Querido" (Most Beloved) created good chances in attack, but failed to find the back of Armani's net. With the result, Flamengo advanced in second place in Group 4 of the international competition, totaling 10 points in six matches played.
The game
Even with the home team attempting to apply early pressure, Flamengo started well at the Monumental de Núñez and almost opened the scoring on their first attack. After a shot from outside the area by Everton Ribeiro, Vinicius Junior deflected the ball with his right foot, startling goalkeeper Armani. Shortly after, it was Cuéllar's turn to try his luck from distance, but his shot was blocked by the opposing defense.
The Argentinians were having difficulty finding spaces in Flamengo's defense, so their strategy was to play long balls. However, Rhodolfo and Léo Duarte were well positioned to clear the danger. On a few occasions, River Plate tried their luck from outside the box, but Diego Alves showed great composure in saving the shots that were on target.
The best chance of the first half belonged to Flamengo and came with the final whistle. Before the final whistle, Everton Ribeiro found Rodinei in a good position to cross into the box; the number 10 sent a low shot, but no one managed to put it into Armani's net.
Returning for the second half of the match, Flamengo maintained possession of the ball and almost opened the scoring with Everton Ribeiro. The number 7 took a dangerous free kick towards the area and the ball went just wide of the opponent's post. In the next play, Lucas Paquetá tried a through ball to Vinicius Junior, but the River Plate defense managed to intercept the pass.
At 24 minutes, a beautiful triangular passing sequence between Vinicius Junior, Lucas Paquetá, and Henrique Dourado almost resulted in a goal for the number 19. Sensing the momentum in the match, Flamengo pressed forward against River Plate and gave the Argentinian defense a hard time. Shortly after, Paquetá took a free kick from midfield, but Armani made the save to prevent a Flamengo goal at the Monumental de Núñez.
The home team only threatened in the 33rd minute of the second half. After Diego Alves slipped, the ball fell to Scocco who shot firmly, only to see the goalkeeper recover very well to save Flamengo. In the final stretch, Paquetá had a great chance with a header, but it was stopped by the opposing goalkeeper, and the goalless draw persisted until the end.
And now?
Flamengo returns to the field next Saturday (26), at 21 pm, to face Atlético-MG for the Brazilian Championship. The duel at Independência will be valid for the seventh round of the national competition. For the Conmebol Libertadores, Flamengo will only return to the pitch after the World Cup.