Red-and-black Carnival at Maraca! Mengão defeats Del Valle 3-0 and is the Conmebol Recopa champion
With a great collective performance, Gabigol and Gerson (2) scored the goals in the red-black victory
By Romulo Paranhos - inRed and black carnival at Maracanã! In the second match of the Conmebol Recopa, played on Wednesday night (26), Mengão defeated Independiente del Valle 3-0 and won their first title in the competition. The red-black goals were scored by Gabigol and Gerson (2), who celebrated the immense Red-Black Nation that filled Maracanã. With the result, Mengão lifted their third trophy in 2020.
The game
In the opening minutes, Del Valle managed to maintain possession for longer and exchange passes in their defense. Flamengo, in turn, adopted a high marking strategy to try to force their opponent into mistakes and attack. Gradually, Mengão began to organize themselves and began to pose a threat. It didn't take long for Gabigol to open the scoring. In the 18th minute, the red-and-black team pressured the Ecuadorians' play-offs, the defender mistimed the ball back to the goalkeeper, the ball hit the crossbar, and the number 9 tapped it into the net: 1-0.
As the ball was being played out, Willian Arão committed a hard foul in the center circle and received a red card in the 24th minute. Even down ten men, the Mais Querido (Team of the Year) refused to give up on the attack. In the 33rd minute, Everton Ribeiro stole the ball in midfield and passed to Gabigol, who beat the defender, cut inside, and shot. Goalkeeper Pinos jumped to the left corner to prevent the second. The first half ended with the red-and-blacks in the lead.
Flamengo returned for the second half with the same strategy of marking the opponent in their own half to force mistakes. Tactically adept, the red-and-black team reduced space and forced Del Valle to use long balls. In the 16th minute, Mengão scored the second, much to the delight of the Red-and-Black Nation at Maraca. In a great individual play by Gabigol on the left, Gerson picked up the rebound in the penalty area and fired a cross-shot to make it 2-0. And there was still time for another! In the 43rd minute, on a counterattack, Gabigol passed to Vitinho, who managed to pull the marker and leave Gerson free to control the ball and shoot into the goalkeeper's corner to make it 3-0, sealing another international title for Mengão.
And now?
Flamengo debuts in the Taça Rio next Saturday (29) against Cabofriense, at 18 pm, at Maracanã.
Flamengo lineup
Diego Alves, Rafinha, Gustavo Henrique, Leo Pereira, Filipe Luis; Willian Arão, Gerson, De Arrascaeta (Vitinho), Everton Ribeiro (Michael), Pedro (Thiago Maia); Gabriel Barbosa.