Mission accomplished, with a cherry on the cake in Cariacica. There was a stunning goal, a goalkeeper saving a penalty, a rout, and a late spot. Flamengo crushed Portuguesa in the final round of the Taça Rio with an undisputed 4-0 victory, sealing their place in the semifinals of the second round of the 2018 Campeonato Carioca. In the first half, only Everton Ribeiro scored. In the second half, Henrique Dourado and Geuvânio twice added to the lead. Also in the first half, Diego Alves saved a penalty kick when the game was 0-0.

With this result, Flamengo will now face Fluminense in the semifinals next Thursday at 20 p.m. at Nilton Santos Stadium, while Vasco and Botafogo face off in the semifinals on Wednesday at the same venue. The final will be on Sunday. If Flamengo wins the Rio Cup, they will advance directly to the State Championship final, with the advantage of a draw in a single match. 

Flamengo took the field with full force, paying tribute to Marielle Franco and Anderson Gomes, murdered this week in Rio de Janeiro. The Sacred Mantle was draped with a black ribbon of mourning, and a minute's silence was observed before the game. Once the ball was in play, there was no talking. Flamengo went all out and dominated Lusa, whose best chances came from shots from outside the box and a penalty. 

From the start, the Mais Querido (Most Beloved) put pressure on their rivals on their own half. In the sixth minute, Everton was alert and noticed goalkeeper Milton's poor clearance and passed to his namesake Ribeiro, who fired over the bar. The team dominated completely, but Portuguesa had the first clear chance in the 14th minute. Philip came down the left and crossed. The ball hit Rodinei's arm, and the referee awarded a penalty. But Diego Alves... the goalkeeper remembered his fame and saved the shot with his feet, keeping the score at zero.

Soon after, Flamengo opened the scoring. In the 17th minute, Everton Ribeiro received the ball from Dourado, beat the defense, and fired past the goalkeeper, scoring the first goal of the afternoon. Flamengo still had plenty of chances to extend their lead, but went into halftime with a narrow lead. 

The final forty-five minutes were completely different. Wanting to secure the victory, the team increased its intensity and in the 13th minute was awarded a penalty. Dourado, with his usual efficiency, took the shot and scored his fourth goal for Flamengo. It was all Flamengo, who wanted to extend their lead to avoid any scares. And the victory came with Geuvânio, who came off the bench to score twice. The last time had been in August of last year. And the number 23 came on hungry. In the 40th minute, he advanced down the right wing, cut inside, and fired a powerful shot from the edge of the box. Six minutes later, it was almost a replay. Once again, he ran down the right, turned his left foot, and this time fired a superb shot past Milton. Final tallies, and Flamengo thrashed in Cariacica. 

Now, Flamengo will face Fluminense in the Rio Cup semifinals. Having finished higher, Fluminense will need a draw to advance to the final.