No hangovers or slowing down. Qualification for the Copa do Brasil final is behind them, and Flamengo took the field this Sunday determined to secure another Brazilian Championship victory. With a tactically perfect performance, the "Mais Querido" defeated Atlético Paranaense 2-0 at Ilha do Urubu, remaining in fifth place in the standings with 35 points. Diego and Willian Arão scored the goals in the first half, in the 17th and 30th minutes. 

The team returns to the Brazilian Championship field on September 10th against Botafogo at the Engenhão stadium. Before that, the team faces Paraná Clube next Wednesday at 21:45 pm in Cariacica for the Primeira Liga. 

With no restrictions on the starting eleven, coach Reinaldo Rueda kept virtually the same team from Wednesday. Only Diego Alves went in goal, and Rhodolfo came in at the back, alongside Juan. With the team sharp, the Mais Querido was virtually unthreatened and controlled the action throughout the match. 

The heat on Ilha do Urubu somewhat dampened the teams' momentum. Atlético had the first shot on goal in the 11th minute. Eduardo Henrique received the ball at the edge of the box, but his shot was weak, hitting Diego Alves. It was the visitors' only chance in the first half. Flamengo opened the scoring. In the 17th minute, Everton took a corner kick headed by Guerrero, but goalkeeper Weverton rebounded it straight at Diego's feet, who made no mistake. 

The red-and-black team dominated completely. Unthreatened, the team calmly passed the ball around until the opportunity arose. And it arrived again in the 30th minute. Berrío made a great run down the right and crossed. The defense cleared the ball, but it fell to Willian Arão, who fired a first-time shot and extended the lead, completing the first-half scoring. 

Second time

The second half followed the same rhythm as the first half. Flamengo controlled the game and had the best chances. In the 22nd minute, Arão got one-on-one with Weverton but missed his shot. A minute later, Guerrero unleashed a powerful shot that flew just wide of Atlético's post. 

In the 32nd minute, Flamengo nearly extended their lead, first with Guerrero, who shot from the edge of the box, but the ball deflected and nearly went into the top corner. From a corner kick, Rômulo headed the ball, but Weverton made a great save. 

With Atlético at their wits' end, they simply had to wait for the clock to tick down and manage the result. In the last minute, Weverton even prevented Guerrero from scoring on the day he completed 100 games for Flamengo. But for scoreboard purposes, he didn't even need to. 

Flamengo 2 x 0 Atlético Paranaense
27/08/2017 - Vulture Island