After this afternoon's tactical training session in Gávea, coach Cuca stated that Flamengo isn't treating Sunday's derby against Fluminense as a simple friendly. According to the coach, Flamengo is still fighting for a spot in the Taça Rio semifinals and is taking the match with all possible seriousness.

"We're going to play to win. It's a Fla-Flu match, and we want the win, which will be very important. We're not treating it like a luxury training session, because it's a game that determines the semifinal matchups. Besides, we're not mathematically qualified. There's still a chance we won't qualify, even if it's very small. So we have to treat the game as a decisive one."

Cuca praised striker Emerson, who is expected to make his debut for the red-black team on Sunday.

"He's a straightforward player who always plays at high speed. His main characteristics are strength and explosiveness. I hope he shows his qualities on the field."