Finally, the cry of "Mengo" will once again echo in the stands of Maracanã. A little over a month after winning its sixth national championship, on December 6th, Flamengo returns to the field for an official match in its 2010 season debut. At 17 p.m., the ball rolls for the duel between the red-and-blacks, current three-time state champions, and Duque de Caxias, valid for the first round of the Campeonato Carioca. However, fans who attend the Biggest Stadium in the World will see a very different team on the field from the one that won the 2009 Brasileirão.

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Suspensions, injuries, and transfers forced coach Andrade to rack his brains over which team to select for the club's debut. Despite this, the manager made good use of the preseason training in Porto Feliz, in the interior of São Paulo, to conduct the tests he wanted and field the team he felt was the most balanced. Léo Moura, Ronaldo Angelim, Juan, Petkovic, and Adriano are out of Flamengo's first match in the Carioca Championship. Recently signed Vagner Love is expected to play for Mengão only in the second round of the competition.

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"I have confidence in this group that is here because of their commitment. I can't have any doubts about that. It lived up to expectations and that gives me peace of mind and confidence for Sunday's game," said Andrade.

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Among the new players are Vinícius Pacheco, Leo Medeiros, and Obina, who returned from loan spells at the beginning of the year and will be used by Flamengo this season. Another player getting a golden opportunity is young Erick Flores. While still under Cuca's command, the player played in the final stretch of last year's Campeonato Carioca. Now more mature, he is expected to start against Caxias and hopes to live up to the expectations of coach Andrade and the Nação Rubro-Negra.

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"It's a big game for me, my chance to show that I'm not just another kid who came up from the youth academy. Now I'm a man ready to play among the professionals. When I came up, I was a little scared by the physical size of the opponents. It was more difficult than in the youth academy, when everyone had more or less the same build. I'll keep working and show that this could be my year," he said.

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CREDITS:
FLAMENGO X DUQUE DE CAXIAS

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Stadium: Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Date/Time: 17/1/2010 - 17:XNUMX PM (Brasília time)
Referee: Pericles Bassols (RJ)
Auxiliaries: Rodrigo Pereira Joia (RJ) and Eduardo De Souza Couto (RJ)

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FLAMENGO: Bruno; Everton Silva, Álvaro, David and Léo Medeiros; Toró (Fernando), Willians, Kleberson and Fierro (Vinicius Pacheco); Erick Flores (Gil) and Obina (Bruno Mezenga). Coach: Andrade

DUKE OF CAXIAS: Getúlio Vargas, Maurinho, Silva, Alessandro and Marcos Vinicius; Leo Oliveira, Leandro Teixeira, Geovanni and Juninho; John and Clayton. Coach: Álvaro Miranda