In the return of the red-and-black squad at Ninho do Urubu after the important 2-1 comeback victory over Emelec, from Ecuador, in the Conmebol Libertadores, the focus turns once again to the Taça Rio. This Sunday (18), Mais Querido will face the Portuguesa team seeking victory to qualify for the next phase of the second round of the Campeonato Carioca. The match will be played in Cariacica, Espírito Santo, with the ball rolling from 16 pm at the Kleber Andrade stadium.

After the activities concluded, striker Everton gave a press conference in the Victorino Chermont Press Room, in which he highlighted the importance of the result achieved on Wednesday (14) with an eye on the rest of the season. "It gives us a little more peace of mind. The Libertadores is our team's focus. We had a very difficult game, but thank God we came out with the victory", he celebrated.

Given the competition's negative results, the match against Portuguesa takes on even more importance for the team led by coach Paulo César Carpegiani. Flamengo's number 22 was emphatic in declaring the victory crucial to Flamengo's ambitions in the Taça Rio. "It's a decisive game, especially since we need these three points to qualify. I think it will be a tough match, as Portuguesa also has a chance of advancing," he analyzed, expressing his desire to play in the match. "I don't know which team will play yet, I just know that I really want to be on the field," he added.

The Espírito Santo nation promises, once again, to give the athletes plenty of support in this challenge. Also on Sunday's match stage, the Rubro-Negro won the Guanabara Cup with a 2-0 victory over Boavista, with goals from captain Réver and Vinicius Júnior. Despite his high confidence, Everton urged caution, using the last match as a reference. "We knew it would be a tough, difficult game. But, on the other hand, we have another tough game ahead of us, in which we'll need three points to qualify," he concluded.