Flamengo took the field this Saturday hoping to secure a spot in the Taça Rio semifinals, but it was too late. With a goal from Lepu in the 19nd minute of the second half, Macaé won the match 1-0. The result put Flamengo in second place in Group B with nine points. In the next round, the decisive one, the team faces Portuguesa at 16 p.m. 

Flamengo started off strong against Macaé. Just two minutes in, Geuvânio lifted the ball into the box, and Léo Duarte headed it wide in the six-yard box. Five minutes later, Trauco collected the rebound at the edge of the box and fired a powerful shot, but the ball went wide. Flamengo was the only team. Macaé barely made it past the halfway line. Vinicius Junior and Lucas Paquetá exchanged passes on the left, posing significant threats to the Macaé defense. The team then stalled. Despite their continued dominance, chances were few and far between until the end of the first half. In the best of them, in the 16th minute, Vinicius Junior made a great play and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his shot went wide, and Flamengo went into the locker room without opening the score. 

In the second half, Cuéllar and Pepê came on for Jonas and Lucas Paquetá, respectively, maintaining the team's rhythm and movement, but the ball stubbornly refused to go in. In the fourth minute, Geuvânio had a great chance, but his shot went wide left of the goal. In the ninth minute, it was Trauco's turn to try his luck, but goalkeeper Cetin was well-positioned. Five minutes later, Arão hit a rocket from outside the box, but the ball hit the post. 

Flamengo hammered away, but it was Macaé who broke through. Lepu was released at speed, outpaced Cuéllar, and shot beyond Diego Alves' reach. The answer came shortly after the timeout. Trauco tried another shot from outside the area, and Cetin made another save, saving Macaé. Flamengo continued to push forward, even creating space for counterattacks, but couldn't equalize and suffered their second defeat in the state championship.