The penultimate stage of the State Championship has arrived. Flamengo's futsal youth teams played the first first leg matches of the semifinals last weekend.

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On Saturday (December 5th), Flamengo's under-12 team defeated Madureira 9-5. The game was played at the opponent's home ground, and yet the Flamengo players maintained an attacking stance throughout. The first period ended 3-2 for Madureira. Due to the opposing team's strong marking, Flamengo didn't get many shots on target. But the Gávea boys were saving their goals for the second half, when they turned the game around and scored four more goals. The result left Flamengo in a favorable position, with the advantage of playing the second match at home.

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The U-11 and U-13 teams had a thrilling Sunday. They played tough matches against their eternal rivals Fluminense and Vasco. Expectations for the derbies were positive, and the red-and-black boys took to the América court believing in victory. However, both teams suffered defeats in their matches. The U-11 team lost 4-1 to Fluminense, and the red-and-black U-13 team lost 7-2 to Vasco.

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But all is not lost; the U-11 and U-13 teams still have the second semifinal match to reverse their negative situation. Talent, determination, and a will to win are the red-and-blacks' allies at this point. The only objective is victory to advance to the state final.