There's no time to mourn the defeat in the Rio Cup final. Flamengo already has another decisive match this Wednesday (April 21.04). Coach Andrade's team can secure qualification for the next stage of the Copa Santander Libertadores by beating Caracas at the Maracanã. Therefore, the team is already treating last Sunday's game as a thing of the past and only thinking about the title of the international competition.

Midfielder Vinícius Pacheco, for example, asserts that even if the team had beaten Botafogo, there wouldn't have been time to celebrate. After all, Flamengo's main objective in the first half of the year is the Libertadores.

"If we had won, we wouldn't be able to celebrate much, just as we can't lament the defeat too much. On Wednesday, we'll have a new decision to make. We need to be focused on this game against Caracas," said the number 22.

Maldonado, who was sent off in the Rio Cup final against Botafogo, agrees with his teammate and guarantees that he will spare no effort to help the team advance in the competition.

"Everyone is better now. It's over. Our priority is the Libertadores. We've been talking about this competition since the beginning of the year, and now it's time to try to qualify for the next stage. We'll do whatever it takes to secure that spot," he said.

On Monday, the team that faced Botafogo trained at the Flamengo Training Center gym, Ninho do Urubu, in Vargem Grande. The reserves, meanwhile, worked out on the field. The team returns to training on Tuesday at 15:30 p.m., also at Ninho do Urubu.