It wasn't easy, but Flamengo secured another victory in the State Futsal Championship on Friday night. The red-and-blacks defeated Drogarias do Povo (ADDP) in Cabo Frio. Antony, Gabriel, and Arthur scored the goals for the Gávea team, which, despite playing away from home, defeated ADDP 3-1 and secured third place in the standings, behind only Cabo Frio and Petrópolis, who faced each other in the preliminary round and drew 1-1.

Playing at the Cabo Frio Municipal Gymnasium, where they won the state title last season, Flamengo didn't have nearly the ease of their first meeting against Drogarias. The team from the Lagos Region, which was thrashed 7-0 in Gávea, proved its progress in the championship and put up a tough fight against the defending champions. However, the talent of coach Cid Escarlate's team made the difference.

As usual, scoring pivot Antony made his mark in the first half, following a superb pass from Michel Marques. Gabriel, who replaced Antony during one of the team's rotations, increased the lead. The ADDP even shrank. But, with another assist from Michel, Arthur capitalized to score the third in the second half and seal the victory: Flamengo 3-1.

"It was a tough match; everyone knew it wouldn't be easy, but the team performed well. It was an important result for us in the standings. Now we have another tough game against América next week; we'll work hard in the coming days to get another positive result," said Michel.

Four teams qualify for the State Championship semifinals. Flamengo is in third place with 13 points from eight games. They beat Drogarias do Povo twice, also beat Vassouras and Comary, drew with América, and were defeated by Vasco, Petrópolis, and Cabo Frio.