Flamengo's youth team still has one last chance to win a title this season. Starting on December 8th, the youngsters will begin competing in the fourth edition of the Brazilian Under-20 Championship in Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul. The competition, established in 2006, has already become a traditional fixture on the calendars of the youth teams of the 20 clubs competing in the first division of the Brazilian professional league, and the young talents of Ninho do Urubu see it as a great opportunity to shine and win a first-ever title for the club.

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2009 hasn't been a good year for Flamengo's youth team. They competed in the São Paulo Cup, the Campeonato Carioca, two international tournaments in Switzerland, the Belo Horizonte Cup, and the OPG Cup, but despite their technical prowess, the team failed to win any of the competitions. For goalkeeper Marcelo Carné, now is the time to forget all that and focus on the Brazilian Championship.

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"A player's legacy is marked by titles, whether at the youth level or in the professional ranks. I think that if the whole group comes together around this goal, we can achieve this with great strength. We've faltered in some other competitions throughout the year, and that can't happen. We want this title, and we'll do everything we can to achieve it," said the number 1.

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This Wednesday, Marcelo and company already have a friendly match to prepare for the competition. At 15 pm, they host Olaria at Ninho do Urubu. The team's likely lineup for this training match and also for the Brazilian Championship is: Marcelo, Lucas Galdino, Henrique and Cristiano; Galhardo, João Vitor, Hugo Soria, Dieguinho and Anderson; Paquetá and Diego Maurício. Players currently training with the professional team, such as Guilherme Camacho, Erick Flores, and Jorbison, are unlikely to be included in the squad for the Brazilian U-20 Championship.

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The competition - Created by the CBF in 2006 and traditionally organized by the Rio Grande do Sul Football Federation, the Brazilian Under-20 Championship quickly gained a foothold in the youth league calendar, joining the São Paulo Cup and the BH Cup as the strongest tournaments for juniors. In its three years of existence, the Brazilian Championship has been dominated by clubs from Rio Grande do Sul, despite having the potential to attract top clubs from across Brazil. The competition is broadcast on SporTV.

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In its editions, four of the six finalists were from the Gre-Nal duo - Grêmio won in 2008, Internacional in 2006 with Alexandre Pato, and Cruzeiro lifted the trophy in 2007, positioning itself as a historic outsider in the tournament. Flamengo was a semifinalist in 2006 and reached the quarterfinals in 2007. This year, the team from Gávea is in Group 4, which will be played in Santa Rosa, alongside Goiás, Palmeiras, Coritiba, and Náutico. See below the order of the Rubro-Negro's matches in the competition.

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Tuesday, December 8: Goiás x Flamengo
Thursday, December 10: Flamengo vs. Palmeiras
Saturday, December 12: Flamengo vs Coritiba
Wednesday, December 16: Náutico x Flamengo