With a host of promising young players, Flamengo's youth team debuts this Saturday in the most important soccer championship of the second half of the year in Rio de Janeiro. Flamengo hosts Leme at 15 p.m. at the Ninho do Urubu Training Center in Vargem Grande in the first round of the second phase of the Octávio Pinto Guimarães Cup.

Coach Armênio Moura will have important reinforcements to his squad. Players who were training with the senior team will return to the youth academy to compete in the competition. This is the case, for example, with left-back Jorbison, who has excelled in some of his matches with the senior team.

"I think that, since we're still old enough to play in the juniors and wouldn't have played in the senior team, it's good to go down and play. I don't see any problem with that; on the contrary, I think it's very worthwhile and I hope to help Flamengo win another title," he stated.

Midfielder Wellington Pecka is also excited about the competition. He's another player who trained with the senior team this season. Right-back Rafael Galhardo and midfielder Erick Flores are also expected to play in Saturday's game. Therefore, Armênio is expected to field Marcelo, Lucas Galdino, Christianno, and Henrique; Rafael Galhardo, Wellington Pecka, João Vitor, Erick Flores, and Jorbison; Renan Silva and Diego Maurício. "It's always good to play in a championship like the OPG, especially to gain more game rhythm, because in the professional leagues we end up training a lot, but we don't play," said Pecka.

At this stage of the OPG, Flamengo is in Group B, alongside Bangu, Independente, Sendas, and Volta Redonda, as well as their opponent tomorrow, Leme. It's worth noting that Flamengo are two-time champions of the tournament, having won the 2006 and 2007 editions. Last year, the team was eliminated by Fluminense in the quarterfinals.