He only needed 45 minutes to prove how important he can be for Flamengo. An inspired first half, with two goals, plenty of grit, and a wealth of quality, already showed Vagner Love that the curse of the number nine jersey is likely to be lifted in the coming games. His strong performance even surprised his teammates.

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This was the case with defender Alvaro, who revealed that he didn't expect such a good debut from the new red-black striker. 

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"Love surprised me positively, he ran a lot and helped with the marking. He carried the ball, made triangulation...", analyzed the number 3.

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Coach Andrade was another who heaped praise on the striker. According to him, Vagner Love's fan base also influenced the athlete's excellent performance in his first match for Flamengo.

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"He was fulfilling a childhood dream. I said: go out there and do it with joy. That's what he did. And when the ball falls at his feet, he's a goalscorer, fast. It's good because it gives morale, confidence and wins the support of the fans," he explained.

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Vagner Love agrees. The player celebrated the goals and revealed that it felt like he was still a boy growing up in the poor neighborhood of Bangu, dreaming of wearing the red-and-black jersey.

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"I wanted to win and score goals. I was able to help the team a little to get the win. When you score your first goal, it feels like you're ten years old. It felt like I was in Bangu wanting to be a Flamengo player," he declared.