Heading to the final! In the second leg of the Campeonato Carioca semifinals, Flamengo defeated Vasco 3-1 on Sunday night (19), at Maracanã. The red-black goals were scored by Pedro (twice) and Ayrton Lucas, in the second half's stoppage time. With the result, Mengão secured a spot in the State final against Fluminense.

The game
The derby began with an intense battle for possession. Flamengo pressed Vasco's ball out. The red-and-black team's first good attack came in the eighth minute. Arrascaeta passed to Pedro in the half-moon, the number 9 cleared the marker but shot weakly. The ball went out over the goal line.

In the 15th minute, Mengão opened the scoring at the Maracanã Stadium! Ayrton Lucas advanced down the left, Capasso attempted a tackle, but the ball fell to Pedro, who fired a first-time shot into the net. The ball deflected off Jair before going in: 1-0.

In the 28th minute, Vasco equalized in the derby. After a corner, Capasso got ahead of the game and headed the ball powerfully into the net: 1-1. After the equalizer, the team from São Januário began to attack more, consequently giving the Red-Blacks more space.

In the 38th minute, the red-and-black attack demonstrated a strong triangle. Arrascaeta fed Pedro, who passed the ball first time to Gabi. The number 10 overshot the ball and shot toward goal. Léo Jardim made the save. Four minutes later, Arrascaeta fired a shot from outside the box, sending the ball into the goalkeeper's left corner, who palmed it away for a corner. In a lively first half, the teams went into halftime tied.

At the start of the second half, Vasco tried to pressure the red-and-black team and had opportunities to score the second. Around the 15th minute, coach Vitor Pereira made a triple substitution. Gabi, Rodrigo Caio, and Cebolinha were replaced by Everton Ribeiro, Varela, and Vidal, respectively.

With the changes, the red-and-black team regained possession and sought to attack. It's worth remembering that, with the draw, Flamengo qualified for the final having won the first leg. Apprehension gripped the Red-and-Black Nation at the Maracanã stadium.

In the 34th minute, Matheus França advanced down the left, entered the box, and was brought down by Capasso. The referee awarded a penalty. Pedro fired the ball into the goalkeeper's right corner to make it 2-1.

The "Mais Querido" narrowly missed out on a third in the 39th minute. After a counterattack, Matheus França came face-to-face with Léo Jardim and fired a shot, but the ball went straight at the Vasco goalkeeper. The "Boy from the Nest" started the game well, showing personality.

In stoppage time, Mengão sealed their qualification to the delight of the nation! Pedro delivered a quick free kick to Ayrton Lucas, who beat Capasso to the pace and gracefully flicked the ball over the goalkeeper to score the third, sealing their place in the Cariocão final: 3-1.  

Flamengo lineup
Santos; Fabricio Bruno, Rodrigo Caio (Varela) and David Luiz; Ayrton Lucas, Gerson (Leo Pereira), Thiago Maia, Arrascaeta (Matheus França) and Cebolinha (Vidal); Gabi (Everton Ribeiro) and Pedro.
Coach: Vitor Pereira.

Vasco's lineup
Leo Jardim; Puma Rodríguez, Manuel Capasso, Leo and Lucas Piton; Rodrigo (Nenê), Andrey Santos and Jair (Barros); Alex Teixeira (Orellano), Gabriel Pec (Erick Marcus) and Pedro Raul (Eguinaldo).
Coach: Mauricio Barbieri.

Technical sheet
Vasco 1x3 Flamengo - Second leg of the semifinals of the Campeonato Carioca
Location: Maracanã-RJ
Date and time: 19/03/2023 at 18:XNUMX PM
Arbitration: Bruno Arleu de Araújo, Luiz Claudio Regazoni and Thiago Henrique Neto Corrêa Farinha
Yellow cards: David Luiz (FLA), Alex Teixeira (VAS), Jair (VAS), Fabrício Bruno (FLA), Gabriel Pec (VAS), Gerson (FLA)
Goals: Pedro (15'1st half and 36'2nd half), Capasso (28'1st half) and Ayrton Lucas (46'2nd half).

CATCH THOSE GOALS, HERE! FLAMENGO 3X1! ?⚫?️ #Let's Flamengo #CRF

⚽⚽⚽: @Pedro9oficial, @gabigol e @AyrtonLucas pic.twitter.com/q6C5tESdzC

- Flamengo (@Flamengo) March 19, 2023