In the darkness of Bangu at the premature end of the match between Flamengo and Friburguense at Moça Bonita Stadium, the few lights, coming from the photographers' flashes and TV cameras, were all focused on one player. Wearing yellow cleats, the number 80 on his back, and a whole lot of personality, left midfielder Michael, the best player on the pitch, was the center of attention.

Happy with his performance in his first opportunity as a starter for Flamengo, the player, who is on loan at Gávea from Dynamo Kyiv, hopes to have convinced coach Andrade that he can be useful to the team for the rest of the season.

"Both myself and the other players who hadn't been playing were able to leave a good impression on Andrade. Flamengo isn't just 11 players, it's a whole, and today we showed him that he can count on us when he needs us. Everyone here is capable and wants to help the group. I think I did well, but I need a run of performances to continue doing well," he said.

The midfielder only regretted the lack of light in the final minutes of the match and also the holes in the pitch, but praised the attitude of his teammates and has already shown that he is eyeing a chance in Wednesday's match for the Copa Santander Libertadores.

"It was a tough game, but we managed to secure the score in the first half, and we counted on Camacho's goal to close the score in the second. Now it's time to work because Wednesday is the Libertadores and Sunday is the Taça Rio semifinal," he concluded.

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Mission accomplished in Moça Bonita