Flamengo's elimination in the semifinals of the Guanabara Cup didn't dampen the spirits of the red-and-black squad. Not only because the team played well despite the loss to Botafogo, but also because of what happened last season. Last year, the team also fell in the semifinals of the first round of the Campeonato Carioca, and their elimination was even more surprising. On that occasion, the red-and-blacks were defeated by Resende 3-1 on Carnival Saturday.

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Kleberson, who entered the field for this match, believes the red-and-black team still has a long way to go this season. The number 15 jersey dreams of winning the Rio Cup, the Campeonato Carioca, and the Copa Libertadores da América. And for him, this dream can indeed come true.

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"There's still a lot to come... Libertadores, Taça Rio... We lost to Resende in last year's Taça Guanabara and turned it around. The team has the quality to be champion, it has a strong squad and we're going to fight for it," he said.

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The midfielder's loss to the rival club isn't just a cause for regret. For Kleberson, the team can also learn from negative moments, like the result of that match.

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"I believe we can learn from both the good and the bad times. We didn't expect this elimination; we even played better than our opponent, but we ended up being left out," he said.

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Defender David agrees. According to him, the red-and-black team will enter the field to win every game it plays, regardless of the competition, and despite being eliminated from the Guanabara Cup, the team remains focused on winning its fourth Rio de Janeiro state championship.

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"There is no priority. We want to win the fourth Rio de Janeiro championship and also the Libertadores. Flamengo always goes out on the field to win, we have a very strong, quality group, and we can fight for both titles," he explained.