The kid entered the field and realized his life's dream.
Vitinho made a good debut for Flamengo in the draw with Grêmio in the Copa do Brasil
By Lucas Dantas - in
Waking up from a good dream isn't always what people most desire. Being there in a special moment, just for you, where everything is happening as you wish. Why wake up? And when you're a kid, dreams tend to be more intense. Vitinho also had his. His biggest dream was to play for Flamengo. Yesterday, he achieved it.
It had been 24 years and nine months of waiting to step onto the field and play for his beloved team. When he arrived at the Grêmio Arena, Vitinho put on his uniform, warmed up with the team, knowing he would be cheering on his teammates from the bench, ready to enter the game.
The first half and the break passed. An hour. Another 16 minutes of the second half, when the wait finally ended. Vitinho came on for Marlos Moreno to help Flamengo, who were losing to Grêmio in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil, but were already dominating the action in the second half and a draw seemed imminent.
Vitinho came on and immediately headed for the left wing, the area where he likes to thrive. After a few passes and one-twos, his first dangerous move was a challenge on Leonardo Moura, 15 years his senior. He cut inside and set up Everton Ribeiro. Shortly after, he tried a one-two with Uribe, where the lack of understanding between them was still evident.
Renato Gaúcho noticed the problem and brought on Leonardo to replace the veteran Léo Moura in an attempt to stop the Flamengo striker. Did Vitinho care? No. In his best play, he dribbled past one Grêmio player after another, forcing Cícero to clear the ball with a powerful kick.
Ramiro was then tasked with marking the number 14. At the 45th minute, Vitinho took him to the byline and drew the defenders away. Cuéllar went down the wing, the debutant noticed and passed to the midfielder. The Colombian entered the area and crossed to Diego, who headed wide, a chance that almost dashed the hopes of the fans. Luckily, the equalizing goal came soon after, again from the left side, where Vitinho entered and tormented the Gaúcho defense.
He didn't score, but it was a debut with great numbers, especially considering he only had one training session with the team and played with that level of intensity. He completed 17 passes during his time on the field and only missed three. He also showed he can contribute to the defense, with two tackles, which were important in helping Flamengo prevent Grêmio from using counter-attacks.
According to his heat map, Vitinho played on his preferred side of the field, the best option for a first-time appearance. He maintained Marlos Moreno's role, as well as the same playing style he used when Vinicius Junior was in the team. This also strengthened full-back Renê, who gained more support and space in attack. In fact, that's how the full-back went down the field in the 49th minute of the second half and delivered a perfect cross for Lincoln to equalize the match.
In the end, the boy radiated happiness.It was exciting, I'm very happy. I wanted to thank the group again, Noval, Bruno, and the president for giving me this opportunity. I just wanted to give my best on the field. I want to thank my teammates for the welcome, because I felt very comfortable, and that's why I was able to help the team. I want to continue working hard to help the team achieve its goals," said the number 14, still waking up from the dream.
As you can see, a debut isn't just about goals. Vitinho has enormous tactical importance. And a desire as big as the Flamengo fans. The chemistry will come. He fulfilled his dream and left some of us with new ones since Wednesday night.