After two days of thrilling matches, Brayner Wertmuller won the 2016 Brazilian Dadinho Championship, further cementing the club's place in the national Futmesa scene. Held on October 22nd and 23rd at Clube Curitibano in Curitiba, the red-and-black team won the Série Ouro, defeating prominent names in the sport, such as Alex Lage, their opponent in the final, who represented Tijuca Tênis Clube.
After the setback of 2015, when he finished as runner-up in São Paulo, Brayner outdid himself and took the 2016 title to the Gávea club.
"After coming close to the post in my final attempts, I finally managed to let out that pent-up scream. It was probably the highest-level Brazilian championship I've ever participated in. Dozens of people were competing for the title, including almost all the stars I know and admire. I knew I would have to surpass myself in many ways to achieve this coveted title. I would like to thank all the Flafutmesa athletes. We are not just a group of players, we are a family," the star player declared on social media.
After achieving the best campaign in the first two phases, held this Saturday (21), Brayner acquired the advantage of the draw for the rest of the competition, which had 80 athletes. On Sunday, the decisive day that began with only the 20 best placed in the tournament, distributed in five teams, the red-black was drawn precisely for the group of also red-black Ronald Neri. The two confirmed their favoritism, winning the two spots in the group.
In the quarterfinals, the first stage of the knockout round, Brayner started off down 2-0 until he managed to close the gap and tie the game with less than ten seconds remaining. The tiebreaker qualified him for the semifinals, thanks to his excellent performance in the group stage. In the semifinals, he was also down 2-0 for much of the match, but with the calm and experience he gained throughout his career, he managed to turn the deficit around and secure a spot in the final.
In the grand final, Brayner faced Alex Lage of Tijuca Tênis Clube. A match previously considered unpredictable began to take shape shortly after the opening whistle: the athlete from Gávea, without much difficulty, took a 2-0 lead early in the match and controlled the entire match, winning 4-2. After 16 wins, 4 draws and only 1 loss, Brayner Wertmuller took another important title to the most beloved club.
Enviable resume - With this latest achievement, the red-and-black, who has been with the club for just over five years, already boasts a vast history of achievements: individually, two Brazilian Cups and a Brazilian Championship; as well as a Brasileirão team championship. Currently, he is seeking his second state championship against América, a match that will take place this November at the Associação Atlética Banco do Brasil – AABB-Rio.
A nest of stars – In addition to the great champion Brayner, the Gávea club also demonstrated its talent in the national competition. Fellow Flamengo player Ronald Neri reached the quarterfinals and took fifth place in the Série Ouro, while Bruno Romar won the Série Prata.