Toró is one of the representatives of the Flamengo generation seeking to make history at Gávea in the late 2000s. Since 2006, the defensive midfielder has won the Copa do Brasil, three Campeonato Carioca titles, and a Campeonato Brasileiro. The midfielder, despite coming through the ranks at Fluminense, has already become a symbol of dedication and identification with the red-and-black jersey. Therefore, the number 5 dreams of winning the Copa Santander Libertadores to crown this squad's work.

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And the first step toward that goal has already been taken. On Wednesday, Flamengo defeated Universidad Católica 2-0, with goals from Leonardo Moura and Adriano, and took the lead in Group 8 of the competition. For Toró, this first positive result was crucial for the rest of the Libertadores.

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"It's important to start with a win. It was a tough game, with a man down from the start of the first half, but that's how the Libertadores is, and thank God we started well. Now it's time to continue in the championship. Saturday there's another battle, this time for the State Championship, and we have to win to keep our morale high," he said.

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The elimination from the Guanabara Cup ended up throwing a damper on the red-and-blacks' plans, but nothing that could discourage the Gávea team. Toró is confident in the strength of the squad to continue fighting for its fourth state championship. The midfielder says the Libertadores isn't a priority. Quite the opposite. According to him, the team wants both the Rio de Janeiro title and the international competition.

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"We lost the first round, which was the objective to arrive more relaxed in the Libertadores, but now we have to forget about the Libertadores on Saturday and Wednesday, because we have two tough challenges for the Rio Cup. At Flamengo, we think about both competitions. We will not give up on the State Championship. This group has been winning many titles, playing an important role for some time now, and we will fight for the second round, for the State Championship, and for the Libertadores", he observed.

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With five titles under his belt from his time at Flamengo, Toró wants more. For the midfielder, a fourth state title and the Copa Libertadores are crucial.

"We won three state championships, the Copa do Brasil, the Brasileirão, so the Libertadores is still left to crown this group. Nobody gives up on the State Championship, we won't give up on that, and the important thing is to win the State Championship as well to get going for the rest of the year," he concluded.