As eager as Flamengo fans are for Val Baiano's first goal, so is the number 9 himself. Ever since he played his first 45 minutes as a Flamengo striker in the match against Internacional at Beira-Rio, the center forward has been hoping to find the net, which hasn't happened yet. Despite this, he remains calm, remembering that he hasn't had many scoring opportunities, and predicts improvement as the team gels with the reinforcements being signed.

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Already accustomed to the pressure from fans, Val uses his own career as an example that he can still bring much joy to the Red-Black Nation. Last year at Barueri, when he scored 18 goals in the Brasileirão, he recalls that he also didn't score many goals in his first opportunities.

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"My sister even told me that it's usually like this in my career. It takes me a while to score the first goal and then they come naturally. The pressure is normal, I put pressure on myself, but as I said before, I didn't score, but I also didn't miss any goals. If I had had chances and wasn't scoring, that would be fine. But I'm working hard and I know the team will improve as the championship progresses," he said.

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Although his main role is to score goals, Val Baiano emphasizes that, for him, more important than scoring goals is helping Flamengo achieve victories, even if they are by a minimal margin.

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"If we win every game 1-0, even if it's not with a goal from me, but I can help the team, running, fighting and trying to make things work, I'll be happy. That's the most important thing. I'm confident, I've been training well, the team itself wants me to score goals and everything will work out," he added.

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