Flamengo returned to Espírito Santo this Wednesday (17) and the record in the state remains good. In front of a large crowd, Éverton saved his and Rubro-Negro beat América-MG, in the Copa da Primeira Liga, remaining in first place in Group C of the competition.

Once again, the Red-Black Nation demonstrated that its power isn't limited to the state of Rio de Janeiro. A total of 17.167 people attended the Kléber Andrade Stadium. The 13.817 paying spectators generated R$900.840 for the participating clubs.

With six points, Flamengo only needs a draw against Figueirense in the final round to secure the lead and qualify for the second round. Flamengo faces the Santa Catarina team on March 9th.

The game

Flamengo and América-MG played a closely matched first half. The result was a tight midfield game with few shots on goal. América-MG had a chance after just three minutes, when Gabriel advanced down the right and crossed into the box. However, the ball was too high and went straight in. Flamengo suffered from offsides due to the Minas Gerais team's high defensive line. Rodinei, Éverton, and Guerrero were caught offside. América-MG created little space, and neither team found the net. The first half ended in a 0-0 draw.

In the second half, however, it didn't take long for the first goal of the game to come. Just two minutes in, Gabriel crossed and Jonas handled the ball. The referee awarded a penalty. Éverton took the penalty with skill, displacing the goalkeeper, and opening the scoring. Leading the scoreboard, Flamengo didn't let their advantage slip. In the 12th minute, Guerrero left Gabriel one-on-one with the goalkeeper with a beautiful backheel pass. The number 17 dribbled past the opposing goalkeeper and tapped the ball into the net, but the referee flagged for offside. Muricy made his first change midway through the second half, replacing Mancuello with Marcelo Cirino. In the 23rd minute, the number 7 managed a through ball to Rodinei, who burst into the box, but the defense managed to clear it before he could take the shot. In the 33rd minute, Muricy brought on Willian Arão for Gabriel. Three minutes later, Flamengo nearly increased their lead. Éverton found a beautiful pass to Cirino, who, in the six-yard box, flicked it back. The defense cut in and ended up hitting the crossbar, nearly scoring an own goal. The final substitution was made in the 41st minute, when Guerrero was replaced by young Felipe Vizeu. In the 49th minute, the referee blew the final whistle.