October 20 – After a tense 120 minutes, Flamengo rallied to win the Copa do Brazil on penalties against Corinthians, just nine days out from the all-Brazilian Copa Libertadores final with Atletico Paraneanse.
On a pulsating night at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, striker Pedro, who might be on the plane to Qatar with Brazil’s national team, opened the score after just seven minutes, but in the 82nd minute, Juliano equalised for the Sao Paulo giants to take the match to extra time after the first leg had finished goalless.
From the penalty spot, Flamengo prevailed 6-5 in front of 68,000 fans with Rodinei scoring the decisive goal to crown the Carioca Club Brazilian Cup winners for the fourth time.
“There’s no way to analyse it,” said Flamengo coach Dorival Junior. “Two great games. Two draws two teams that fought hard. Good moments on both sides. Flamengo deserved it based on the campaign, for the games we played. [It’s] a special moment to win at the Maracanã in the way we did, with difficulties, in a way we didn’t like. I have no words to describe it.”
“I really wanted to return to Flamengo, I waited a lot for this moment, and I’m living a unique moment. In practically 17 finals, five times runners-up, 12 championships, and in a few days another competition. An important, different moment. Let’s continue like this, day by day, running the team and keeping a competitive team on the field.”
At the end of the month, Flamengo will play Atletico Paraneanse in the showpiece match of the South American club calendar in Ecuador.
The Rio club won the Copa Libertadores in 2019, defeating River Plate in the most dramatic of fashions, but last year Flamengo fell against Palmeiras in Montevideo. Dorival Junior’s team will be the favourites going into their third Copa Libertadores final in four years.
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