September 1 – Flamengo have all but stormed into another all-Brazilian final of the Copa Libertadores following a thumping 4-0 first-leg semi-final win away to Vélez Sársfield in Argentina.
Rising star and striker Pedro netted a hattrick to propel the Rio club to a third Copa Libertadores final in the space of three years. It was the biggest ever away win in a semi-final of the competition. Next week’s return leg at the Maracana Stadium should be a formality.
“Flamengo is one level above the rest of the teams. If you make a mistake, they make you pay dearly,” said Velez’s assistant coach Fernando Machado.
Flamengo remain in contention for three titles, with the domestic league and cup also on their horizon.
“We are recovering in the Brazilian Serie A,” said the club’s coach Dorival Junior. “I arrived when we were in 14th place. It is a process, now we are runners-up, trying to get closer to Palmeiras. We are not going to give up on that goal objective.”
If winning the Serie A is highly unlikely, the ultimate goal is still the Copa Libertadores and Flamengo could well face nemesis Palmeiras in the final on October 29 in Ecuador.
The Sao Paulo club will seek to overcome a 1-0 deficit against Athletico Paranaense from Curitiba in Thursday’s second leg of their tie. Palmeiras won the last two finals of the competition, overcoming Santos in 2020 and Flamengo last year.
In 2018, Argentina’s River Plate was the last-non Brazilian winner of South America’s premier club competition and ever since Brazil’s dominance of the competition has become entrenched, with Sarsfield the only non-Brazilian club in the last four this season.
Economic inequality is also beginning to divide South American football, but that will be of little concern to Flamengo, who at this rate might well match their glory days of the Zico era.
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