Coluna do Fla
·17 August 2026
Danilo urges calm after rout, previews Flamengo-Cruzeiro in Libertadores

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Yahoo sportsColuna do Fla
·17 August 2026

Flamengo lived up to expectations and beat Mirassol 5-1 this Sunday (16), in the 23rd round of the Brasileirão. After the match, speaking in the mixed zone, Danilo commented on the pressure from the fans and looked ahead to the decisive game against Cruzeiro on Wednesday (19).
— We always have to stay level-headed. I believe that when the results weren’t coming, it didn’t mean everything was bad, and now that we won 5-1 we also shouldn’t be overly happy or overly excited — he said, before finishing:
— Obviously, we have to value the work, but balance is the word we’ve been stressing a lot within our environment, especially in the toughest moments, under the most pressure, keeping the environment as protected as possible and working day by day, improving, focusing on the next game. That’s what we’ve been doing — Danilo concluded.
Flamengo went through a brief spell of instability after the end of the Club World Cup. On that occasion, the Rubro-Negro drew back-to-back with Internacional and São Paulo, both 1-1, and saw Palmeiras pull further ahead at the top of the Brasileirão table. Danilo then detailed the conversation Fla’s players had among themselves.
The group is made up of very experienced players. The vast majority are players who have spent many years in football, in important leagues, in high-pressure environments. Obviously, Flamengo is something unlike anything else, but as I said that day, it was important for us to be honest, to look each other in the eye and really say what needed to improve, what step forward we needed to take so we wouldn’t keep playing the victim because of other circumstances and instead take responsibility. That’s what we said, that’s what we’re trying to do, and that has obviously been changing the results and the energy,” added the center back.
Even playing away from home, Flamengo controlled possession and opened the scoring in the 22nd minute of the first half through Jorge Carrascal. However, Mengão only really pulled away on the scoreboard in the second half.
That’s because, in 21 minutes, Flamengo scored four goals, with two from Pedro, one from Luiz Araújo, and one from Samuel Lino. Finally, in the 32nd minute, João Victor pulled one back for Mirassol.
With the win this Sunday (16), Flamengo reached 45 points and remains in second place in the Brasileirão. However, Rubro-Negro is now just three points behind league leaders Palmeiras, with a game in hand. That’s because the São Paulo side lost 3-2 to Fluminense.
With Danilo available, Flamengo returns to the pitch this Wednesday (19), when it faces Cruzeiro in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16. Kickoff is at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Maracanã.
As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla brings you every detail of Flamengo’s 2026 season. So stay tuned to the website, social media, and YouTube. In addition, Globo (free-to-air TV), GE TV (YouTube), and Paramount+ (streaming) will broadcast the match against Cruzeiro.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.







































