Decisive edge and leaders’ backing: Joaquín Freitas’ start at Flamengo

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Coluna do Fla

·14 September 2026

Decisive edge and leaders’ backing: Joaquín Freitas’ start at Flamengo

Joaquín Freitas took his opportunity and contributed to a goal in Flamengo’s win over Corinthians

Flamengo went after targeted and less high-profile signings in this transfer window, and one of them was Joaquín Freitas. So, even without much spotlight, the Argentine has been making the most of his opportunities and showing what he can do at the club.

Even with little time at Flamengo, Joaquín has been used and has delivered. Against Remo, the player was on the pitch for 18 minutes in Belém. Then, on Sunday (13) against Corinthians, the Argentine came on in the final stretch of the match and provided the assist for Bruno Henrique’s goal.

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After Flamengo’s win at the Maracanã, Danilo, one of the squad leaders, made a point of speaking about Joaquín. In the number 13’s view, the player needs a bit of care given how young he is. However, the defender highlighted how much the forward has already understood what it means to play in the Sacred Shirt.

He’s a kid who has just arrived, and we have to be patient with him. He has already understood very well how Flamengo works—there’s always urgency to be on the pitch and solve things. That’s just how it is. He seems to be a player with a different kind of grit and commitment, and for Flamengo that is something very important. We hope he can contribute more often like he did today (Sunday), said Danilo.

What did Bruno Henrique say about Joaquín Freitas?

Freitas is a promising player, we know that. He has a lot of quality, he shows it in training, he’s starting to understand what Flamengo is, and I’m sure this kid will bear a lot of fruit for Flamengo. And if it depends on all of us, we’ll help him, Bruno Henrique stressed.

How did Joaquín Freitas perform in Flamengo vs Corinthians?

Joaquín Freitas started the match against Corinthians as an option on the bench. However, in the final stretch of the clash, Leonardo Jardim sent the Argentine onto the pitch in place of Lucas Paquetá. That way, even in front of a packed Maracanã, the 19-year-old did not feel the pressure and played an effective role in the match result.

WHAT DID LEONARDO JARDIM SAY ABOUT JOAQUÍN FREITAS?

Right after the match, coach Leonardo Jardim spoke about Joaquín Freitas’ performance. In his comments, the manager said bringing on the Argentine was the right call and also made a point of clarifying that he went against what some fans wanted regarding the youngster’s entrance in the match.

Those who didn’t want him to come on were wrong, I was right (laughs). I can get one right every now and then too—getting one right is spectacular. We wanted more attacking creativity; we had a box player with Bruno Henrique, and we had a mobile forward in Freitas. We ended up having more attacking presence, and that resulted in the creation of the second goal, he said, before concluding: Extremely satisfied because the team made it 2-1, extremely satisfied because the players who came on—one got the assist and the other got the finish. That shows our capability, which is what I’ve defended since day one: we are not just 11. Flamengo’s squad is huge, from the 11 to those who are in the stadium, in the community, and those who are abroad, Jardim concluded.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

With Freitas available, Flamengo take the field to fight for a place in the Libertadores semifinal. This Thursday (17), Mengão face Independiente del Valle (ECU) at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time at the Maracanã. As usual, Coluna do Fla TV will cover the match details on YouTube, as well as on the website and social media.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.