Former Flamengo man Juninho hits first career hat-trick in Pumas rout | OneFootball

Juninho scored three in Pumas’ (MEX) 5-1 thrashing of Juarez (MEX)

Juninho delivered one of those brilliant, inspired performances — one of the best of his career. On Friday night (31), the former Flamengo striker scored three times in Pumas’ (MEX) 5-1 rout of Juarez (MEX), the player’s first professional hat-trick, which temporarily lifted the team into second place in the Apertura Tournament in Mexico.

The No. 23’s first goal came as early as the 18th minute, from the penalty spot, with a precise shot into the goalkeeper’s right corner. Then, in the 22nd minute, he struck again, finishing from inside the box after an assist from Paraguayan Robert Morales, who would make it 3-0 in the 40th minute. Juarez, playing at home, managed to pull one back in the final play of the first half through Jose Luis Rodriguez.

And the Brazilian’s show continued in the second half. Just three minutes in, after a loose ball in the box following a defensive mistake, he dribbled past the goalkeeper brilliantly to score his third. In celebration, beaming, he held up the number 3 with both hands to mark a unique moment in his career. Then, in the 38th minute, Mexican forward Guillermo Martinez capped off the rout.

WHAT DID JUNINHO SAY?

— I’m incredibly happy to score a hat-trick for the first time in my career. It truly is a very special moment. Even more important because it helped the team move up the table after we stumbled at home in the opener. But we bounced back in the last round with a good win and, today, we put in another great performance. We always want more —, said Juninho.

Pumas opened the Apertura with a 3-0 loss to Pachuca (MEX), but bounced back against Toluca in the next match with a 2-1 win. So far, Club Tijuana leads the league with seven points. The team’s next match is in the Leagues Cup on Tuesday (04), against Charlotte FC from the United States.

WHAT IS THE AUTHOR’S OPINION?

— It’s really great to see Juninho doing well at Pumas. It’s a shame he didn’t get more continuity at Flamengo; president Bap himself acknowledged that the player deserved more time to adapt. In 27 matches for the club, the striker has 11 goals and four assists. Best of luck, Juninho X! —, declared Pedro Paulo Catonho, a Coluna journalist.

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