In the rear-view! Flamengo put 5 past Mirassol, Palmeiras sweat | OneFootball

In a great team performance, Flamengo brushed Mirassol aside

Hello, Palmeiras! A red-and-black steamroller is coming! Flamengo closed in on the Brasileirão leaders by beating Mirassol 5-1 at Maião in the 23rd round of the league. With this Sunday (16) clash, the Most Beloved can draw level on points with the first-placed team in their next match, even with one game in hand.

That means Palmeiras stay on 48 points. Flamengo now have 45. It is worth noting that the Most Beloved still have not faced Mirassol in the first half of the season at the Maracanã, in a match that still has no scheduled date from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

HOW WAS THE FIRST HALF?

Even before the first minute, Flamengo nearly opened the scoring. After a cross from Varela, Carrascal hit it hard, Walter parried, and Plata wasted the finish inside the box. It was all Mengão, and the goal did not take long to come.

In the 22nd minute, Flamengo sent in a cross from the right. Goalkeeper Walter made a very poor parry, straight to Plata’s feet. Completely unmarked, the Ecuadorian could even have taken the shot himself, but chose to square it for Jorge Carrascal. With class, the Colombian gave it a little touch and wheeled away to celebrate. Mengão 1-0!

Flamengo remained in complete control. In the 35th minute, after a mistake by Mirassol’s defense, Plata nearly doubled the lead, but the ball deflected off the tip of Igor Formiga’s foot, preventing the goal. Walter, in fact, was already beaten on the play. Right after that, Pedro missed a good headed chance following a cross from Paquetá.

Mirassol only threatened in the 39th minute, after a mistake in Flamengo’s buildup. Bruno Santos unleashed a rocket, but Rossi managed to palm it away and clear the danger. In the 47th minute, the home side nearly equalized after a corner kick and a shot from Willian Machado. But Varela cleared it off the line.

On the very next play, another call went against Flamengo. Carrascal was about to break through completely free, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but was pulled back. Even though he was the last man, Denílson was not shown a red card, infuriating coach Leonardo Jardim and the players.

HOW WAS THE SECOND HALF?

Just like in the first half, Flamengo started the second period with total control of the match. Their superiority turned into a goal just seven minutes in. After a beautiful passing move involving Pedro, Carrascal, and Luiz Araújo, the Colombian set up the No. 7 perfectly to score. Mengão 2-0 and the “former club rule” strikes. A Mirassol academy product, the winger was even moved during the celebration.

Mirassol felt the blow. Then, as idol Maestro Junior likes to say: it’s time to twist the knife. And so Mengão killed the game off! Ayrton Lucas burst down the left wing and crossed for Pedro. The striker threw himself at the ball and found the net: 3-0 and the match was decided.

But Mirassol were fighters. In the 15th minute, after a cross from the left, Eduardo, who had come on in the second half, appeared completely free between Flamengo’s defenders. His header crashed off the crossbar, and on the rebound, Léo Pereira put it behind for a corner.

After that, Leonardo Jardim started thinking about Wednesday (19) in the Libertadores. Off went Erick Pulgar, Luiz Araújo, and Gonzalo Plata, with Evertton Araújo, Jorginho, and Samuel Lino coming on. The Chilean and the Ecuadorian are expected to start against Cruzeiro, while the No. 7 is returning from injury and is still short of full match fitness.

Even with the midweek game in mind, Flamengo remained relentless. In the 20th minute, Carrascal received the ball completely free on the right and simply rolled it to Pedro. The No. 9 still had time to shift away from his marker and slot it into Walter’s corner. A red-and-black rout at Maião: 4-0!

FIVE?

Shortly after the goal, Leonardo Jardim sent on Jhonny and Arrascaeta. The Uruguayan star did not take long to shine. In one of his first touches, the No. 10 sent Samuel Lino through one-on-one with Walter. With his left foot, the left winger smashed it into the net and wheeled away to celebrate in the 28th minute: 5-0!

Relaxed on the pitch, Flamengo lost intensity. Mirassol took advantage. In the 31st minute, Reinaldo swung in a corner, and João Victor rose above Léo Pereira and Carrascal to pull one back: 5-1. In the 34th minute, Samuel Lino even found the net, but he was offside.

WHAT IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT MATCH?

Flamengo return to Brasileirão action next Saturday (19) against Cruzeiro at Mineirão. Before that, however, Mengão have another commitment: the second leg of the Libertadores round of 16 on Wednesday (22), also against the team from Belo Horizonte, at the Maracanã. The first leg ended in a draw, so any simple win will send Flamengo through to the quarterfinals of the continental competition. Kickoff is at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time, with full coverage from Coluna do Fla.

MATCH DETAILS

MIRASSOL 1X5 FLAMENGOCompetition: Brasileirão, Round 23Venue: Maião Stadium, MirassolDate: August 16, SundayGoals: Carrascal 22’/1st, Luiz Araújo 7’/2nd, Pedro 10’ and 20’/2nd, Samuel Lino 28’/2nd, João Victor 31’/2nd

Mirassol: Walter; Igor Formiga, João Victor, Willian Machado, and Reinaldo; Cazonatti, Wallisson, and Denilson; Fernandinho, Edson Carioca, and Bruno Santos. Coach: Rafael Guanaes.

Flamengo: Rossi; Varela, Danilo, Léo Pereira, and Ayrton Lucas; Pulgar, Paquetá, and Carrascal; Plata, Pedro, and Luiz Araújo. Coach: Leonardo Jardim.

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