Léo Pereira praise, Filipe Luís backing: Flamengo starlet v Vasco | OneFootball

How did Daniel Sales perform in the Flamengo vs Vasco match in the Carioca?

By: Rodrigo Lima

The main squad of Flamengo made its debut in the 2026 season against Vasco last Wednesday (21). Despite this change, coach Filipe Luís used a player from the under-20 team who had played in Flamengo’s recent matches in the Carioca. This player is Daniel Sales.

Daniel Sales is 19 years old and originally a right-back. However, in the derby against Vasco, Filipe Luís lined him up on the left. Even playing ‘out of position’, the youngster managed to help in the defensive system and was also effective in some offensive moves.

Overall, Daniel played the entire first half of the derby. Right after halftime, Filipe Luís chose to bring on Alex Sandro, who is the main squad’s starting left-back. It’s worth noting that the 19-year-old left the pitch with discomfort in his thigh.

HAS DANIEL SALES ALREADY PLAYED FOR FLAMENGO’S FIRST TEAM?

Yes! Daniel Sales made his first appearance for Flamengo’s professional squad in 2024, in a match against Grêmio in the Brasileirão. At the time, the right-back came on in the final minutes of the match in Porto Alegre, replacing Wesley.

After that, Daniel Sales played in the first matches of the Carioca in 2025 and in Flamengo’s last match of the previous season’s Brasileirão, which was against Mirassol. Finally, in the opening matches of the 2026 State Championship, the full-back was among the starters. He even provided the assist for Guilherme’s goal against Bangu, at Moça Bonita.

DID FILIPE LUÍS ALREADY KNOW DANIEL SALES, FLAMENGO’S FULL-BACK?

Before making his debut with Filipe Luís in the first team, Daniel Sales had already been coached by him in Flamengo’s under-20 squad. Back in 2024, the pair won the Club World Cup title in the category, at Maracanã. Thus, after last Wednesday’s derby, the coach made a point of praising the 19-year-old.

— I trust Daniel Sales a lot. He’s a player who is ready. There’s a lot he needs to improve, it’s true, but not because the under-20 lost that they’re terrible. The competition is tough, but he’s ready -, emphasized Filipe Luís.

WHAT DID LÉO PEREIRA SAY ABOUT DANIEL SALES?

“The kid from the academy (Daniel Sales) who trains with us played really well. He’s a right-back who played on the left. He made a huge sacrifice and had a great game,” commented Léo Pereira in an interview in the mixed zone at Maracanã.

WHAT IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT MATCH IN THE CARIOCA?

With Daniel Sales available, Flamengo returns to the pitch this Sunday (25) to face Fluminense in the fourth round of the Carioca. The match kicks off at 6pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã. Thus, Coluna do Fla TV will provide detailed coverage of the match ‘on site’ on YouTube, as well as on their website and social media.

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