Lucas Paquetá turns down Libertadores request at Flamengo v Cruzeiro | OneFootball

Lucas Paquetá refused to pick a song after scoring at Mineirão

Anyone who follows the Copa Libertadores de América social media already knows: whoever scores gets to pick a song. The scorer of Flamengo’s goal in the 1-1 draw with Cruzeiro on Wednesday (12) at Mineirão, Lucas Paquetá was invited to choose the song after finding the net in the round-of-16 clash.

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However, focused on helping Flamengo qualify for the quarterfinals, Paquetá was in no mood for jokes. “What? No song. Work, work and work”, said the number 20 after the match against Cruzeiro. The midfielder did not want to get caught up in the ‘hype’ out of respect for the second leg, which takes place next Wednesday (19).

HOW DID LUCAS PAQUETÁ’S GOAL HAPPEN?

Lucas Paquetá did not want to sing, but he danced. In the 22nd minute of the second half, shortly after coming on for Arrascaeta, the academy product scored. After Ayrton Lucas sent a free kick into the box, Léo Ortiz hit the post and, on the rebound, the midfielder fired it into the back of the net.

In the celebration, Paquetá did the traditional little dance in front of Cruzeiro’s fans, delighting the Flamengo Nation, which packed the away section at Mineirão. In the return leg, the Most Beloved will have more than 60,000 people behind the team in the push for a place in the quarterfinals.

WHY WAS LUCAS PAQUETÁ ON THE BENCH?

The most expensive signing in Flamengo’s history, Lucas Paquetá started on the bench in the club’s biggest match of the year so far. However, the player himself revealed that he is not yet physically able to stay on the pitch for long. The midfielder returned to action less than a week ago after suffering an injury at the World Cup with the Brazilian National Team.

— I’m coming back, I was out for five weeks. It was a little difficult to return and already start playing at the level I was at before, but I think with one more game and the chance to recover my physical condition, I’ll be able to get back to 100% —, he said.

Paquetá will have the chance to play another match this Sunday (16), against Mirassol, at Estádio Maião, in the Brazilian Championship. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time), with full coverage from Coluna do Fla, live from the stadium.

WHAT IS THE AUTHOR’S OPINION?

— There was a lot of shouting before and after the match about Lucas Paquetá not being in the starting lineup. It is clear that he is still not ready for that. Even coming on halfway through the second half, he finished the match exhausted, with his hand on his knee. Calm down, Nation! Let the academy kid respect the timeline —, opined Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist at Coluna do Fla.

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