Ray Breno’s first professional goal sends Juventude through after Flamengo rejection and Vasco roots | OneFootball

Ray Breno, 21, hit his first professional goal to send Juventude into the Gauchão semi-finals with a comeback win over São José at the Jaconi.

His exuberant celebration brought a second yellow and a red, so he will miss the first leg against Grêmio. According to Globo.com, he is on loan from Vasco until the end of the season and has a release clause above R$ 250 million.

He dedicated the strike to his father, Rosemberg, who celebrated in Rio de Janeiro with his wife and two children. Rosemberg has promised to visit Caxias do Sul if Juventude reach a possible final.

Once a hopeful footballer, Rosemberg toured the northeast with his father seeking chances, but quit when one of his children was born. He later vowed to grandfather Wilton to realise the family dream through Ray, then sold the car and a newly bought Natal apartment to move his son to Rio.

At 10, Ray passed a Flamengo assessment and was told he would have a six-month trial, only to face a coaching change and a new evaluation on arrival. He switched to Flamengo futsal, then after six months earned a Boavista training scholarship back in the 11-a-side game.

A coach’s recommendation earned him a four-month trial at Vasco, where he was approved. He wore number 10 for the under-17s, trained with the seniors despite few chances, and worked with Maurício Barbieri, now Juventude’s manager.

In late 2023 he suffered a serious knee ligament injury that sidelined him for about a year. After returning, he had loans at Pouso Novo and Nova Iguaçu before arriving in Caxias do Sul for this season, and has three Gauchão outings with one assist and the clinching goal.

Source: Globo.com