Right behind! Flamengo hit 5, shake Palmeiras atop the Brasileirão | OneFootball

In a great team performance, Flamengo made light work of Mirassol

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’s (16) match, the Most Beloved can level the top team’s point total in its next game, even with one match in hand.

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

HOW WAS THE FIRST HALF?

Before the first minute had even passed, Flamengo almost opened the scoring. After a cross from Varela, Carrascal hit it hard, Walter parried, and Plata wasted the follow-up from 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 have shot himself, but chose to square it for Jorge Carrascal. With class, the Colombian applied a soft touch and ran off 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 boot, 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 Flamengo error while playing out from the back. Bruno Santos unleashed a rocket, but Rossi managed to parry it away, removing the danger. In the 47th minute, the hosts almost equalized after a corner and a shot from Willian Machado. But Varela cleared it off the line.

On the very next play, another decision went against Flamengo. Carrascal would have been completely free, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but he was pulled back. Even as 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 began the second period in 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 team law’ in effect. A Mirassol academy product, the winger even got emotional during the celebration.

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

But Mirassol kept fighting. In the 15th minute, after a cross from the left, Eduardo, who had come on in the second half, appeared completely unmarked between Flamengo’s defenders. His header smashed against the crossbar and, on the rebound, Léo Pereira cleared it for a corner.

After that chance, Leonardo Jardim began thinking about Wednesday (19), in the Libertadores. Erick Pulgar, Luiz Araújo, and Gonzalo Plata came off, while Evertton Araújo, Jorginho, and Samuel Lino came on. The Chilean and the Ecuadorian are expected to start against Cruzeiro, while the No. 7 is returning from injury and still lacks ideal match fitness.

Even with one eye on midweek, 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 Jhonny and Arrascaeta onto the field. The Uruguayan star did not take long to shine. In one of his first touches, the No. 10 put Samuel Lino through one-on-one with Walter. With his left foot, the left winger blasted it into the net and ran off to celebrate in the 28th minute: 5-0!

Relaxed on the pitch, Flamengo lost intensity. As a result, 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 action in the Brasileirão next Saturday (19) against Cruzeiro at Mineirão. Before that, however, Mengão have another commitment: the second leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 on Wednesday (22), also against the Belo Horizonte side, at the Maracanã. The first leg ended in a draw, so any simple win will secure a place in 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 half, Luiz Araújo 7’/2nd half, Pedro 10’ and 20’/2nd half, Samuel Lino 28’/2nd half, João Victor 31’/2nd half

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.