Rossi's penalty heroics power Flamengo's title surge | OneFootball

Agustín Rossi continues to set benchmarks in Brazilian football, with his performances for Flamengo in the 2025 season highlighting both consistency and ability in high-pressure moments. Over the club’s last five league matches, Rossi has produced four clean sheets, asserting himself as a central figure in Flamengo’s ongoing title pursuit.

Rossi’s influence has been felt most noticeably in fixtures against direct competitors. In a 2-0 away victory over Palmeiras on May 25, his penalty save against Joaquín Piquerez came at a pivotal moment, maintaining Flamengo’s control of the match. The stop marked his fourth consecutive penalty save in the Brasileirão, with previous denials coming against Tiago Almada, Ganso, and Gabriel Barbosa.

This run of form extends beyond a single match. Just a week earlier, Flamengo’s 0-0 draw with Botafogo saw Rossi deliver several significant saves to preserve a point in a tense clásico. Earlier in May, a 1-0 win over Bahia again saw the Argentine goalkeeper’s interventions prove decisive. Even in Flamengo’s lone recent defeat—a 2-1 loss to Cruzeiro—Rossi stood out by saving a penalty from Gabriel Barbosa and recording nine saves across the ninety minutes. The clean sheet in the 4-0 rout of Corinthians on April 27 further underscored his reliability.

The statistical markers underline Rossi’s impact. In five analyzed matches, Rossi has recorded four clean sheets and saved four successive penalties in the league. He has now reached 23 career penalty saves, entering the top five among Argentine keepers for penalty stops since 1990, a list that includes names like Emiliano Martínez.

Rossi’s proficiency extends into broader metrics as well. In his second season with Flamengo, he has appeared in 66 matches, including a period in the Rio State Championship (Carioca) with over 1,100 minutes without conceding a goal. As of this phase of the Brasileirão, his penalty save percentage with Flamengo is among the best in Brazil, and he has sustained a level of performance that eclipses many of his contemporaries in Série A.

For Flamengo, this level of consistency in goal has been key to their defensive system and has proven influential in matches carrying direct significance for the title race. Rossi’s presence, particularly in penalty situations and during moments when the defensive line has been pressured, has contributed significantly to the team’s record of results.

Since arriving in 2023, Rossi has established himself among the most dependable goalkeepers in Brazil, with his numbers in clean sheets and penalty saves surpassing the averages of several leading names in the country. The sequence of four clean sheets in five matches, coupled with a run of penalty stops, remains a rare feat even when considering Flamengo’s rich history of goalkeepers and broader South American football.

Rossi’s performances, particularly in high-profile matches and decisive situations, have reinforced his role within the Flamengo squad and heightened his profile in Brazilian football circles.