Léo Pereira praise, Filipe Luís backing: Flamengo gem shines vs Vasco | OneFootball

How was Daniel Sales' performance in the Flamengo vs Vasco game, for the Carioca?

By: Rodrigo Lima

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

Daniel Sales is 19 years old and originally a right-back. However, in the match against Vasco, the athlete was positioned by Filipe Luís to play on the left. Even playing 'switched', the young player managed to help in the defensive system and also be effective in some offensive plays.

In total, Daniel played throughout the first half of the match. Right after the break, Filipe Luís decided to bring in Alex Sandro, who is the main squad's starting left-back. It is worth mentioning that the 19-year-old left the field with a thigh discomfort.

HAS DANIEL SALES ALREADY PLAYED FOR FLAMENGO'S PROFESSIONAL TEAM?

Yes! Daniel Sales' first appearance in Flamengo's professional team happened in 2024, in a match against Grêmio, for the Brasileirão. At that time, the right-back came on in the final minutes of the match held in Porto Alegre, replacing Wesley.

After that, Daniel Sales played in the first games of the Carioca in 2025 and in Flamengo's last match of the Brasileirão last season, which was against Mirassol. Finally, in the first matches of the 2026 State Championship, the right-back was among the starters. The athlete even assisted Guilherme's goal against Bangu, in Moça Bonita.

DID FILIPE LUÍS ALREADY KNOW DANIEL SALES, FLAMENGO'S RIGHT-BACK?

Before debuting with Filipe Luís in the professional team, Daniel Sales had already been coached by him in Flamengo's under-20 team. At that time, in 2024, the duo won the Club World Cup title in the category, at Maracanã. Thus, after last Wednesday's (21) match, the coach made sure to praise the 19-year-old.

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

WHAT DID LÉO PEREIRA SAY ABOUT DANIEL SALES?

“The kid from the youth team (Daniel Sales) who trains with us played very well. He is a right-back who played on the left. He made a great sacrifice and played a great game“, commented Léo Pereira in an interview in the mixed zone at Maracanã.

WHAT IS FLAMENGO'S NEXT GAME IN THE CARIOCA?

With Daniel Sales available, Flamengo returns to the field this Sunday (25) to face Fluminense, for the fourth round of the Carioca. The match kicks off at 6 PM (Brasília time), at Maracanã. Thus, Coluna do Fla TV will show the details of the match with live coverage on YouTube, as well as on the website and social media.

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