Ex-Flamengo Juninho hits first career hat-trick in Pumas rout in Mexico | OneFootball

Juninho scored three in Pumas’ (MEX) 5-1 thrashing of Juarez (MEX)

Juninho delivered one of those standout, inspired performances of his career. On Friday night (31), the former Flamengo striker scored three times in Pumas’ (MEX) 5-1 rout of Juarez (MEX), the player’s first professional hat-trick, which temporarily lifted the team into second place in the Apertura Tournament in Mexico.

The No. 23’s first goal came as early as the 18th minute, from the penalty spot, with a precise shot into the goalkeeper’s right corner. Then, at 22’, he struck again, finishing from inside the box off an assist from Paraguayan Robert Morales, who would make it 3-0 in the 40th minute. Juarez, playing at home, managed to pull one back with the final play of the first half through Jose Luis Rodriguez.

And the Brazilian’s show continued in the second half. Just three minutes in, after a loose ball in the box following a defensive mistake, he rounded the goalkeeper brilliantly to score his third goal. In the celebration, he beamed as he held up the number 3 with both hands to mark a unique moment in his career. Near the end, at 38’, Mexican forward Guillermo Martinez completed the rout.

WHAT DID JUNINHO SAY?

— I’m बेहद happy to score a hat-trick for the first time in my career. It really is a very special moment. Even more important because it helped the team move up the table after we stumbled at home in the opener. But we managed to bounce back in the last round with a good win and, today, we put in another great performance. We always want more —, Juninho said.

Pumas opened the Apertura with a 3-0 loss to Pachuca (MEX), but bounced back against Toluca in the following match with a 2-1 victory. So far, Club Tijuana leads the championship with seven points. The team’s next match is in the Leagues Cup on Tuesday (04), against Charlotte FC from the United States.

WHAT IS THE AUTHOR’S OPINION?

— It’s really great to see Juninho doing well at Pumas. It’s a shame he didn’t get a proper run at Flamengo; president Bap himself acknowledges that the player deserved more time to adapt. In 27 games for the club, the striker has 11 goals and four assists. Best of luck, Juninho X! —, declared Pedro Paulo Catonho, a Coluna journalist.

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