Rodrigo Caio on Danilo’s goal that sealed Flamengo’s fourth Libertadores

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·17 Maret 2026

Rodrigo Caio on Danilo’s goal that sealed Flamengo’s fourth Libertadores

Flamengo Became Four-Time Libertadores Champion Against Palmeiras

The goal scored by Danilo in the final of the Libertadores between Flamengo and Palmeiras, in 2025, will forever be etched in the memory of the Flamengo fans. Former assistant of Mengão and responsible for set pieces, Rodrigo Caio revealed the behind-the-scenes of the goal that secured the title for the Most Beloved.

Rodrigo Caio, ex-auxiliar do Flamengo, dá detalhes da jogada de bola aérea que resultou no gol de Danilo na final da Libertadores de 2025, contra o Palmeiras. 🎥 Podcast 10 & Faixa
– Selasa, 17 Maret 2026

They decided on Danilo, he was going to be the free man, I want you to attack the zone. Then it's the player's perception. You pass the information and it's the player's perception. A high-level national team player. But what I want to emphasize is that the goal was Danilo's, but the work was everyone's. It was the team's work, you see Jorginho and Carrascal blocking. It's a team effort, it gives you goosebumps. You pass the information and they find the solutions. Arrasca finds the strike, Danilo finds the right timing. One corner before, Danilo makes a move and misses the ball. Perfect movement, but he misses the ball. Then it's Danilo's perception. And he told me: ‘Rodrigo, when I missed the ball, I kept telling myself, calm, calm, calm, calm, calm’. And he waited, waited. When the strike came, he moved and got it at the right point. And that's a characteristic of the guy, of understanding, of knowing the right moment, anyway. It's very gratifying to set up a play with your team and see that the player believed in what you said. It's that point we talked about, of him believing and things happening because of their merit. And for them to understand that it's worth believing in what we say. So, for me, this happened countless times. Of course, the Libertadores goal stays forever because it's a title, something so important. But for me, it was very gratifying to see them believe in what you're saying. Of course, it's very difficult, set pieces are something very difficult to work on. Little time, something tiring, it's not something pleasurable, it's not. You stay there, often much more through video, by showing, by identifying, by calling him and saying this is the point, let's attack here. But let it be clear, so for me, it was gratifying, man,” said Rodrigo Caio, in an interview with the podcast '10 & Faixa'.

How Was the Libertadores Final Between Flamengo and Palmeiras?

Flamengo and Palmeiras faced each other on November 29, in Lima, Peru, for the grand final of the Libertadores. Throughout the match, the team led by Filipe Luís controlled the actions but couldn't find the net in the first half.

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However, in the second half, Flamengo opened the scoring. At 21 minutes of the second half, Arrascaeta delivered a perfect corner and found Danilo in the area. The Flamengo defender, in fact, rose alone between Gustavo Gómez and Bruno Fuchs and headed the ball into the net, securing the fourth Libertadores title for Mengão.

Did Danilo Credit Rodrigo Caio for the Goal?

Yes! A few days after Flamengo's fourth Libertadores title, Danilo gave an interview to 'Globo' and commented on Rodrigo Caio. Thus, the defender highlighted the assistant's importance in the play that led to the Mengão's title-winning goal.

— Rodrigo Caio deserves a lot of credit for analyzing Flamengo's set pieces in both defense and attack. He enhances us a lot. We tried to exploit the corner of the small area by blocking with Jorginho on Gómez and Murilo -, he said, before concluding:

— Palmeiras marks in a mixed way. One would be blocked, one between Léo Pereira and me, and the other Bruno Henrique. The player left out of these three would be the one to attack the space in Jorginho's block. We consistently aimed to attack that area -, concluded Danilo.

Did Rodrigo Caio Resign from Flamengo?

After Flamengo announced the dismissal of coach Filipe Luís in early March, Rodrigo Caio requested to leave the club. Despite requests from President Bap for the assistant to stay, the former defender decided to leave to accompany the coach.

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