Flamengo beat Cruz Azul to reach Club World Cup semis | OneFootball

Arrascaeta Shone and Put Flamengo in the Semifinals of the Intercontinental Cup

THE OWNER OF THE AMERICAS! Flamengo is the champion of the Americas Derby, the quarterfinal stage of the Intercontinental Cup. This Wednesday (10), the four-time Libertadores champion defeated Cruz Azul from Mexico, 2-1. The goals for Mengo were scored by the best athlete on the continent, De Arrascaeta.

Now, Flamengo is in the semifinals of the Intercontinental Cup. Next Saturday (13), Mengão faces Pyramids from Egypt, the current African champion. The match will kick off at 2 PM (Brasília time), with full coverage by Coluna do Fla, directly from Qatar. Additionally, the Challenger Cup trophy is at stake.

HOW WAS THE FIRST HALF?

The match started off strange for Flamengo, with Cruz Azul having more ball possession. However, the Mexican team showed a deficiency in ball clearance, making several mistakes. While Fla couldn't capitalize before, Arrascaeta didn't forgive at 14 minutes.

Argentinian Piovi tried to play out from the area and handed it to Arrascaeta. The number 10 thanked the gift, dribbled past goalkeeper Gudiño, and sent it to the back of the net. Mengo 1-0 in Qatar.

On Cruz Azul's side, Rotondi was the one causing trouble up front. Before Flamengo's goal, the forward had already shot dangerously. Later, at 19', the player shot again, causing even more scare, barely missing Rossi's post.

However, Cruz Azul remained better in the game. The Mexicans even scored, but it was offside. Later, at 43 minutes, it counted. Jorge Carrascal delayed in clearing the ball, the Concacaf champion recovered it in the attack field, and Jorge Sánchez scored a beautiful goal, first-time. All square.

HOW WAS THE SECOND HALF?

After a sleepy first half, Flamengo also started sluggishly in the second. Just before the initial minute, Fla allowed a dangerous shot from Cruz Azul. The Rubro-Negro lacked a decisive atmosphere.

After the initial scare, Flamengo began to have more ball possession. The Rubro-Negro had less percentage until the 20-minute mark, when they finally managed to equalize. However, both teams created little until then, as both struggled with passing.

For the second half, Filipe Luís made two changes. At halftime, Gonzalo Plata replaced Samuel Lino. At 20', Jorge Carrascal was substituted for Everton Cebolinha. At 24', the Ecuadorian made a good shot from outside the area, eliciting an “uuuhhh” from the crowd.

GOAL WITH HELP FROM THE WATCH?

The improvement of Flamengo was solidified in a goal at 30 minutes! Arrascaeta attempted a pass to Bruno Henrique, but the defense cut it. However, the ball fell to the star, who struck with his left foot. Cruz Azul's defense tried to clear it, but thanks to the referee's watch, which signaled a goal, the number 10 could celebrate.

To maintain the score, Filipe Luís made two changes with ten minutes remaining. Thus, Jorginho and Arrascaeta were replaced by De La Cruz and Luiz Araújo, fresh legs for the final stretch of the match. In the final moments, Cruz Azul even tried to press, but without success. FLAMENGO QUALIFIED!!!

TECHNICAL SHEET CRUZ AZUL 1X2 FLAMENGO Competition: Intercontinental Cup, Americas Derby Location: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar Date: December 10, 2025, Wednesday Goals: Arrascaeta 14’/1st, 30’/2nd, Jorge Sánchez 43/1st

Cruz Azul: Andrés Gudiño; Jorge Sánchez, Willer Ditta, Gonzalo Piovi, and Erik Lira; Nacho Rivero, Jeremy Márquez, Charly Rodríguez, José Paradela, Gabriel Fernández, and Rodo Rotondi. Coach: Nicolás Larcamon

Flamengo: Agustín Rossi, Guillermo Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, and Alex Sandro; Erick Pulgar, Jorginho, and Arrascaeta; Samuel Lino, Jorge Carrascal, and Bruno Henrique. Coach: Filipe Luís.

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