Flamengo topples the Pyramids and wins sixth title

Flamengo did exactly what was expected of them: they won, paced the game, and claimed their sixth title of the year, the Challenger Cup. This guarantees a place in the 2025 FIFA World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain. Arrascaeta, once again, practically decided the duel, with two passes, free kicks: 2-0 to Pyramids. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Flamengo scored goals at exactly the right time. But the difficulty is to know if Rubro-Negro is actually exhausted, or if they preferred to spare their players, not to ask them as much as possible, to face the European champion. The doubt will remain until Wednesday.

As expected, Flamengo began to dominate and Pyramids, closed in defense, barely looked for counterattacks. The Rio team played the ball excessively and the Egyptian team offered no space. The game had to be forced more, because there was no opportunity to score, and time passed, increasing the difficulties, much to the taste of the African team, whose objective, obviously, was a draw.

Flamengo in front

In the 23rd minute, however, Marei committed a foul on Éverton Cebolinha, taken over by Arrascaeta, and completed, with a header, by Léo Pereira, to the right of Al-Shenawy: 1 to 0. The dead ball, on these occasions, is fundamental. The theory is always the same: with an advantage, the adversary will eventually have to deconstruct the boom, to seek results. But the Pyramids have not changed style. And Flamengo, as the sequence indicates, continued to try to score. At 28, Arrascaeta took the lead, entered the box and almost scored.

And the game continued as it had started. In the final minutes, Rubro-Negro loosened his grip. Thus, the Pyramids gained courage. In the 42nd, in a rare opportunity, Hamdy crosses, Mayele arrives a few seconds late and Rossi saves. In the 45th minute, Mayele breaks free and hits the goalkeeper. The Flamengo team looked tired, waiting for the break to create new strategies. What will come out of Filipe Luis’s head?

How was the second half?

The match resumed without change. The teams did not move and Mayele looked for spaces between the defenders to finish. The Egyptian team, as happened at the end of the first half, was no longer so complacent and took advantage of the freedom offered by Rubro-Negro. The difference in quality between the teams was not enough to define the game.

At seven minutes, another dead ball. Arrascaeta took another free kick and Danilo headed the ball into the left corner: 2 to 0. In the 14th minute, Ayrton Lucas and Bruno Henrique came on to replace Alex Sandro and Éverton Cebolinha respectively. From what we assume, the objective is to give more breath to the team, which unlike the beginning, prefers counterattacks, which depend on the effectiveness of one of them to finish, but also runs the risk of being surprised, given the time in which the Egyptians have the ball. Despite the 2-0, each minute lasts an eternity. At 71, Mayele hit rock bottom for Rossi to step in again.

La Cruz and Luiz Araújo replaced Jorginho and Arrascaeta. Filipe Luis is a difficult enigma to decipher. The man who calls the shots is no longer on the field. Arrascaeta, even without legs, cannot leave the field. At 40, Pedro takes Carrascal’s place. Flamengo prays for the match to end, because he can’t take the pace anymore. Pyramids continues to touch the ball. At 43, Hamdy gets in free and leaves. The match has entered stoppage time and the Egyptian team’s chances already seem distant.

The difficulty is to know if Rubro-Negro is actually exhausted, or if they preferred to spare their players, not to ask them as much as possible, to face the European champion. The doubt will remain until Wednesday.

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