Champion of All America: Flamengo defeats Cruz Azul - MEX and advances to the next phase of the Intercontinental Cup.

Hello friends, how are you all doing?

The first Intercontinental Cup game took place, that familiar nervous feeling that's always present in the first game of a competition of this level, and the players were able to put on a good performance, albeit with some reservations. Once again, Arrascaeta, the star of the season, was responsible for Flamengo's 2-1 victory over Cruz Azul - MEX.

The quarter-final match also had an extra incentive to win, as whoever advanced would win the Derby of the Americas, and with the title, they would also receive a trophy. With the victory of the Rio de Janeiro club, [Flamengo is officially the champion of all of America]. One thing that didn't go unnoticed was the beauty of this trophy.

This type of "single final" started last year between Botafogo, Libertadores champion, against Pachuca, champion of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup. The match ended 3-0 for the Mexican club, and with Flamengo's victory today, Brazil is tied with Mexico for now...

First Half of Much Study

As expected, there was a lot of studying between the two teams. One team didn't want to make a mistake that would leave an opening for the other, and that was quite understandable. Since it was the first match for both, whoever scored the first goal would have a great advantage. And that's what happened with Arrascaeta, who, in a bizarre mistake by the Mexican defense, the ball fell to the Flamengo number 10, and after dribbling past the goalkeeper, shot into the back of the net.

Defender Piovi was responsible for the mistake that resulted in Flamengo's goal, but Cruz Azul's defense didn't have time to lament, because if the team didn't focus on the game, it was only a matter of time before Flamengo extended their lead. But the Mexican team wasn't shaken by the goal and continued to close down the midfield. Their defensive line was visible and practically impenetrable.

It was then, at the end of the first half, that the ball fell to [defender Jorge Sánchez] in Flamengo's defense, and with a beautiful first-time shot, he tied the game. This goal brought more confidence to the team, and basically, Cruz Azul had the upper hand in the first half. Filipe Luís needed to make changes to the team, as they couldn't easily penetrate the Mexican defense.

And that's what he did in the second half, taking off Samuel Lino and putting Plata in his place. The team loosened up more often, and the improvement in the Mexican defensive sector was visible. A draw wouldn't be good for anyone, because if the game ended 1-1, the teams would have to play another 30 minutes of extra time. For Flamengo at the end of the season and Cruz Azul coming from a very competitive game earlier, the players would feel the physical strain too much.

After a few attempts, Flamengo took the lead again with Arrascaeta. On his first attempt down the left flank, he tried to pass to Bruno Henrique, who intercepted the ball. However, the Uruguayan persisted, and on his second attempt, he shot towards the goal, giving the Mexican team no chance to defend. This goal qualified the team for the next phase and also crowned Flamengo as the greatest in all of America.

Now the next challenge is the Egyptian team Pyramids. Don't think that this team was waiting around doing nothing for Flamengo. The Egyptian club has already won twice in this competition and next Saturday will determine who will face PSG in the Intercontinental Cup final. It will be another difficult game and Flamengo will have to play much better than they did today.