With the stellar addition of Nicolás de la Cruz, Flamengo now boast four Uruguayans for a 2024 season that will include Libertadores. In addition to the former River Plate midfielder, the representatives of La Celeste at Rubro-Negro are Giorgian De Arrascaeta, Guillermo Varela, and Matías Viña, who also arrived in the latest transfer window.
During the CONMEBOL media day, De la Cruz said he feels the support from Uruguay for Mengão this year: “There are a lot of people. Apart from being four Uruguayan players, many people also see us as national team players, so many children are following us. I think having four of us on the same team will add a lot. I’m sure there are many people in Uruguay who are cheering for Flamengo to do well.”
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The 26-year-old was one of the brightest spots for the Uruguayan national team last year when, under Marcelo Bielsa’s tutelage, it defeated Brazil at home before taking down Argentina in Buenos Aires.
🇺🇾🔴⚫ Nicolás de la Cruz brings his talents to @Flamengo_en!
⚽ A CONMEBOL #Libertadores champion with #RiverPlate in 2018, the Uruguayan midfielder is set to try and lead Mengão to a fourth title! pic.twitter.com/KWBpSuEKrF
— CONMEBOL Libertadores (@TheLibertadores) February 24, 2024
“Obviously, you always have to keep your feet on the ground because, as I said, beating Brazil, beating the world champion, Argentina, doesn’t give you a title, but it does give you a parameter to see where you stand and what you can aspire to. And I think we are on that path,” said de la Cruz.
One step away from the first title
With just 10 games played, De la Cruz is already on the verge of winning his first trophy with Flamengo: Tite’s men beat Nova Iguaçu 3-0 in the first leg of the Campeonato Carioca final, so they already have the state title in sight.
However, the main goal of the season will not only be to improve the performance in the Brasileirão (Mengão finished fourth in 2023) but also to compete again for the Libertadores. Last year, the Rio de Janeiro side arrived as the reigning champions but got eliminated in the round of 16 at the hands of Paraguayan giants Olimpia.
