Flamengo lost 1-0 away to Palestino (Chile) in the Copa Libertadores and complicated their qualification to the round of 16. With two rounds to go, the Carioca team is third in Group E after one win, one draw and two losses, so they no longer have any margin for error.
The only goal of the match played at the Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso stadium in Coquimbo was scored by Fernando Cornejo in the 63rd minute. The midfielder, who had come on five minutes earlier, connected a beautiful volley that found the back of the net after a corner kick clearance.
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The victory left Palestino in second place with four points. The surprise leader is Bolívar (Bolivia) with a perfect score and one match less to play tomorrow against Millionarios (Colombia), who are at the bottom of the table with just one point.
The top two teams qualify for the round of 16, so Tite’s team has to start earning three points to turn the situation around. The positive note is that the two remaining matches are at the Maracanã: on May 15 against Bolívar and on May 28 against Millionarios.
On the other hand, Palestino, Flamengo’s main rival in the battle for qualification, will have to play their two remaining group stage matches away: on May 14 in Bogotá and on May 28 in the always difficult La Paz altitude.
A concerning factor for the Carioca club is that if Bolívar win their match against Millionarios tomorrow, they will become unreachable at the top. Flamengo’s only chance of qualifying would be as the second-placed team, meaning they would face one of the group leaders in the round of 16. If they finish third, the 2022 Libertadores champion will drop down to the Copa Sudamericana.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Binge the first four episodes available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel. Stay tuned for upcoming releases as we keep telling this legend’s life story.
