Mengao beat Botafogo 3-1 on PK to advance to the finals of the Carioca Campeonato.

This was a huge win for Rubro-Negro.

Mengao keeper Felipe was brilliant.

He stoned cold stopped three straight PK’s by Fogao.

Thiago scored the first goal of the match in the 14^th minute.

Mengao should have scored at least three more goals in the first half but came up firing blanks.

Botafogo nailed the equalizer in the 48^th minute when Abreu hit the back of the net.

Neither side could dent the twines so it was on to a PK shootout.

Thank God Felipe was on the top of his game.

Goals by Moura, Renato, and Fernando sealed the deal for Flamengo.

Finally, we scored a huge win against a top-notch squad.

UOL wrote this Felipe brilha nos pênaltis, Fla bate o Botafogo e pega Boavista na final do turno

Os holofotes estavam destinados para o duelo entre Ronaldinho Gaúcho e Loco Abreu, além da ‘guerra’ entre os estrategistas Joel Santana e Vanderlei Luxemburgo. Porém, coube ao goleiro Felipe brilhar na decisão dos pênaltis após o empate em 1 a 1 entre Flamengo e Botafogo, que garantiu o Rubro-Negro na decisão da Taça Guanabara, em jogo disputado neste domingo, no Engenhão. Com o resultado, o time da Gávea, que venceu as penalidades por 3 a 1, decide mais uma final, desta vez, contra a surpresa Boavista, no próximo final de semana.

Flamengo will face Boavista is the finals.

Flamenguista for life.

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Did The Emperor’s absence hurt Flamengo? Many would say no way Jose but I beg to differ. Without Adriano in the line up Mengao had a hard time with second division side Resende before finally pulling away in the second half to win 4-0.

Yes, the torrid rain had something to do with the sloppy play but I think Mengao is resting on their laurels and not seriously getting ready to defend their title.

Globo Esporte http://globoesporte.globo.com/  wrote this-A chuva intermitente que castigou Volta Redonda durante todo o sábado prejudicou o estado do gramado, repleto de poças. O toque de bola era difícil, e pelo alto o Flamengo quase abriu o placar. Após escanteio cobrado por Vinícius Pacheco, aos dois minutos, Fernando cabeceou no canto direito e Cleber saltou para fazer excepcional defesa.

Mengao started really slow. Rubro-Negro had several early opportunities to score but Fernando just missed a close range header in the 2^nd minute.  Toro fired a wicked shot on goal but Resende keeper Cleber stopped em cold in the 24^th minute.

Vagner Love wasted a golden opportunity in the 31^st minute. Fabricio forced a ball into the goalmouth. It was pinball machine time. Love just missed putting away the loose ball. Resende keeper Cleber was able to punch the ball out of harms way.

Mengao finally got on the scoreboard in the 37^th minute. Vagner love threaded the needle to mate Bruno Mezenga. Mezenga flew past Resende defender Rodrigo Costa. Bruno Mezenga stopped and popped a shot right into the top shelf left. Cleber never had a prayer to stop this sucker.

The second half was a different story. Mengao pressed the attack. Flamengo scored three-second half goals to salt this puppy away.

Leonardo Moura ripped the twines in the 62^nd minute. His shot off a free kick from just outside the top box beat the keeper Cleber top shelf left.

Mengao scored again in the 72^nd minute. Flamengo worked the ball down the pitch with some precision passing. Vinicius Pacheco was recipient of this great teamwork. He was one on one with the keeper. Pacheco hit a perfect shot just inside the far right post to make 3-0 Flamengo.

Vagner Love capped the scoring in the 82^nd minute. Love had an easy walk goal to make 4-0 Mengao.

This goal was set up by a turnover in the Resende offensive end of the pitch.

Juan pulled the keeper and the defenders away from goalmouth.

Juan lay off a great pass to mate Love who was crashing the far right post.

All and in all it was a win but Mengao was very sloppy with the ball and this could back and hurt them big time.

 Mas a chance inicial parecia chuva de verão. O Resende rondou a área adversária, insistindo no jogo aéreo para Tuta. Disperso, o time rubro-negro errou muitos passes no meio de campo, o que travou o andamento das jogadas.

Vagner Love is a big hit with Mengao. Love is the clubs top scorer with ten goals.Com mais um gol, Vagner Love chegou ao seu décimo na competição e se isolou ainda mais na artilharia do Campeonato Estadual. Dodô, do Vasco, com oito, vem logo atrás.

Love added that this victory was for Adriano.

“O Adriano faz falta ao time e oferecemos esta vitória para ele. Mas jogamos com personalidade e estamos com uma moral maior”, disse Vagner Love.

In the lone EPL action on Sunday Everton dismantled Hull City 5-1. Landon Donovan recorded his first EPL goal in the 82^nd minute.

Mikel Arteta hit the daily double for Toffees.  

FA Cup Quarterfinal action saw Chelsea take care of Stoke City 2-0. Aston Villa doubled up on Reading 4-2. Chelsea and Aston Villa are into the FA semifinals.

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Rubro-Negro should have killed this lower division side but no Flamengo let them hang around to almost the bitter end before a strike by Vagner Love in the 88^th minute put the match out of reach.

Love spilt the “D” on a well placed through ball by Ramon. Love fired the shot over the keeper Jefferson’s head. Top shelf right sealed the deal.

Love should have scored in the 4^th minute but his shot was tipped away by Madureira keeper Jefferson.

Mengao finally scored in the 14^th minute. A well-placed free kick into the goalmouth was batted around until Flamengo’s Fernando corralled the ball and knocked home the winner for a 1-0 Mengao lead.

Vagner Love had another chance in the 28^th minute but his shot flat out missed the mark

Flamenguistas were getting very restless with the stinko play. A chorus of boos was heard throughout Maracanã.

We were getting restless.

Globo Esporte  http://globoesporte.globo.com/  had these kind words to say-O Flamengo venceu. Mas não escapou das vaias dos 2.190 rubro-negros que foram ao Maracanã e da convicção de que o time, assim como afirmara Andrade na véspera, não consegue se mobilizar para as partidas contra os clubes pequenos no Campeonato Carioca. Mesmo assim, o triunfo por 2 a 0 sobre o Madureira mantém a equipe com 100% de aproveitamento na Taça Rio.

Madureira almost hit the equalizer early in the second half but Bruno swatted away the for sure goal to save Mengao’s hide.

Globo Esporte wrote this – No início do segundo tempo, o Madureira esteve perto do empate aos nove minutos. Bruno entrou na área e bateu à esquerda do gol. Juan respondeu com um cruzamento que quase surpreendeu Jefferson. O goleiro colocou a escanteio.

Thank God for Bruno.

 Love had a great opportunity in the 62^nd minute but Love was a little late getting to the great pass by Vinicius Pacheco in the box.

Love had another gimmie goal in the 78^th minute. Love was one on one with the keeper. He shanked it.

Globo Esporte had this to say- Aos 17 minutos, Vinícius Pacheco cruzou da ponta esquerda e por pouco Vagner Love não alcançou. Sob vaias a todo o time, o Artilheiro do Amor recebeu passe de Vinícius Pacheco, aos 33, entrou cara a cara com Jefferson, mas chutou em cima do goleiro. Vinícius pedia a devolução do passe, mas estava impedido.

The match can be summed up this way. Mengao had a too close to call 1-0 win over Madureira until Vagner Loves’s goal in the dying moments of the match made it 2-0. UOL www.uol.com.br  put it this way- No fim, quando tudo levava para uma vitória magra por 1 a 0, Vagner Love, aos 43 minutos e num golaço, marcou o segundo, brecou qualquer reação do Madureira e deu números finais ao confronto.

All in all, it wasn’t pretty but a win is a win. Guys we are going to have to play better if we want to win the whole enchilada again.

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