📹 Fla suffer drama at the Maracanã, but reach Libertadores semis

📹 Fla suffer drama at the Maracanã, but reach Libertadores semis In the second leg of the 2026 Conmebol Libertadores quarterfinals, Flamengo drew 1-1 with Independiente del Valle this Thursday (17). However, since they had won 2-0 in Ecuador, the Rubro-Negro advanced to the semifinals (3-1 on aggregate) and remains alive in the hunt for a fifth title in the continental tournament (1981, 2019, 2022 and 2025). Highlights coming up shortly ⚽ The match With the big advantage earned in Ecuador, Flamengo’s fans packed the "Biggest in the World" confident that qualification was only a matter of time. On the pitch, the team coached by Portuguese manager Leonardo Jardim played calmly and controlled possession. Before the 15-minute mark, for example, Bruno Henrique was played in behind the visiting defense, but was denied by a fine save from goalkeeper Quintana. However, Del Valle opened the scoring when Djorkaeff Reasco capitalized on a rebound from goalkeeper Rossi. Unrecognizable on the pitch, Flamengo’s players went into the dressing room under boos from the Nação. After the break, the rubro-negro side came back much improved and more switched on, but the match quickly turned dramatic when veteran Jorginho was sent off after a second yellow card. The "disaster" came very close to happening when Yandri Vásquez found the back of Flamengo’s net in the 32nd minute of the second half. However, the Nação could breathe a sigh of relief because the goal was ruled out for offside. And the outburst of joy came five minutes later, when Rossi launched the ball forward, goalkeeper Quintana made a bizarre misjudgment and was lobbed. In the right place at the right time, Arrascaeta took advantage of the rival’s huge mistake and finished to make it all square and secure a spot in the semifinals. 🚦 What’s next With their place secured, Flamengo will face Estudiantes in the semifinals. The first leg will be in Argentina, with the return leg at the Maracanã. On the other side of the bracket, Fluminense host Palmeiras in the first leg, with the second match taking place at Nubank Parque. Conmebol still has to make the dates official, but the matches are expected to be played on October 13 and 14 (first leg) and October 20 and 21 (second leg). So, with one month to go until the semifinals, the Rubro-Negro now turns its attention to the Brasileirão, where it leads with 57 points. Flamengo returns to the pitch next Sunday (20), when it hosts RB Bragantino at the Maracanã at 6:30 p.m. Brasília time, for Matchday 28. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.