Flamengo achieved an excellent result away from home by drawing 2-2 with Independiente del Valle in Quito, Ecuador, in the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals. Despite the strong altitude of the city, which usually harms Brazilian teams, the Rubro-Negro managed a performance that leaves them very close to advancing to the semifinals of the continental tournament.
The team was even behind on the scoreboard, but demonstrated strength in the second half to build a 2-0 victory in the supplementary period. Idol Bruno Henrique was responsible for opening the scoring, and Léo Pereira closed the count, guaranteeing the important advantage in the aggregate.
The result is considered extremely positive for Flamengo, current champion of the Americas. A simple draw in the second leg, which will be held next Thursday at 9:30 PM at Maracanã, would already be sufficient to guarantee qualification to the semifinals of the competition.
The coach and the team demonstrated reaction capacity facing the difficulties imposed by the Ecuadorian altitude and the pressure from Independiente del Valle. With the advantage built, Flamengo has great tranquility for the decisive match at home, where they can count on the support of their fans to seek qualification.
