Excitement from Beginning to End: Flamengo is the First Finalist for the Copa Libertadores.

In the second leg, now in Avellaneda, Argentina, Flamengo had a mission: with a one-goal advantage, they could exploit the gaps left by Racing, who needed goals. Only Luís Araújo managed two long-range shots, and goalkeeper Cambeses was inspired once again that night.

Speaking of Cambeses, a great goalkeeper who was recently called up to the Argentine national team, Racing fans are already worried, as they know that their goalkeeper may leave the team at the end of the year. His agents are already looking for a new destination for the goalkeeper, who is one of the standouts in this edition of the Libertadores Cup.

In the first 10 minutes of the game, goalkeeper Rossi wasn't troubled much. But Flamengo had already attacked three times, showing a very interesting start to the match for the red-and-black team. Coach Gustavo Costas wasn't going to make life easy for Flamengo, and Racing needed to show their fans that a comeback was indeed possible.

Despite the field and crowd being Racing's, even with the pressure and hostile atmosphere, Flamengo didn't stop attacking with very offensive plays, and this made us imagine that a goal was only a matter of time, but in the first half the teams remained at a zero-zero score. There was a bit of everything; I can say that we had a Libertadores-worthy start with a lot of emotion.

Plata's Red Card

In a play involving Rojas and Plata, the referee didn't think twice and gave a red card to the Flamengo player. On TV, it was very confusing, and the game took about six minutes to resume. I confess that it wasn't the correct decision if the referee acted correctly, but if he was going to send someone off, he should have also taken the Racing player off the field since he was the one who started the commotion.

After that [expulsion], the game clearly became more favorable for Racing, and Flamengo needed to defend at all costs more than ever. That's why Danilo and Bruno Henrique were called upon, with Danilo playing in defense while BH would be the sole attacker. For this sacrifice, Arrascaeta and Carrascal were the two who had to leave the game.

With the abrupt change in the game due to the expulsion, Flamengo could only wait for Racing to attack and only attack when an opportunity arose for Bruno Henrique. In the second half, Racing even had 70% possession. I have no doubt that this excessive expulsion took away the brilliance of a game that could have been more exciting.

Despite this, Flamengo knew how to defend, and talent prevailed, because Mengão knows how to play in the Libertadores and was a valiant team until the end. With the match ending in a 0-0 draw, Flamengo is the first team to qualify for the Libertadores final. Rossi was a hero on the field, preventing the team from having to decide another penalty shootout with a brilliant save in the final moments.

Flamengo will now await its opponent, and tomorrow we will know if LDU or Palmeiras will secure its place in the final. If Flamengo wins the championship, it will be the most successful Brazilian team in the Libertadores with four titles, but the final is still to come and will be played in November. The giant Flamengo fanbase is just around the corner, about to experience another Libertadores final.