Clássico dos Milhões ends the same, but the fast persists

Rio's most traditional classic ended without a winner. On Sunday night (21), at Maracanã, Flamengo and Vasco had a balanced confrontation and drew 1-1, in a match valid for the 24th round of the Brazilian Championship.

The scoreline continues Cruzmaltino's losing streak against their rivals. They have now gone 12 consecutive matches without a victory over the Rubro-Negro and gone a decade without beating their opponent in the Brasileirão.

THE GAME

The scoreboard quickly changed. In the 11th minute, Cebolinha hit the post with a dangerous shot, and Emerson Royal then crossed to Bruno Henrique, who forced Léo Jardim to perform a miracle. On the rebound, Carrascal found himself unmarked and tapped the ball into the net, opening the scoring for Flamengo.

As time passed, Vasco began to adjust and balance the action. In the 24th minute, Philippe Coutinho took a precise corner kick, finding Pumita free in the box. The full-back headed firmly into the corner, but Rossi made a spectacular save.

Shortly after, in the 29th minute, Coutinho took another perfect corner kick. Rayan rose higher than Carrascal and headed it firmly into the back of the net, leveling the score at Maracanã.

After the break, the match continued to be intense. In the 19th minute, Léo Jardim made a mistake when clearing the ball, and Saúl took advantage with a long-range effort that hit the crossbar, giving Vasco a big scare.

Five minutes later, another clear chance for the Red-Blacks. The Cruz-Maltino defense floundered, and the ball fell to Pedro in the six-yard box. The striker, however, shot weakly, only to be stopped by Léo Jardim.

At 34, Matheus França took a chance from outside the area after receiving a pass in midfield, but Rossi appeared well and sent it out for a corner.

Flamengo still had the ball in the 44th minute. After a cross into the box, the ball fell again to Pedro, who, alone in front of goal, wasted another great opportunity, keeping the game tied until the final whistle.

RAYAN

With a remarkable performance in the Clássico dos Milhões, Rayan was instrumental in Vasco's 1-1 draw with Flamengo at Maracanã in the 24th round of the Brazilian Championship. The striker scored his first derby goal for the senior team and created significant problems for the opposing defense with his physical prowess to draw defenders and attempt shots.

A testament to his dedication throughout the 90 minutes, the athlete finished the match completely exhausted. He even requested a moment to recover before giving the pitchside interview.

At the base, the player was already known as a "tormentor" of Rubro-Negro, as he was Carioca champion on three occasions, in games against the arch-rival, in the under-17 and under-20 categories.

TABLE AND NEXT GAME

Currently, Cruz-Maltino has 24 points and is in 15th place, outside the relegation zone. The team will therefore play again on Saturday (27), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), against Cruzeiro , in São Januário.