Coluna do Fla
·29 Juli 2025
Filipe Luís on Matheus Cunha’s role before Copa do Brasil

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Yahoo sportsColuna do Fla
·29 Juli 2025
Flamengo continues preparation to face Atlético-MG, this Thursday (31), for the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil. A starter in the third round of the tournament, Matheus Cunha is hopeful of receiving opportunities among the starting 11. Thus, coach Filipe Luís stated that he has not yet decided whether to send the goalkeeper to the field.
— I said he was going to play against Botafogo from Paraíba. I didn't say he was going to be the goalkeeper of the Cups. I said he was going to play against Botafogo. We haven't decided the team yet, but it's a possibility that he might play or also a possibility that Rossi continues. We will decide this week -, said Filipe Luís, after Flamengo's victory last Sunday (27).
At the beginning of the 2025 season, Flamengo decided that the Copa do Brasil is the club's third priority, behind Brasileirão and Libertadores. Therefore, coach Filipe Luís should rest some players in the clash with Atlético-MG, as Mengão comes from a great sequence of games. Thus, Matheus Cunha may return to the starting lineup.
Since the arrival of Filipe Luís as the technical manager of Flamengo, Matheus Cunha has lost minutes in the starting lineup of Mengão. Therefore, with a contract valid until the end of this season, the goalkeeper signed a pre-contract with Cruzeiro. Thus, the young goalkeeper should reinforce the Minas Gerais team from December 2026.
Matheus Cunha arrived at Flamengo to reinforce the U-20 team, after approval from coach Rogério Ceni. Thus, in the 2023 season, the goalkeeper moved up to the professional team, being a starter for Mengão in most of the games. In total, the goalkeeper played in 55 matches, with 30 games without conceding goals. It is worth mentioning that the player became a starter during Jorge Sampaoli's tenure, but later lost his place in the team.
Meanwhile, Matheus Cunha remains at Filipe Luís' disposal for the upcoming commitments of Flamengo. This Thursday (31), the Rubro-Negro faces Atlético-MG, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, for the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil. Thus, as tradition dictates, the Coluna do Fla will bring all the details before, during and after the match, through the website and social networks.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.