When the moment needed him it was, as it often is, Flamengo’s Uruguayan star Giorgian De Arrascaeta who delivered. The mercurial midfielder struck either side of a fine Jorge Sanchez equaliser to seal a 2-1 victory for the Rio de Janeiro giants in the FIFA Derby of the Americas™.
That also secured Filipe Luis’s side a date with Pyramids FC in the FIFA Challenger Cup™ to be played in Qatar on 13 December.
Cruz Azul 1-2 CR Flamengo
Cruz Azul goal: Jorge Sanchez (44)
CR Flamengo goals: Giorgian De Arrascaeta (15, 71)
It was a horror start for the Mexican side as an under-hit pass from defender Gonzalo Piovi went straight to Giorgian De Arrascaeta who dutifully slotted it past Andres Gudino with a quarter of an hour elapsed.
Cruz Azul steadied after that early setback with Carlos Rotondi fizzing an effort just wide before Jorge Sanchez produced a strike of the highest order to restore parity. The right-back collected the ball at the top of the box and lashed a volley past Agustin Rossi to send the teams to the break locked at 1-1.
A tight second term saw Flamengo eventually start to get on top and after a testing effort from substitute Gonzalo Plata flew narrowly wide, it was the playmaking prince De Arrascaeta who won things for the Brazilian side.
The Uruguayan brushed aside the challenge of Willer Ditta, collected a ricocheted effort off Piovi and slotted past Gudino from a tight angle.
