A painful ending for Olympiacos in the Intercontinental U20 final as Flamengo scored in stoppage time and triumphed 2-1, claiming the title. Liatsikouras had given the European champions the lead in the 54th minute, who hit the post in the 88th minute.
A cold shower for Olympiacos at the Maracanã. Although Sylaidopoulos’ team took the lead in the second half, they ultimately succumbed to a goal in stoppage time, losing 2-1 as Flamengo was crowned world champion. The Reds had even touched the goal in the 88th minute with Prekates hitting the post.
The lead for the Piraeus team came in the 54th minute when Liatsikouras slotted home from close range after the ball was laid in front of him from the Brazilians’ clearance in the double attempt by Kostoulas.
However, Flamengo found an answer in the 73rd minute with Vinicius, who took advantage of the confusion between Boti and Prekates, leveling the game.
The Brazilians managed to turn the game around in the third minute of stoppage time and claim the title with a goal from Teresa, who found the net, shattering Olympiacos’s dreams.
THE MATCH
The young Piraeus players started the game well and tried to apply high pressure on the Brazilians. In fact, the first good chance belonged to Sylaidopoulos’ team when in the 6th minute Papakanellos executed a shot from inside the small box, but Alves put his body in the way and cleared. Flamengo took control and threatened twice in a three-minute span at Boti’s goal. First in the 16th with a shot from Guilherme from the left and then in the 18th with a header from Wallace, but the Greek keeper had answers.
The Reds came close to scoring in the 20th minute when Papakanellos unleashed a left-footed shot from outside the box, and Alves parried the ball uncertainly, giving Pneumonidis the chance to strike from close range, but he couldn’t find the target.
Three minutes later, it was Kostoulas’s turn to threaten, even with a backheel after a cross from Papakanellos from the right, but Alves had an answer. Subsequently, Boti said no to Wallace’s attempt in the 25th.
Papakanellos was clearly the standout for the Reds in the first half, being a driving force for Sylaidopoulos’ team and constantly troubling Flamengo’s defense.
The Piraeus players were not affected by the pressure that Flamengo applied at the start of the second half and were fortunate to lead at the Maracanã! In the 54th minute, Kostoulas attempted twice inside the box to send the ball into the net without success, it was laid in front of Liatsikouras, and with a close-range shot, he gave the lead to the European champions.
However, Flamengo leveled the game in the 73rd minute. Prekates and Boti got confused after the former’s save on Wallace’s shot, and Vinicius found the opportunity to send the ball into the net for 1-1.
Olympiacos was a breath away from 2-1 in the 88th minute, with Prekates hitting the post with a header following a free kick from Koutsidis from the left.
And when everything seemed to indicate that the final would go to penalties, Teresa sent the ball into Boti’s net in the 90’+2′ and gifted the title to Flamengo.
- FLAMENGO: Alves, Sales (86′ Da Mata), Iago, Victor, Wellington (61′ Carlos), Alves (61′ Vinicius), Lucas, Guilherme (65′ Teresa), Gonzalves, Wallace, Ugundana (86′ Andriel)
- OLYMPIACOS: Boti, Alafakis, Koutsidis, Liatsikouras, Prekates, Dama, Mouzakitis, Bakoulas, Pneumonidis, Papakanellos, Kostoulas.