Flamengo produced a 2-1 victory over Macae in the pouring rain on Saturday, keeping the team undefeated in its 2009 campaign in the Rio de Janeiro state championship, Xinhua reported.
Recently signed Ze Roberto was Flamengo's savior, scoring the game wining goal. He attributed his goal to the impatience of their new head coach Cuca, who demanded more headers from the team.
"I was able to score the game winning goal because Cuca insisted that the team try to score more goals off headers," Ze Roberto said.
"He wants the team to try to put a head on the ball every time it is crossed or sent in by way of a corner kick. Fabio Luciano's cross today was the perfect opportunity for me to do exactly what Cuca wanted," he added.
It was Ze Roberto's second goal in as many games. With the victory, Flamengo secured their spot in the semifinals of the Rio de Janeiro state championship.
With the result, Cuca is expected to place many of his starting players on the bench during the next round, allowing his principal players to rest and prepare for the semifinals.