Flamengo defeated Atlético-MG 3-2 at the Maracanã on Monday, October 26, winning on a penalty converted in stoppage time. The decisive call came when referee Rodrigo José Pereira de Lima ruled that Atlético-MG full-back Renan Lodi fouled Flamengo defender Léo Pereira inside the box. Carrascal took the kick and scored.
The ruling was not unanimous among former officials. UOL consulted ex-referees, and their opinions diverged on whether the penalty should have been given at all.
Why it matters
The result returned Flamengo to the top of the Brasileirão. The club now has 70 points, one more than Palmeiras, which had taken the lead after beating Bragantino on Saturday, October 24. Because the winning goal came from a disputed penalty at the very end of the match, the decision carries weight in a title race separated by a single point.
How the sequence unfolded
According to UOL, the play began with a cross from the left. Léo Pereira went for a header at the far post but collided with Renan Lodi, and the ball stayed loose in the area. When the Flamengo defender and the Atlético-MG full-back both moved toward the loose ball, their feet met. Léo Pereira went down, and the referee awarded the penalty immediately.
The kick was taken at 51 minutes of the second half, at the edge of added time. After the call, the referee added one more minute, but Atlético-MG had no time to chase an equalizer.
Former referees disagree
Guilherme Ceretta, a referee who works in the United States, told UOL the decision was correct. He said the same contact outside the box would certainly have been a foul, and he praised Renan Lodi for admitting his mistake. Ceretta also noted that the referee had made the right call in a decisive moment, following what he described as a serious error in the Gre-Nal.
Emídio Marques, a former referee, saw it differently. He told UOL that the first foul was committed by Léo Pereira, who pushed Renan Lodi from behind, and that Lodi then struck the Flamengo player's face with his left hand in a reckless manner. In his view, the earlier foul should have been called instead of the later one, making the penalty an incorrect decision.
Ulisses Tavares, also a former referee, backed the call. He told UOL the Flamengo player was struck around the ankle in a reckless challenge by the Atlético-MG player.
Lodi accepts responsibility
Speaking to sportv after the match, Renan Lodi said the ball was in dispute and that he kicked his opponent's foot. He accepted that he had conceded the penalty. He also said the incident did not reflect what his team did during the game, calling the first half terrible and saying Atlético-MG improved afterward. Lodi noted the club is competing in three tournaments and said switching focus quickly is difficult. He added that the team now needs to rest because Thursday brings an important match against Cruzeiro, and he repeated that he accepts his mistake as part of the game.
What to watch
Palmeiras visits Santos on Wednesday, October 28, at 19:30 Brasília time at Vila Belmiro. Flamengo faces Vasco the following day, Thursday, October 29, at 20:00, with Vasco hosting at the Nilton Santos stadium.
