ARRASCAETA starred as Flamengo won 2-1 against Cruz Azul, advancing to the semi-finals of the Intercontinental Cup. The Brazilian team will now face Pyramids FC from Egypt in the next round, with a chance to meet Paris Saint-Germain in the final next week.
The game took place at the nearly empty Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Qatar.
Flamengo capitalized on some defensive mistakes by Cruz Azul. Arrascaeta scored the first goal in the 15th minute after a bad pass from Gonzalo Piovi. He ran into the box, beat the goalkeeper, and calmly put the ball in the net.
Cruz Azul tried hard to equalize, controlled the ball a lot, and had a goal disallowed for offside.
They finally scored just before halftime when Jorge Sanchez struck a great volley after Flamengo failed to clear the ball, making it 1-1 at halftime.
Both teams kept pressing in the second half, but Arrascaeta added a second goal in the 71st minute.
A low cross from the flank caused problems for Cruz Azul's defense, and Arrascaeta calmly chipped the ball into the net. Goal-line technology confirmed the goal. Flamengo stayed strong in the final moments, with goalkeeper Agustin Rossi making some important saves.
The Libertadores champions now prepare for their match against Pyramids on Saturday, with the aim of advancing to the Intercontinental Cup final.