Ecuadorians Abroad. Gonzalo Plata scored Flamengo’s second goal in a 3-0 win at Bahia on Sunday that kept the Rio club top of the Brasileirão, four days before a Copa Libertadores semifinal decider.
A far-post header
Flamengo went in at half-time at 0-0 at Arena Fonte Nova after a string of saves from Bahia goalkeeper Ronaldo. Jorginho broke the deadlock with a penalty in the 64th minute after Jorge Carrascal was brought down, and nine minutes later Samuel Lino crossed from the left for Plata, who arrived at the far post and headed in. Lucas Paquetá completed the scoring in the 78th minute, according to the club’s match report. Flamengo said the result ended Bahia’s nine-game unbeaten run at home.
Flamengo posted on X that it was Plata’s 10th goal for the club and his third of 2026. El Crack counts 10 goals and 14 assists in 107 official games since he arrived in August 2024.
The best rating of the week
Plata played the full 90 minutes. FotMob rated him 8.66, with three shots on target, four successful dribbles, eight recoveries and two interceptions. That is the highest rating by an Ecuador national team player in the past seven days, ahead of Jackson Porozo (7.86 for Tijuana) and John Mercado (7.71 for Sparta Prague), and it makes him this week’s top performer on our Players Tracker. His Ecuador teammate Anthony Valencia stayed on the bench.
How the fans saw it
Many Flamengo fans on X shared the credit with Samuel Lino. “What an absurd assist from Samuel Lino! And Plata was lethal with the header,” wrote the fan account Fla da Opressão. Not everyone had been convinced before the goal. During the game, one fan called Plata’s place in the starting lineup “inconceivable,” and another wrote after it that Plata had been out of form since the end of the World Cup and was finally scoring again.
El Crack recalled that Plata came back to Flamengo saying the club was all that mattered to him, after a proposed move to Dynamo Moscow fell through.
What comes next
Flamengo (67 points) lead Palmeiras (66) by a point after 31 rounds, according to FotMob. On Thursday, October 22 (8:30 PM ET), they host Estudiantes at the Maracanã in the second leg of the Libertadores semifinal, after a 0-0 draw in La Plata. On Monday, October 26 (7:00 PM ET), they host Atlético Mineiro, the club of Ecuador’s Ángelo Preciado, Alan Minda and Alan Franco.
Elsewhere on Sunday in the Americas
- Bryan Ramírez was an unused substitute as FC Cincinnati lost 2-0 at home to Columbus Crew in MLS.
- José Hurtado was not in Red Bull Bragantino’s squad for their 1-1 draw at Remo.
- Keny Arroyo played 79 minutes in Cruzeiro’s 4-2 win at Grêmio (FotMob 7.19).
This week’s fixtures for every national team player are on our Schedule page.
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