Mailinho, scorer of Borussia's wonder goal, praises the Rex Cup crowd: "Had it been a smaller stadium, you'd see a crowd"

The goal that had leveled the score at the Estádio Municipal Coronel Juventino Dias was still being talked about when the referee blew the whistle for halftime. Mailinho, the No. 7 for Borussia who came from Três Corações, had just lobbed goalkeeper Rafael with a shot into the top corner in the 11th minute, and he was the first to speak with reporter Renato Corrêa at the halftime break of Borussia x Botafogo, on Thursday night, November 12, for the opening match of both teams in Group B of the Rex Cup 2026 (Copa Rex 2026).

"First of all, I thank God for the opportunity. I thank Borussia's management, we've already been together for three or four years", he said. He acknowledged that Botafogo had been the better side up to that point. "Their team is an excellent side. We're not far behind either, but at the moment their team was better in the game. We managed to get back into it, and the game is open for both sides."

What caught the player's attention most was the stands. Asked whether he finds crowds like this in the championships he plays in across South Minas, he answered by pointing to the stadium: "On a Thursday, tomorrow many people wake up early to go to work. It's hard to see a crowd like this one. The stands are full, the stadium is big, so it doesn't look like there are many people, but if it were a smaller stadium, you'd see a crowd."

Mailinho also praised the broadcast. "Many people who can't come to the stadium, or are even afraid to, can follow from home. Football in Lavras has grown a lot", he said.

At the end of the match, which finished in a 1-1 draw, Mailinho was also named player of the match by the Rádio Cultura team and received the trophy offered by Sicoob Copermec.

All Rex Cup matches are broadcast live on Rádio Cultura 96.5 FM and on the station's YouTube channel, with play-by-play by Júnior Murad, commentary by João Pedro Barbosa and reporting by Renato Corrêa. The full broadcast of Borussia x Botafogo is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRrcajsf2ug

The Rex Cup 2026 is sponsored by Supermercados Rex, Lavras Municipal Government (Governo Municipal de Lavras), Sicoob Copermec, Pax Carvalho, Laboratório Santa Cecília, Chopp Brahma Express, Fábrica de Óculos, Conecta Internet, Casel Materiais de Construção, 123 Car, Fadminas (Adventist College of Minas Gerais, Faculdade Adventista de Minas Gerais) and Jornal de Lavras.