21-year-old must have deal torn up: Three things learned about Rangers in win v Atletico Mineiro
COMMENT
Rangers kicked off their Florida Cup campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro at the Orlando City Stadium. Manager Graeme Murty used different XIs in each half with only Jak Alnwick appearing either side of the break. After a subdued opening 45 minutes, Rangers burst into life after the break with Josh Windass and Andy Halliday looking lively for the Ibrox giants. Josh Windass grabbed the only goal of the game with a lovely finish from Eduardo Herrera's lay off after 68 minutes. A handful of Rangers Academy youngsters were given 45 minutes to impress with Jamie Barjonas, Aidan Wilson and Serge Atakayi all featuring for the Gers. Murty's side now face Corinthians on Saturday night as they look to close out their winter break with a second win. Here,
Football Insider
looks at three things we learned from Rangers' win over Atletico Mineiro
Click 'reveal' below to the Rangers winger whose time at Ibrox is up
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Dalcio should go back to Benfica
The 21-year-old was a surprise starter at left-back and inadvertently provided more entertainment for fans than the mascots of characters from Spongebob Squarepants who were involved in the pre-match build-up. Dalcio hasn't been seen in a Rangers jersey since making a 60 second cameo in September and isn't likely to be seen again any time soon. The Gers could easily have conceded after several mistakes by the makeshift left-back and it's probably best for everyone that his loan is terminated and he returns to Benfica. There's nowhere he'll fit in the Rangers side - nor is he good enough - so it's best for the club if they tear up his loan deal at some point this month.
Click 'next page' below to see the winger who did impress
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Atakayi has a promising future
Atakayi burst onto the scene for the Gers Under-20's in the second-half of last season with a string of goals and impressive performances. The 18-year-old winger was given 45 minutes to show what he can do and grabbed his opportunity with both hands. While he's a long way from the finished article, there's a good player there if Murty can get rid of the rough edges. Could have scored against the Brazilians and will be hoping for another chance to shine against Corinthians on Saturday.
Click 'next page' below to see deserves a special mention for their showing in Orlando
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Rangers fans will follow their club anywhere
Fans turning up at friendlies isn't anything new but Rangers fans continually take it to a new level with their dedication to cheering their heroes on - wherever they might be in the world. Almost 12 months to the day 8,000 Rangers fans made the trip to Leipzig in Germany for a mid-winter friendly, several hundred were in attendance at the Orlando City Stadium to see Graeme Murty's side take on Atletico Mineiro. Many will have made the trip from Scotland at pretty short notice and one end of the ground was awash with flag and banners from Rangers Supporters Clubs from across the planet. Sure, a trip to Florida in January is always nice but how many fans would fly across the Atlantic to see their team play in what is a glorified friendly. In other Rangers transfer news,
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