The Globe
Fla bets on Maracanã to avoid complications
Team, back in the abyss, will still play ten games at home
Flamengo is back in the relegation zone, but it has 15 matches remaining until the end of the Brazilian Championship. Ten of them will be at Maracanã, including two matches against Vasco and one against Fluminense. Thirty points will be up for grabs in front of its fans, and more than ever, the team will need the support of the stands to avoid complications in the final stretch of the championship. Especially since away from Maracanã, the team has only suffered defeats.
Since Joel took over, the team has lost all four matches away from Rio - Santos 3-0, Atlético-PR 2-0, Palmeiras 2-1 and Internacional 3-0. In fact, in the entire championship, Flamengo only won once at their opponent's home ground - 3-1 in Goiás. The other victory away from Rio was over América-RN (3-1), in Juiz de Fora.
Therefore, the team's rise in the standings was entirely based on the matches at Maracanã. There, Flamengo has secured five of its seven victories so far. This perhaps explains Bruno's calm after Saturday's 3-0 loss to Internacional at Beira-Rio.
"We have to stay calm. We still have a lot of home games. Let's get the points we need to finish the championship well," said the red-and-black goalkeeper. Striker Obina, who elbowed Internacional's Índio off the ball, caught on TV cameras, will likely be reported to the Superior Court of Justice (STJD) and could be punished.
Sports Journal
Joel at the moment of truth
Flamengo's next games at Maracanã will be decisive for the coach's permanence
Nathan de Lima
Joel Santana is in the eye of the storm. He lost his temper after the humiliating 3-0 defeat to Inter.
Flamengo's next two matches, against Cruzeiro and the derby against Vasco, both at Maracanã, are crucial for coach Joel Santana's continued tenure at Gávea. The board says the coach remains highly regarded, but he is gradually losing control and the trust of his players. To make matters worse, Flamengo is in the relegation zone.
The coach, who arrived at Flamengo to repeat the recipe that worked in 2005, when he miraculously saved the team from relegation, seems to have forgotten how he managed to unite that group of players.
This year, unlike 2005, Joel has had little patience with his athletes, especially with midfielder Roger, the board's main signing for this year's Brazilian Championship.
The day after the draw against Sport, Joel Santana unleashed his anger and spared no one. After another negative result, this time a 3-0 loss to Internacional last Saturday at Beira-Rio Stadium, with yet another pathetic performance from the entire team, Joel once again showed his anger at this group of players.
“What we’re playing is a disgrace, it could only end like this,” said Joel Santana.
At halftime, with the team already trailing 2-0, Roger said that if he could rate the team in that match, he would give it a 2. The midfielder was substituted by the coach and accused of lacking competitiveness. Upon the team's arrival in Rio, when asked about the reason for the player's poor form, Joel said:
“What happened to Roger? You have to ask him,” he said.
Joel keeps releasing the machine gun
Coach Joel Santana has always been known for his calm demeanor and the "fatherly" style he always showed his players. But last Saturday's 3-0 loss to Internacional at Beira-Rio Stadium left the always good-natured coach very angry.
Upon the club's arrival in Rio, the manager was full of criticism for his players, particularly for the play that led to Colorado's first goal in the match.
The inattention of midfielder Léo Medeiros, who turned his back on the team during Léo Moura's free kick, was the main target of Joel's criticism.
"That first goal we conceded couldn't have happened in two touches. I've never seen that in my life. Léo Medeiros and Léo Moura were inattentive," said Joel Santana.
Goalkeeper Bruno, who had complained a lot about his teammates when leaving the locker room, tried to be a little more diplomatic, but the goalkeeper also took a dig at Léo Medeiros and Léo Moura.
"In football, what happens is this: when a team wins, everyone wins, and when they lose, everyone loses, but that play for the first goal was complicated. That shouldn't have happened," recalled the goalkeeper, who was one of the few players who survived the defeat to Internacional.
Ibson will be re-evaluated by Fla's doctors
The knock to his right ankle that forced midfielder Ibson out of the match against Internacional this Saturday, just six minutes into the first half, may be more serious than it appears. Club doctors will wait 24 hours to determine the severity of the injury. The player will be re-evaluated on Monday, before training at Gávea.
Jade finishes seventh on beam
Stuttgart, Germany — On the final day of the Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Brazilian gymnast Jade Barbosa performed poorly and finished seventh in the balance beam final.
Fourth to perform, Jade fell off the apparatus and compromised her score, ending her performance with a 14,575. The gold medal went to the event's favorite, American Anastasia Liukin, who achieved a score of 16,015. The silver medal was shared between two gymnasts, China's Shanshan Li and Romania's Steliana Nistor, both with 15,900. Another Romanian in the final, gymnast Catalina Ponor, took bronze with 15,700.
American Shawn Johnson, world champion in the all-around and gold medalist at the Pan American Games, was the unpleasant surprise of the event. With two falls in her performance, the American finished only eighth.
Debut\ This was Jade's first time at the World Championships. The Brazilian ended her participation in the Stuttgart World Championships with a bronze medal in the individual all-around event, a first for the country, fifth place on vault and seventh on balance beam.\
Brazil ended its participation winning just two medals, Jade's bronze and Diego Hypólito's gold on floor exercise.
O Dia
Flamengo: Name does not guarantee
Joel demands more from the 'medallions' and criticizes Roger. The risk of relegation has returned.
Rio - Outraged by Flamengo's lackadaisical and apathetic performance in the 3-0 loss to Internacional in Porto Alegre, coach Joel Santana promises tough measures this morning when the squad returns to training. Even more so after yesterday's match, with the team returning to the brink of relegation, in 16th place.
The performance of some of the big names, especially Roger, left the coach beside himself, and he guarantees that he will spare no one when it comes to making the necessary changes.
"Everyone knows Roger isn't playing well. But the one who needs to publicly discuss his performance is him, not me. It's no use having a name; he has to perform. Decisions that need to be made will be made early in the morning," he said.
Flamengo is betting all its chips on the sequence of matches it will play in Rio (six of the next seven matches) to try to avoid relegation. The Rubro-Negro has won four and drawn two of the last six matches at Maracanã.
“We have to make a difference at home, with the support of our fans,” said goalkeeper Bruno, one of the few to survive on Saturday.
Sports Gazette
Obina's elbow could lead to suspension in the Superior Court of Justice (STJD)
Porto Alegre (RS) - In addition to the 3-0 loss to Internacional at Beira-Rio Stadium, Flamengo could also lose player Obina, who was caught on TV cameras elbowing defender Índio.\ Despite having attacked the opponent out of the view of the refereeing trio, he is expected to be reported to the STJD, as has been the norm in the Brazilian Championship, and will be subject to Article 253 of the disciplinary code. The penalty ranges from a 120 to 240-day suspension.\
Internacional officials drew attention to what they saw. "I would like to come forward and report what happened. Índio was insulted throughout the game and suffered two attacks. It seems that one of them, by Obina, was caught on TV. The Superior Court of Justice (STJD) has been using images to punish athletes, and I hope that happens this time," said Giovanni Luigi in an interview with Rádio Gaúcha.
Joel Santana irritated by Flamengo's performance
Porto Alegre (RS) - Coach Joel Santana left the Beira-Rio stadium irritated by Flamengo's performance after their loss to Internacional this Saturday in the 25th round of the Brazilian Championship. One of the main reasons for the Rubro-Negro coach's irritation was the play that led to Internacional's first goal. The Rio de Janeiro team's midfield rushed a quick free kick, giving the ball to the opponent's feet. "It's impossible that some players don't know that we can't play poorly from the back. The game was indecisive and we could have managed possession better," Joel stated.
Even so, the coach considered the result fair. "It was a resilient result, and in a situation we gave them. We outlined in the pre-match talk what Inter would present, and we knew they would defend well and attack. They were much smarter than us. There's no point in even saying much; we have to correct it."
Still in Porto Alegre, Joel Santana commented on São Paulo's 2-0 victory over Vasco. He believes the São Paulo team has already won this year's Brazilian Championship. "They've opened up a lot of points and are playing like they should. I think it's very difficult for any team to take this title away from São Paulo," he concluded.
PeléNet
Red cards take Fla out of the relegation zone
From the Editorial Team\ In Rio de Janeiro\
Atlético-PR defender Rhodolfo saved Flamengo from falling into the relegation zone. Not because of what he did this round, but because of what he did five games ago, when he was sent off against Internacional. The tiebreaker criterion is the number of red cards that kept the Rio de Janeiro team out of the relegation zone, giving them an advantage over the Curitiba team.
Flamengo and Atlético-PR have the same number of points (29), wins (7), goal difference (-2), and goals scored (35). The next criterion would be the head-to-head record, in which the Paraná team has the advantage, having won 2-0 in the first round. The return leg only takes place in the penultimate round.
Perhaps for this reason, the CBF has currently chosen to consider the fifth tiebreaker criterion: the fewest red cards received. Therefore, at the end of the 25th round, Flamengo is in 16th place, ahead of Atlético-PR, which is in 17th place, the first in the relegation zone.
As Rhodolfo was the fifth Atlético player to receive a red card in the Brazilian Championship, he is the one who is tipping the balance in favor of Flamengo, which has had four red cards.
In addition to the defender, Danilo, Nei, Claiton, and Alex Mineiro were sent off for the Paraná team. For the Gávea team, Juan, Roger, and Souza received two red cards.
Flamengo still has two games in hand in its fight to stay in the top flight. The first will be played this Wednesday at 20:30 pm at the Maracanã against Cruzeiro. The other, against Vasco, will not take place until October 18th.
Fla must lose Ibson and continue without Maxi against Cruzeiro
From the Editorial Team\ In Rio de Janeiro\
Flamengo is expected to lose a key starter for next Wednesday's match against Cruzeiro at the Maracanã stadium, a postponed match from the 16th round of the Brazilian Championship: midfielder Ibson. Argentine Maxi Biancucchi is also expected to remain out of the squad due to injury.
Ibson suffered a sprained right ankle early in the match against Internacional last Saturday in Porto Alegre. The player is undergoing treatment to recover from the injury, and his release will be determined at the squad's return next Monday in Gávea. However, the athlete is unlikely to play against Cruzeiro.
"He took a very strong blow to the leg and, as a result, suffered a major sprain in his right ankle. He reported a lot of pain and I decided to take an X-ray. There was no sign of a fracture, but it was a very serious sprain. He needs rest. We'll see tomorrow [Monday]," said doctor Walter Martins to Rádio Globo.
Argentine Maxi Biancucchi will also be re-evaluated on Monday to determine if he will be fit to face Cruzeiro. The player had practically recovered from the grade-one left thigh strain he suffered during the match against Goiás five rounds ago, but he has felt the injury again and also has reduced chances of playing on Wednesday.
"Maxi had to miss the trip to the game against Inter because he felt the muscle pain again. Things have progressed well, he was already scheduled to be released, but when he kicked a ball in training, he felt discomfort again. As a precaution, we're going to keep him undergoing treatment, and tomorrow [Monday] we'll evaluate him," said the doctor.
If he really can't count on either of them in the match against Cruzeiro, coach Joel Santana should field Léo Medeiros in place of Ibson and keep Renato Augusto in Maxi's place.
BalloonSport
Cards put Hurricane in danger
Paranaenses have five expulsions in the Brasileirão, against Flamengo's four\ Cahê Mota\
Regulation states that direct confrontation is only valid after the first and second leg games
At the end of the 25th round of the Brasileirão, an unusual criterion determines the first member of the relegation zone: the number of red cards. With the same number of points, 29, Flamengo and Atlético-PR are also tied in the first three tiebreakers: number of wins, seven each; goal difference, both with minus two; and goals for, 35. However, the Paraná team has already had five players sent off in the competition, compared to the Rio team's four, and remains in seventeenth place.
"We skip the head-to-head criterion, as it only applies after 180 minutes. Nothing applies halfway; just read the regulations, which are very clear. If the second leg had already taken place, the criterion would be fully applied, but since it didn't, it's invalidated. Cards count. To avoid any doubt, a CBF employee is checking all the match reports from the last round," explains CBF competitions director Virgílio Elísio.
Click and check the correct table for the Brasileirão
Regardless of the criteria used, the doubts will be resolved next Wednesday, when Flamengo, which has two games in hand, takes the field to host Cruzeiro at Maracanã in a postponed match from the 16th round. With a win or draw, the Rio de Janeiro team will surpass Furacão in points. If the Minas Gerais team prevails, goal difference will be the key to Flamengo's return to the relegation zone.
Ibson is almost certain to miss Wednesday
Midfielder did not suffer a fracture in his right ankle, but is unlikely to face Cruzeiro
The ankle sprain Ibson suffered after a violent tackle by Internacional's Adriano just six minutes into the match on Saturday in Porto Alegre (watch the video below) puts Flamengo at risk of losing the player for Wednesday's match against Cruzeiro. The midfielder is in intensive care and will know on Monday if he'll be fit to play. "Ibson took a very strong blow to the leg and suffered a significant sprain in his right ankle. He reported feeling a lot of pain, and I decided to take an X-ray. There was no sign of a fracture, but it was a very severe sprain. He needs rest. We'll see tomorrow (Monday)," revealed doctor Walter Martins in an interview with "Rádio Globo."
Another player who will be re-evaluated this Monday is striker Maxi Biancucchi, who has been absent from the team for the last two games.
"Maxi missed the trip to the Inter match because he felt a muscle soreness again. Things have progressed well, and he was scheduled to be released, but when he kicked a ball in training, he felt discomfort again. As a precaution, we'll keep him undergoing treatment, and we'll evaluate him on Monday," says Martins.
Bruno guarantees that Fla will not be relegated
The red-black goalkeeper promises the fans that the Red-Black team will not be relegated to Serie B.
Bruno guarantees that Flamengo will not be in the relegation zone at the end of the year
After the 3-0 loss to Internacional, Flamengo could return to the relegation zone if Paraná beats Corinthians this Sunday in Curitiba at 19 p.m. A standout in the match in the South, with some fine saves, goalkeeper Bruno is one of the most bothered by the Flamengo's inconsistency, however, he makes a promise to the fans.
- We will not be in this situation until the end of the year - he guarantees.
Throw
Flamengo ends the round in the deadly zone
Paraná's victory puts Rubro-Negro in the bottom four
Joel won't be getting a good night's sleep tonight. Fla returns to the relegation zone (Photo: Ricardo Cassiano)
LANCEPRESS!
The 3-0 defeat to Internacional, this Saturday, at Beira-Rio, combined with Paraná's 1-0 victory over Corinthians, this Sunday, in Curitiba, caused Flamengo to return to the relegation zone of the Brazilian Championship.
Rubro-Negro, which was in 14th place at the start of the round, dropped three places. Flamengo remained with 29 points and saw Paraná reach 31 points, as did Figueirense, who beat Atlético-MG 2-1 on Saturday in Santa Catarina.
Not even Fluminense's 2-0 victory over Atlético-PR at the Maracanã this Sunday saved the team from Gávea from the relegation zone. Furacão and Flamengo have the same number of points, seven wins, and the same negative goal difference, but the Paraná team has the advantage in head-to-head records, having won 8-2 on August 0th at the Kyocera Arena in Curitiba.
Náutico, a direct rival in the relegation battle, thrashed Botafogo 4-1 at Aflitos Stadium and reached 27 points. Juventude lost 1-0 to Santos and remained with 26.
However, it's worth remembering that Flamengo has two games in hand over its competitors, against Cruzeiro and Vasco. Flamengo will make up one of those games this Wednesday, against the Minas Gerais team, at 20:30 p.m. at Maracanã.
Fla: second worst away campaign in the Brasileirão
Rubro-Negro is only ahead of Juventude away from home\ Rafael Ximenes\
The main reason Flamengo is fighting the relegation zone in the Brazilian Championship is its poor away form. Flamengo has the second-worst away record in the national competition, only ahead of Juventude.
There were 11 games and only one victory (3-1 over Goiás), four draws (2-2 with Sport, 1-1 with Atlético-MG, 0-0 with São Paulo and 2-2 against Corinthians) and six defeats (4-0 to Figueirense, 1-0 against Grêmio, 3-0 to Santos, 2-0 Atlético-PR, 2-1 to Palmeiras and 3-0 against Internacional). The balance is discouraging: only seven points won from a possible 33. Nine goals for and 21 against.
With Joel, the last four matches have been all defeats. Only Juventude has a worse record, despite having one more win: two wins and ten losses.
For Joel, there was a lack of responsibility
Flamengo coach felt there was a lack of tactical discipline\ LANCEPRESS!\
There was no question. Internacional's 3-0 victory over Flamengo was deserved, and the club's coach, Joel Santana, admitted the score was fair, also pointing out the reasons for the defeat at Beira-Rio:
"Our team played without discipline or responsibility. That's crucial in football these days," he said.
Joel regretted that Rubro-Negro did not take advantage of the good start to the game to score a goal, which, according to him, could have changed the course of the match.
Obina: Flamengo's tenth highest scorer in the Brazilian Championship
Striker could reach the top five on the list this year
Obina has already entered Flamengo's history (Credit: Ricardo Cassiano)
Rafael Ximenes
It's already known that striker Obina isn't in the best of shape at Flamengo. He recently underwent surgery on his left knee and has been out for most of this year's games. But with his goal last Wednesday, in the 4-1 victory over Figueirense at Maracanã, he entered the list of the club's top ten scorers in the history of the Brazilian Championship.
Obina joined Flamengo in 2005 and has already made 71 appearances for the club. He is the tenth-highest scorer with 20 goals and has won the Campeonato Carioca in 2007 and the Copa do Brasil in 2006.
Illustrious names and idols make up this list. Bebeto, with 41, is second. Shorty Romário is third, with 37 goals. But the greatest of all is Zico, with 133 goals. (See the list of players below). In fact, Zico was the club's last top scorer in a Brasileirão. In 1982, he scored 20 goals.
The red-and-black favorite's best goal-scoring performance came in 2006, when he scored three in a 4-3 victory over Fortaleza at Castelão. Another interesting fact: when Obina scored in the national competition, there were 10 wins, only one draw, and five losses.
Obina could already be among Flamengo's top five players this year. To do so, he only needs to score six goals in the remaining 15 games of the Brazilian Championship to equal Adílio, the fifth-highest scorer in the history of the national competition.
However, a potential punishment for assaulting defender Índio in Saturday's 3-0 loss to Internacional at Beira-Rio Stadium could derail the player's plans. Obina could face a suspension of 120 to 240 days.
Obina's list of goals in the Brazilian Championships for Flamengo:
2005 27 matches and six goals\ Flamengo 2x1 Santos: Obina\ Flamengo 3x4 Brasiliense: Obina (2)\ Flamengo 1x3 Atletico-MG: Obina\ Flamengo 1x1 Internacional-RS: Obina\ Flamengo 1x0 Paraná: Obina\
2006 30 matches and 11 goals\ Flamengo 2x0 Corinthians: Obina\ Flamengo 1x0 Goias: Obina\ Flamengo 1x2 Internacional-RS: Obina\ Flamengo 4x3 Fortaleza: Obina (3)\ Flamengo 4x1 Fluminense: Obina (2)\ Flamengo 1x3 Palmeiras: Obina\ Flamengo 1x3 Vasco: Obina\ Flamengo 1x0 Goias: Obina\
2007 14 matches and three goals\ Flamengo 3x1 America-RN: Obina\ Flamengo 4x0 Juventude: Obina\ Flamengo 4x1 Figueirense: Obina\
The club's top ten scorers in history in the national competition:
Zico 133 goals\ Bebeto 41 goals\ Romário 37 goals\ Nunes 34 goals\ Adílio 26 goals\ Luisinho Lemos 25 goals\ Tita 25 goals\ Nélio 21 goals\ Sávio 20 goals\ Obina 20 goals\