The Globe
Flamengo enters the relegation zone
Maracanã closes and the team will only play again on July 4th
The 2-2 draw with Internacional on Saturday at Maracanã meant that Flamengo not only maintained their winless streak at the stadium—they've now gone three matches without a win at Maracanã—but also entered the much-desired relegation zone. The team, which started the sixth round in 16th place, finished in 17th. This fact greatly disturbs the coaching staff, as coach Ney Franco made clear. Before the championship, he had planned for the team to compete for the top spots.
- Our position is uncomfortable and, according to our planning, we should be in a better position - explained the coach.
Full-back Juan also finds Flamengo's performance below expectations. He said the specter of relegation has arrived to haunt the squad at a terrible time:
"Of course, it gets in the way and makes things more difficult when you're close to relegation; it's very annoying. Our team is too good to be where it is."
The confirmation that Maracanã will be handed over today to the Pan American Games Organizing Committee and that, therefore, the games against Vasco and Juventude have been postponed, surprised Ney Franco:
"I was caught off guard. We only play Atlético-MG now, on July 4th. We'll have to take a forced break while the other teams continue to score."
Yesterday, Mayor Cesar Maia offered the Engenhão for the Vasco x Flamengo game, before the start of the Pan.
Ancelmo Gois
There goes the groom
Remember Edmundo Santos Silva, the former president of Flamengo who was accused of irregularities and ended up being removed?
He's getting married again, with a party in the upscale Vila Riso neighborhood. The bride is the beautiful Rosicléia Campos, Robson Caetano's ex, a former judoka and now the coach of the women's judo team.
Fernando Calazans
If Flamengo and Internacional are far from having teams that please our eyes, imagine them full of reserves, as they both performed on Saturday at Maracanã.
The game was poor in technique, but, considering the limitations of both, there was a lot of excitement in the second half, with four goals, even in beautiful plays.
The second half began with two absolutely pathetic incidents. Ronaldo Angelim's penalty, which he grabbed inside the box, and, even worse, Alex's tricky, clever, and slick kick—it went wide! What's with all the fuss about penalty kicks, huh?
It was Alex himself who first redeemed himself, scoring Inter's goal, in a beautiful play, in which he passed everyone, and touched the ball into the goal, a great goal!
Ronaldo Angelim, the other player, was the second to redeem himself, equalizing with a beautiful header from Juan's cross. Adriano scored the second for Inter with a move worthy of a box man, and Juan equalized again for Flamengo with a superb pass from Leonardo Moura. A happy and fitting ending to a game that started dully.
Here's a good point: our games haven't been pretty, but the goals have been there. A good point is also a good sign: that to score goals, you have to play well and beautifully. Create plays.
Without the usual attacking moves, and without good strikers, Ney Franco's team, when Renato isn't playing, can only score goals through the full-backs and with headers from defenders, as was clearly shown on Saturday.
And Toró's substitution was because he was the least bad midfielder, right? Or was he perhaps worse than Jaílton, Léo Medeiros, and Léo Lima? Oh, what a substitution, huh?
Referee Heber Roberto Lopes, simply appalling, also made the now-infamous mistake of lacking the courage to award a penalty, especially against the home team. Thirty-three minutes into the first half, Leonardo Moura awarded a clear penalty to Márcio Mossoró. To avoid awarding the penalty, the whistleblower blamed Mossoró, accusing him of simulation and handing him a yellow card.
A double error, pure cowardice, which is becoming common practice in football.
Sports Journal
Fla keeping an eye on Engenhão
President Marcio Braga schedules meeting with Cesar Maia to try to lease the stadium
Leo Schabbach
Marcos Queiroz/JS
President Marcio Braga (D) will visit Engenhão this week to make a lease proposal
After Fluminense and Botafogo, Flamengo could be the next club to enter the race to lease the João Havelange Olympic Stadium, better known as Engenhão. Yesterday, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Cesar Maia said during halftime of the International Handball Challenge held yesterday that Flamengo president Marcio Braga is expected to tour the stadium today.
The club's leader, however, gave a slightly different version. He said he spoke with the municipal secretary of Public Works and Services, Eider Dantas, to schedule a visit to Engenhão Stadium this week. They'll meet today.
"I've made an appointment with Eider Dantas, and we'll meet to see when I can make the visit. Later this week, I'll go to the stadium with my team to analyze its condition and the possibilities of leasing it," said the director, before making it clear that, despite his interest in the Engenhão stadium, his main project remains the construction of his own arena in Gávea.
"Although we're considering this lease, it's worth remembering that Flamengo still has plans to build its own stadium. Engenhão will simply be an alternative option," he said.
Furthermore, the president of Flamengo also said that he will try to find out, throughout this week, what the city hall's proposal is for the clubs to take control of the stadium.
"The Engenhão isn't just a soccer stadium; it's also an Olympic stadium. Therefore, we need to see what conditions the city government will offer us. What matters is that we will analyze all possibilities to determine whether Flamengo will enter this competition," stated Marcio.
Fla may leave Rio to start his life over
Yesterday, vice president of football Kleber Leite confirmed that the derby against Vasco will be postponed, meaning Flamengo will be sidelined until July 4th, when they face Atlético-MG at Mineirão Stadium. Today, the directors and coaching staff will meet to decide how best to utilize this period of absence.
"The game against Vasco is effectively canceled. Flamengo will not be playing from yesterday until July 4th. Tomorrow we will hold a meeting to decide what we will do," said Kleber.
In turn, coach Ney Franco believes that this break can have its positive sides.
"With this forced break, we'll have time to prepare well. We'll be able to recover some players who are struggling with physical problems and plan for a surge starting on the fourth. We'll have to adjust our plans, and there's even the possibility of leaving the city to work better with the group. The downside is that we'll be two rounds behind the other teams, and therefore, we'll likely be in a difficult position in the standings," said the coach.
Juan defends the hiring of reinforcements
Ursula Nery/JS
Left-back Juan, who avoided defeat to Internacional, praises the quality of the red-black group
Flamengo's current poor form and the specter of relegation have prompted players and coaching staff to consider reinforcements. So far, in six games, the team has only managed one victory in the competition, a 3-1 victory over Goiás, and the team's continued absences have prompted coach Ney Franco to consider potential signings.
"We are carefully evaluating which reinforcements we can bring in. We didn't have any replacements because we lost important players," said the coach, who was without Souza, who was suspended, Renato, who was injured, and Renato Augusto, who plays for the Brazilian under-20 team.
Left-back Juan, the only player to perform well in last Saturday's game, also spoke about the situation and, while defending the squad's quality, acknowledged that the arrival of reinforcements would benefit the team. "With all the players available, we have a good squad, but reinforcements are always welcome. After all, in a long championship like the Brazilian Championship, it's always good to have a reasonable number of players," Juan said.
Angelim warns that little by little the Fla defense will get better
Flamengo drew 2-2 with Inter this Saturday, missing a chance to bounce back in the Brazilian Championship. With two goals conceded in the match, the team from Gávea took over the lead as the league's leakiest defense. Ronaldo Angelim said Flamengo's defense will gradually improve.
"We usually talk, but we're still conceding a lot of goals. We'll have some time to work on it, and Neymar will fix it," the defender told Rádio Globo.
O Dia
Mengão also wants Engenhão
Mayor Cesar Maia will meet with Márcio Braga to present the stadium's facilities
Rio - Like Fluminense and Botafogo, Flamengo will enter the race to acquire the João Havelange Olympic Stadium, known as Engenhão, after the Pan American Games. According to Mayor Cesar Maia, Flamengo president Márcio Braga expressed interest in acquiring the stadium. "He called me and said he was interested in the Engenhão. He even scheduled a visit to the stadium for this Monday to see the facilities," the mayor revealed.
Despite their interest in the Engenhão stadium, both Fluminense and Botafogo have already ruled out a co-management agreement with their rivals. Flamengo shares the same view. "We have a plan to have the Engenhão stadium exclusively for the red-and-blacks," Márcio stated.
IN THE THROWING ZONE
While Flamengo's management searches for a new home for the club, the team is struggling in the Brasileirão. Yesterday's results have put Flamengo firmly in the relegation zone, causing concern for coach Ney Franco.
The problem is that the club will not play for 17 days, if the CBF confirms the postponement of the classic against Vasco, scheduled for Sunday, due to the transfer of Maracanã for the Pan-American Games.
Furthermore, the match against Juventude, scheduled for the 28th, was also postponed. The team was scheduled to return to action on July 4th, against Atlético-MG, at Mineirão Stadium. With the changes, Flamengo will play eight consecutive away matches.
Ney Franco will have a meeting with the directors today to define an offseason, if the break is confirmed. "The only positive aspect of this break is that I'll be able to recover from my injuries and, perhaps, have Renato Augusto, who is with the U-20 national team, back in the fold," said the coach, hopeful that Paulinho, Renato, and Obina, who have already recovered from knee surgery, will return to the team.
Sports Gazette
Ney Franco defends Flamengo players
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) - After escaping defeat to Inter with a last-gasp goal, coach Ney Franco came to the defense of Flamengo's players, who were heavily criticized for the result. The coach blamed the draw on the team's large number of absences from the match against Colorado. "We lost a lot of players. I don't think the substitutes lacked quality. What hindered us was the lack of rhythm. Toró, Jaílton, and Léo Lima weren't playing consistently," Ney Franco said, citing the players who replaced Renato Augusto, Souza, and Paulinho.
The coach is aware of the difficulties he has in putting together a strong team when he doesn't have his key players available, but he doesn't agree with the comments that Flamengo's squad is weak.
"We are cautiously evaluating possible reinforcements. We have no replacements because we lost important players," he concluded.
PeléNet
Flamengo ends the round in the Serie A relegation zone
Flamengo finished the sixth round of the Brazilian Championship in the relegation zone. After a 2-2 draw with Internacional-RS at Maracanã on Saturday and Santos' 2-0 victory over Juventude on Sunday, the red-and-black team moved up to 17th place in the standings with six points.
After having kept the coaching staff and a good part of the squad that finished 2006, and with the Rio State title and the good performance in the first phase of the Copa Libertadores, it was expected that Flamengo could fight for the top spots in the National Championship.
However, the team failed to win any of its home games at Maracanã: two draws (against Botafogo and Inter-RS) and one loss (to Palmeiras in its opening match). Furthermore, the team has only one win in the competition, against Goiás, away from home, in the second round.
According to coach Ney Franco, the plan he and Flamengo's board had made was for the team to be in a better position in the standings at this point in the championship. Especially since, in the recent Brazilian Championships, the team only fought to avoid relegation.
Last year, that possibility was ruled out with a few rounds to spare. And since the team had won the Copa do Brasil and a spot in the Copa Libertadores, the pressure for a better finish wasn't great.
Now, eliminated from the main South American competition - they went out in the round of 2008 this year, beaten by Defensor-URU - only if they reach the top four in this Brazilian Championship will the red-black club be able to return to the continental tournament in XNUMX.
Flamengo fights for Engenhão with Botafogo and Fluminense
Bruno Doro
Rio de Janeiro Mayor César Maia said Sunday that Flamengo should also enter the fight for control of the João Havelange Olympic Stadium, known as Engenhão. Built for the Rio Pan American Games, the facility is expected to be privately controlled after the event.
"Márcio Braga (Flamengo's president) has already contacted the city hall and should visit the stadium this Monday," explained Maia, who went to the Riocentro Complex to watch the last day of the International Handball Challenge, a test event for the facility.
According to him, Botafogo and Fluminense have already confirmed their interest in the stadium, and the bidding process is expected to be published soon. The mayor did not provide details on the bidding costs, but he has previously stated that the monthly maintenance cost of the Engenhão stadium is expected to exceed R$200.
The mayor also suggested that clubs partner with event promotion companies to financially manage the stadium. Another idea would be to use the Engenhão stadium in conjunction with another club. Botafogo has reportedly already rejected a partnership.
The interest from Rio de Janeiro clubs represents a change of heart among the club's leaders regarding the stadium. Two months ago, Flamengo's president, Márcio Braga, considered "the Engenhão is a very large stadium. It's difficult to manage a decentralized module. I don't see any club in Rio capable of managing a stadium like that."
The location was also a source of criticism. Roberto Horcades, president of Fluminense, said in April that the Engenhão stadium was "too far away, access is complicated. It's unviable." This problem, however, can be mitigated. During the Pan American Games, the stadium will be served by a light rail line, connecting the venue to downtown Rio and Barra da Tijuca.
The stadium's first test run could allow soccer clubs to closely analyze the pros and cons of the concession. César Maia said this morning that the match between Botafogo and Fluminense, scheduled for the 30th at Maracanã but postponed until December due to the stadium's closure for the Pan American Games, will likely be held at Engenhão.
Construction of the João Havelange Stadium, located in the Engenho de Dentro neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro's northern zone, cost approximately R$330 million. In addition to the soccer field, the sports complex features a running track, retail space, VIP areas, radio and TV booths, two electronic scoreboards—the most modern in Brazil—and projection screens. During the Pan American Games, the venue will host the track and field and soccer events.
BalloonSport
Fla ends round in the relegation zone
Rubro-negro is in 17th place in the standings with six points and a minus four balance
Kléber Leite talking with coach Ney Franco at Flamengo
Flamengo finishes the sixth round of the Brazilian Championship in the relegation zone. With Sunday's results, the team is in 17th place in the standings with six points and heads the relegation zone. The red-and-black club is only ahead of Sport, Náutico, and América-RN, three teams that were promoted from Série B.
Despite having the same number of points as Grêmio and Juventude, Flamengo loses the first tiebreaker. While their rivals have two wins, Flamengo has only won one. In the next round, Flamengo would face Vasco in the Rio derby.
However, due to rehearsals for the Pan American Games at Maracanã, the game will no longer take place at the stadium and is expected to be postponed by the CBF this Monday. If this is confirmed, the team's next match would not be against Atlético-MG until July 3rd at Mineirão Stadium. Flamengo is therefore considering holding a training camp outside of Rio de Janeiro.
Flamengo enters the fight for Engenhão
President Márcio Braga will visit the stadium on Monday
Lydia Gismondi
Márcio Braga called Mayor César Maia and arranged a visit to the stadium
César Maia, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, offered the João Havelange Stadium, better known as Engenhão, to Rio de Janeiro clubs. Fluminense and Botafogo were the first clubs to express interest in participating in the bidding process. According to César Maia, who attended the International Handball Challenge this Sunday, Flamengo is also beginning to consider entering the competition.
"Márcio Braga (Flamengo's president) is also showing interest in Engenhão now. He called me and scheduled a visit to the facility for Monday," the mayor said.
César Maia's proposal is to transfer the management of the Engenhão Stadium, built for the Pan American Games, to a soccer club. Botafogo has already stated that it has no intention of sharing the stadium. The battle promises to be a good one.
Throw
Flamengo also interested in Engenhão
César Maia reveals that President Marcio Braga will visit the stadium
After Botafogo and Fluminense expressed interest in the João Havelange Stadium in Engenho de Dentro, it's Flamengo's turn to enter the bidding process. The club, despite having a stadium project in Gávea, now also dreams of the Engenhão stadium, and president Marcio Braga will visit, according to Mayor César Maia.
"Botafogo and Fluminense are competing in the bidding process, and this Monday, Marcio Braga will visit the stadium. Flamengo was previously out of the bidding process, but has become interested. We could be in for a surprise if the club also competes," he commented.
The mayor intends for a soccer club to manage the stadium after the Pan American Games. The move may be to prevent foreign companies or religious institutions from taking over the Engenhão stadium.
Botafogo, in partnership with the American company AEG, will make a proposal as soon as the bidding process is released. The club plans to be the sole owner of the Engenhão stadium. Fluminense dreams of having it as the Unimed Arena, while Flamengo is interested but has not yet announced its plans. Only Vasco, which owns São Januário Stadium, would not enter the fray.
Angelim regrets goals conceded
Flamengo defender Ronaldo Angelim lamented the goals the team has been conceding in the Brazilian Championship. According to the player, only with hard work will the situation change. Angelim also said that it doesn't depend solely on the defenders, but on the entire team.
radio l! - When it comes to Flamengo, they've conceded a lot of goals. Now we have time to work, and I'm sure Neymar will get the team right for the next games," he says. (Click and listen)
For Ney Franco, Fla was brave
Despite a bitter draw against Internacional at home, coach Ney Franco defends his players. He believes Renato Augusto and Paulinho, Renato's replacements, lacked match fitness and yet gave their all until the end, earning a late draw:
radio l! - We had important absences and lost Paulinho at the last minute. There was little time to get the team back together, and the players who came in were out of match fitness. I was pleased because everyone was always looking for a result," says the coach.
Regarding the matches postponed due to the Pan-American Games, Neymar is concerned about Flamengo's new dates and venues. The manager believes he will now have more time to recover some players, but he worries about the time spent without playing and missing out on important points in the Brazilian Championship.
Juan: 'Fla can't be careless at home'
The specter of relegation is already looming over the Gávea neighborhood. In a delicate position, Flamengo could enter the relegation zone as early as this Sunday. The last four teams in the Brazilian Championship play this Sunday, and all have a chance of overcoming Flamengo. However, left-back Juan is trying to calm the spirits and reassure fans:
radio l! - It's a difficult situation, of course. We don't want to get into the relegation zone. We have a team that should be far from the bottom of the table, so I'm sure we'll be in another fight for the title - says a confident Juan. (Click and listen)
Regarding the draw against Internacional, Juan believes Flamengo played a reasonable game. The player knows he can't afford to drop points at home, but he believes Colorado is a tough team to beat.