THE GLOBE
The first signs of new life at Flamengo
Under the command of Caio Júnior, the team begins to overcome rivals, trauma and rigidity of the scheme.
Praised for his attacking prowess, Leonardo Moura was instrumental in Flamengo's 2-1 comeback victory over Internacional on Saturday at Maracanã, scoring from the line what would have been the Gauchos' equalizer. The full-back's role reversal is the most visible part of the changes coach Caio Júnior is making after three games in charge of the red-and-black team.
"I've noticed that the midfield is far from the attack," he said, justifying the changes. "The idea is to fill the midfield more; we have players with the speed and quality to do so."
With the departure of Jaílton, who had been playing as the third defender, Leonardo Moura traded his freedom on the wing for a full-back role. The team's aggressiveness didn't diminish, however. Caio kept one fixed striker and two more wide players. Flamengo, accustomed to initiating plays down the wings, gained new rhythm with the introduction of Jônatas.
- I really liked the quality he provided, but, as he has a bit of difficulty marking, we'll have to balance that - said Caio.
Besides a nine-game drought and two months without a goal, Souza has put the disappointment of the Libertadores humiliation behind him. With two wins and a draw in his first three games, the striker is aiming high.
- If we keep this pace, we have a great chance of being champions.
Souza's wish is a demand from the fans, who held up a banner saying "The Brazilian Championship is mandatory." For Caio Júnior, winning the title is a goal that will come at the right time:
- We have goals for each stage. If the team reaches the final stretch with a chance, the fans will push us to the title.
Fernando Calazans
Flamengo fans got off to a strong start in Saturday's game against Internacional at the Maracanã. They unfurled a banner addressed to the team in the stands: "The Brazilian Championship is mandatory."
Read correctly, the phrase, which first suggests a requirement, is much more of a warning, an alert, a caution.
Because the Brazilian Championship cannot be an obligation for any team, not even Flamengo, for the simple fact that there are other equally qualified teams.
But what the banner really means is this: "We're watching you." And in this sense, it's encouraging, because it shows that the fans are more aware, more in touch with reality than the Flamengo board, which is the board of directors who are full of hype. The fans have already seen, they've already experienced firsthand what hype leads to: it leads to the Libertadores disaster.
So, the fans don't want any more factoids, marketing delusions, or bravado. The banner sends a message: the fans want seriousness. It's great that the fans show they no longer accept being manipulated by idle talk and fantasy.
To get the results the fans demand, Flamengo's team can be anything but what it was in the first half: a pack.
A team riddled with defensive midfielders who don't know how to play. A team, therefore, that can't play. And that didn't play. And that was even lucky to end the first half trailing only 1-0, thanks to a beautiful play by two Inter players Flamengo doesn't have in that league: a number 10, like Alex, and a number 9, like Nilmar.
To get the results the fans demand, Flamengo has to be the team of the second half—this one, indeed! When Caio Júnior replaced one of the midfielders who didn't know how to play with the only one who did: Jônatas. But, as well as Jônatas played—and he did—he couldn't have been the only one who brought about that entire transformation at Flamengo. Even if he were a Didi or a Zico.
Of course, Caio Júnior, in addition to making the necessary substitution, reshuffled the team at halftime. It was a different Flamengo—the Flamengo the fans want—and within just 10 minutes, they secured a 2-1 victory with goals from Marcinho and Souza, the latter a fine play from Tardelli.
There was another Flamengo goal, which didn't make the scoreboard: the goal that Léo Moura saved at the end, clearing the ball off the line, in sensational fashion, in one of Nilmar's beautiful area plays.
The other players who came on, Obina and Renato Augusto, didn't play well. But the second half was good, and Flamengo's victory was beautiful.
SPORTS JOURNAL
A new Flamengo is being born
Taking advantage of the trauma of the Libertadores defeat, Caio Júnior changes the team's profile
Eduardo Lacombe and Bernardo Peirão
Ursula Nery/JS Archive - 23/5/08
Caio is working hard to change the way Flamengo plays
The loss to América of Mexico, which culminated in elimination from the Copa Libertadores, turned Flamengo into a pressure cooker, even just days after winning the Rio de Janeiro championship. A seemingly disastrous scenario for coach Caio Júnior, who, upon his arrival, talked about becoming a world champion, only to take over the team in the midst of a crisis.
After a few weeks, it's clear that the elimination brought at least one positive aspect to Caio's work: greater freedom to tweak what Joel was doing. With disappointment palpable among all the red-and-black fans, changes were necessary. With this, Caio gained the full support to make the changes.
Although the first few games haven't changed drastically, the coach has already announced that he will change the current formation, giving new players opportunities. Especially Jônatas, whose performance has been praised.
"I'm going to change this formation by putting more players in midfield. In the second half of the match against Internacional, we won the midfield because we populated that area," said the coach, who, however, didn't reveal what changes he will make. According to him, it will first be necessary to study the Fluminense team that will take the field. But he offers a tip: "I usually tell the players that each lineup depends on their participation in the game."
Flamengo's historic victory
In a match valid for the Women's State Futsal Championship, Rubro-Negro beats Vasco
Mariana Land and Eduardo Vieira
Wallace Teixeira /JS
The girls from Vasco and Flamengo played a very competitive match yesterday in Gávea
The small crowd that turned out yesterday afternoon at the Gávea gymnasium was able to witness Flamengo's impressive victory over rival Vasco in the Rio de Janeiro Women's Futsal Championship. The home team gave their opponents no chance, winning by a resounding 8-2. With this victory, Flamengo is one step closer to qualifying for the next stage of the competition.
Despite playing at their opponent's home ground, Vasco was undaunted early on and attacked Flamengo, engaging the red-and-blacks with a strong play. Flamengo, however, refused to let the Vasco da Gama's play increase, and began a comeback.
Emotion\ In the 11th minute of the first half, Flamengo's Gleice missed a great chance in front of goal. But 30 seconds later she succeeded and opened the scoring. Soon after, Tati scored the second, due to a poor marking by the opponents.\
Trailing, the visitors called a timeout, but to no avail. Shortly after the restart, Flamengo stole the ball in midfield, and Gleice scored again, making the first half 3-0.
"The rivalry between Flamengo and Vasco is always there, and it ends up being a factor that motivates us to seek victory. I'm very happy to have been able to do everything my coach instructed me to do and that I trained. We had a lot of desire and determination the whole time, and that's how we achieved this victory. The next games should be very difficult too, and we'll continue training hard to stay strong in the competition and treat each match as if it were a final," said Gleice, one of the team's standouts.
In the second half, the Vasco players came back more motivated. But their eagerness to score the first goal got in the way, and they conceded another penalty.
Vasco still managed two goals, one own goal and one from Rebeca. But the comeback didn't last long, and Flamengo scored three more, rounding off the rout.
HATES
Changes in sight at Fla
Rio - Souza lifted a weight off his shoulders after scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Internacional, ending an eight-game goal drought. Meanwhile, Caio Júnior is beginning to shed Flamengo's label as "Daddy Joel's" team. After three games in charge—two wins and one draw—the new coach is beginning to make changes and impose his philosophy on the team.
On Sunday, against Fluminense, the team is expected to make changes. Jaílton, booed by the fans and replaced by Jônatas in the match against Internacional, is in the hot seat. This means the defensive midfielder, who has been languishing on the bench, will begin to get more opportunities.
"The trend is to change the formation, with more players in midfield. In the second half of the match against Internacional, we won the midfield because we filled the area," the coach analyzed.
Caio Júnior, however, didn't want to anticipate any changes, as he has the week off to prepare the team for the derby. Since he's playing in the Libertadores semifinal against Boca Juniors—the return leg will be three days after the Fla-Flu match—Tricolor will field a squad full of reserves and juniors.
"I don't want to comment on the game against Fluminense. We still have the whole week to work. As I tell the players, each player's starting lineup depends on their participation in the game and training," he stated.
Dininho's presentation is scheduled for today. Íbson and Kléberson, who are recovering from injuries, will return to training in the coming days.
SPORTS GAZETTE
Caio Júnior praises midfielders and makes a mystery about the classic
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) - After the victory over Internacional, Flamengo is starting to prepare for the derby in the next round of the Brazilian Championship. However, coach Caio Júnior avoided making predictions for the match against Fluminense and didn't even confirm whether Jônatas could be a new starter. "I'm not going to talk about Fluminense or what will happen during the week. I've always said that players choose their lineups for games based on how they perform. Jônatas never complained internally. I just told him to be prepared because I'd give him a chance. And I really liked that," he commented.
Jônatas came on during the match against Internacional, replacing Jaílton, and performed well. However, neither of them is guaranteed a spot in the team. Caio Júnior praises the quality of his midfielders, to whom he attributes the victory over Colorado.
"We have a lot of quality midfield players, like Jônatas, Cristian, Toró... We won the midfield in the second half and managed to get the victory," analyzed the coach, who celebrates the Gauchos' victory as if it were a "final" of the Brazilian Championship.
"It was a direct clash. Even with some absences, they're very strong. Just mention Nilmar and Fernandão up front and you think of the Brazilian national team. We overcame three opponents who could be contenders: Santos, despite playing with reserves, Grêmio, who we drew, and today. This victory boosts morale, including with the fans," he concluded.
PELENET
Striker Souza is relieved that his goal drought is over
From UOL Esporte\ In Rio de Janeiro\
Relief. That was Souza's feeling after Flamengo's 2-1 victory over Internacional on Saturday at Maracanã in the third round of the Brazilian Championship. The striker, who scored the second goal in the victory, hadn't scored in nine matches.
The last time the number 9 scored was on March 22. On that occasion, Souza scored the first goal in Flamengo's 2-0 victory over Cabofriense, in the fifth round of the Taça Rio, the second round of the State Championship.
"It was important to score the goal. It will give me peace of mind to work. I always had help from my teammates and knew that at some point the ball would go in. I was really struggling with that," he said.
Souza's goal drought wasn't unique to Rio de Janeiro. Fluminense striker Washington also experienced a similar situation and ended his drought by scoring twice in Wednesday's 3-1 Libertadores victory over São Paulo. Wellington Paulista, meanwhile, is still struggling with the situation. Souza hopes the club can also put an end to its bad run.
"Washington went through this and scored two goals. I was lucky against Internacional. I hope Wellington Paulista's bad streak ends too," he analyzed.
Finally, Souza reassured the fans. He left the Maracanã pitch 20 minutes into the second half, feeling pain in his right foot. However, if it's up to the striker, he won't be a problem for the derby against Fluminense, on June 1st, at 18:10 pm, at the same stadium, in the fourth round of the Brazilian Championship.
"It was just a little pain in the tendon of my foot. I don't think this is a cause for concern for the coaching staff," concluded the "killer" from Gávea.
GLOBOESPORTE
Caio Júnior approves Jônatas' return
After being out of action for almost two months, the midfielder says he did his job well against Inter
From news agencies in Rio de Janeiro
Jônatas' performance pleased Caio Júnior
Jônatas's performance in the second half of Flamengo's 2-1 victory over Internacional this Saturday at Maracanã in the Brazilian Championship was celebrated by the player and praised by coach Caio Júnior. The midfielder, who hadn't played since March 26, came on in place of Jaílton and added more quality to the team.
"I came in with the goal of maintaining possession and supplying the attackers. I managed to fulfill my role," he said.
Coach Caio Júnior avoided commenting on the possibility of Jônatas starting in the derby against Fluminense next Sunday. But he highlighted the midfielder's performance.
"I'm not going to talk about Flu. Players are chosen according to the game. I really liked Jônatas, who brought quality to the team," he said.
THROW
Dininho: presentation should be this Monday
The defender was announced last week and was waiting for test results to be confirmed.
Dininho was announced by Flamengo last week
LANCEPRESS!
Finally, defender Dininho is expected to be presented at Flamengo this Monday. The player was announced last Monday, underwent medical examinations last week, and was scheduled to wear the club's jersey for the first time on Friday. However, since the results of these tests weren't ready in time, Flamengo's doctors preferred to wait before clearing the player's signing.
The official announcement is expected this Monday afternoon, shortly after Flamengo's training session. Dininho will fill the vacancy left by Rodrigo, who had limited chances in the Rubro-Negro starting lineup due to an injury and was traded to São Paulo. Flamengo's new defender was Caio Júnior's player last year at Palmeiras and was not being used by the São Paulo club.
The club's vice-president, Kléber Leite, has already announced that Dininho should be Flamengo's last signing for this Brazilian Championship.
Caio Júnior is already thinking about Fluminense
Coach hopes team is ready for next match, also at Maracanã
LANCEPRESS!
With Internacional's comeback victory at Maracanã this Saturday, coach Caio Júnior analyzed the game. Lately, the team had been playing more defensively, a hallmark of the current coach. Caio, however, says he will prepare the team for attack.
radio l! - The first half was all Inter. Especially in the marking. Flamengo was only playing on the counterattack. I made changes at halftime because I want to change the team's defensive formation - said the Rubro-Negro coach. (Click and Listen More)
Caio Jr. hopes the team is ready for the next round of the Brasileirão. The match will be next Sunday, also at the Maracanã Stadium, against Fluminense.
Caio Júnior approves Jônatas' return to the team
The midfielder came on in the second half in place of Jaílton and was spot on in the midfield in the victory against Inter
Jônatas had not played for Flamengo since March 26th
LANCEPRESS!
Jônatas's second-half introduction in Saturday's 2-1 Brazilian Championship victory over Internacional at Maracanã drew celebrations from both Jônatas and coach Caio Júnior. The defensive midfielder, who hadn't played since March 26, replaced Jaílton and brought a new level of quality to the team.
"I came in with the goal of maintaining possession and supplying the attackers. I managed to fulfill my role," he said.
Coach Caio Júnior said this victory boosts the team's morale and hinted that he will make changes for the derby against Fluminense on Sunday.
"I'm not going to talk about Flu. Players are chosen according to the game. I really liked Jônatas, who brought quality to the team," said Caio.
Fans demand: 'Brazilian is an obligation'
More than 27 Flamengo fans support the team but demand that Flamengo win the title. Elimination from the Libertadores still hurts.
Banner demanding the title
LANCEPRESS!
The reunion with the team showed how much Flamengo fans still feel skeptical after their elimination from the Copa Libertadores. Fans turned out in good numbers and expressed a desire to forget what happened and focus on the Brazilian Championship.
And the pressure to achieve a strong championship campaign was evident in this first game with fans at the Maracanã. A banner hung in the stands declaring that "The Brazilian Championship is mandatory."
That's what sales representative Luís Bravo, 35, thinks.
"It's over. Flamengo messed up, but this trauma will only go away when the team wins something," he said.
Physical Education student Flávio Santos, 29, was another who seemed uncomfortable.
"The fans are still traumatized. Losing to that team, and the way it happened... Only with the title will this distrust end," he stated.
Salesman Luiz Antônio Tavares, 50, was more understanding:
"For me, it's over. I'm used to defeats and victories. I've been playing for 40 years at Maracanã. Didn't Pelé's Santos lose? Let's turn the page and move forward."
But not all fans were understanding. Early in the first half, Jaílton was booed.
CLOSED BEAK
Alexandre Pato was at Maracanã yesterday, but was banned from giving interviews by a sponsor. The Milan striker watched his former club Internazionale's game alongside his fiancée, actress Sthefany Brito. On his way out, he relied on a Suderj (Rio Grande do Norte State) stretcher and a black passenger car to help him leave undisturbed.