The Globe
Joel's restart at Fla is disappointing: Santos 3-0
The coach's debut is marked by the same mistakes as the Ney Franco era
SANTOS, SP. The reaction to Joel Santana's return to Flamengo, his fourth term as manager, went downhill, along with the rain that fell at Vila Belmiro yesterday afternoon. On a soggy field and slippery turf, Flamengo once again stumbled on defensive lapses and left Santos drenched, losing 3-0. With this result, Flamengo remains in 19th place in the Brazilian Championship, still languishing in the relegation zone.
The Rio de Janeiro team's threat of good football only lasted for the first 20 minutes, during which they barely managed to maintain control. They didn't threaten Santos, but they did have control of the ball, relying on the energy and enthusiasm of debutant Ibson. But Ibson playing well alone couldn't perform miracles. Roger only didn't come out with a clean uniform because it was raining.
Today's trial defines Souza's future
Up front, Renato Augusto couldn't find space, and his full potential was once again limited because it's clear he doesn't feel comfortable playing with his back to the defense. And so, lacking talent and inspiration, Joel's Flamengo was exactly like Ney Franco's. So much so that in the 21st minute, when Leonardo Moura let Pedrinho receive the ball free to shoot into the left corner, Bruno, history began to repeat itself.
To make matters worse, at 32, in another defensive error, Marcos Aurélio received a beautiful pass from Alessandro and shot across goal, again leaving Bruno with no chance.
During the break, Ibson said:
- We had possession of the ball, but we conceded a silly goal and lost our way.
The rookie's warning made sense. In another silly play, five minutes into the second half, after an unnecessary foul on Kleber Pereira, his namesake Kléber hit the left corner past Bruno, sealing the score, which remained unchanged because Santos from then on controlled the game without any offensive ambition. Joel still tried to reinforce his attack, bringing on Paulo Sérgio and the Argentine Maxi, but ran into the familiar blackout.
Today, after Renato's departure for Arab football, the red-and-black team may have another absence. Souza will be tried tonight by the Superior Court of Justice (STJD) for his red card against Grêmio. Charged under two articles (253 and 254, physical assault and violent play), the minimum sentence for both cases is 120 days. Since he is not a first-time offender, having been sent off for assaulting a Figueirense player, he may be sidelined for the remainder of the competition, which raises the possibility of the club terminating his contract.
Yellow cards: Roger, Dionysio.
Fernando Calazans
Flamengo's team is so bad! Whether it's a well-organized defense, like it was during Ney Franco's time, or a disorganized defense, like it was yesterday on Joel Santana's first day, Flamengo is a very bad team.
As I've written before, the greatest responsibility lies with the managers, who made so many, so many, and such poor signings. Football managers, if they truly understand football, must know how to discuss the capabilities of the players they sign—and not passively accept every recommendation made by coaches, as if they were the main sponsors or the main leaders of the club. They can't be.
The result is that Flamengo's current roster is abysmally poor. Yesterday, I mentioned a number of players who have played for the club in recent months, based on their bizarre, folkloric names. But it's not just those. The team that suffered a 3-0 drubbing at Santos featured names that shouldn't be in a Flamengo starting lineup. Irineu, Ronaldo Angelim, Jaílton, Cristian—what could that be? Flamengo isn't it. The team's star player, the fans' favorite, is Obina running with the ball and everything along the touchline? Then it's not Flamengo.
How long has it been since Leonardo Moura made a play? And Juan?
Renato Augusto didn't make a single hit yesterday. Not a single play, not a single shot. Ney Franco had Renato Augusto in the wrong position, and Joel kept him in the wrong position.
Either someone puts Renato Augusto in the right position, as the fourth midfielder, or Flamengo will sacrifice another of its (few) revelations, who no longer plays as much as he, Renato Augusto, and the board think he does.
Santos didn't even need to play much—in fact, they only played in the first half. In the second, after Kléber's free kick goal, their third, Santos passed the time carefreely, as they faced no threat from the weak and harmless Flamengo team.\ A team that isn't Flamengo.\
Sports Journal
For Joel Santana, the rout was an exaggeration
The 3-0 loss to Santos yesterday at Vila Belmiro was definitely not in the plans of coach Joel Santana, who was playing his first match as Flamengo manager. However, the coach felt the match's result didn't reflect what was seen during the 90 minutes.
"I thought the game was balanced, but we made a lot of mistakes that ultimately cost us the defeat. We need to make some changes quickly to avoid making things worse. We can't play the way we did," analyzed Joel.
Supporter Ibson, who made his debut in yesterday's game, knows that the club's situation is critical and that relegation to Serie B is becoming a reality, but he made a point of making an appeal to the fans.
"At this point, there's no point in fans criticizing, because only we can get the team out of this situation. We have to unite all forces, because Flamengo is a big club and doesn't deserve to be in this position," explained the midfielder.
On Wednesday, Flamengo will face another challenge: Atlético-PR at Arena da Baixada.
Flamengo is humiliated by Santos at Vila Belmiro: 3-0
In the return of Joel Santana and Íbson, the team plays poorly once again
Thiago Bokel
Fla didn't see the color of the ball at Vila Belmiro
Flamengo still couldn't break its 31-year streak of not beating Santos at Vila Belmiro. With a crushing 3-0 defeat, the club sank deeper into crisis and is increasingly far from escaping the relegation zone.
Flamengo started the game with the determination of those desperately needing a win to get out of this dire situation as quickly as possible. Dominating the action from the start, the team exploited the flanks well, and Renato Augusto, playing on the right, gave the Santos defense plenty of trouble.
Despite their initial dominance, Flamengo couldn't create any scoring chances, except for one, when Renato Augusto again fired a weak shot after receiving a good pass from Ibson. Soon after, in the 20th minute, Santos, who had until then seemed overwhelmed by the Flamengo's offensive play, found their goal. Marcos Aurélio provided a good pass to Pedrinho, but Juan and Irineu couldn't reach the ball, and the midfielder fired a cross-shot to open the scoring.
From then on, Flamengo retreated and returned to its recent poor form. Santos, on the other hand, woke up and began to dominate the match. Showing desperation, Juan poorly cleared a cross into the Flamengo box, and on the rebound, Alessandro, a Flamengo youth academy product, fired a powerful shot, forcing Bruno to make a fine save.
The same Alessandro, in the 32nd minute, made a good individual play and launched Marcos Aurélio, Juan again failed to cut it out and the striker entered the area freely to shoot without any chance for goalkeeper Bruno, increasing Santos' advantage.
The second half began much like the first, with Flamengo pushing forward more but failing to create any real danger. Santos, showing the same efficiency, doubled the lead in the fifth minute: Kléber's beautifully taken free kick gave Bruno no chance.
Worry
Shortly after, the full-back again delivered a superb pass to Marcos Aurélio, who crossed perfectly, but Kléber Pereira couldn't finish powerfully. Concerned about his team's lackluster play, coach Joel Santana replaced defensive midfielder Jaílton with Paulo Sérgio, and shortly after, Argentine Biancucchi made his debut, replacing Roger.
The changes, however, had no effect and Flamengo suffered their eighth defeat in 13 games in this Brazilian Championship, having to listen to the Santos fans chant “ão ão ão segunda Divisão”.
Ibson says that Gávea will always be his home
Midfielder Ibson, back at the club that revealed him, praised the other reinforcements and noted that it won't take long for him to gel with his teammates.
"Flamengo made some good signings. Roger and Cristian arrived. We had a full week to work, and that's great. With quality players, it doesn't take much time for the team to gel," Ibson told Rádio Globo.
The supporter commented on his three seasons at Porto and said that when he learned of Flamengo's interest, he didn't think twice about returning to Gávea.
"My time in Portugal was very good. In the first season, I arrived near the end and played the remaining 15 games. In the second season, we were champions, and I played a lot. In the third, I had injuries, and the coach left me on the bench. When I heard about Flamengo's interest, I spoke to my father and decided to return. Flamengo has always been and always will be my home," the midfielder declared.
O Dia
Santos wins and sinks Fla in Joel's return
SANTOS, SP - Flamengo fans, who put all their faith in the hiring of coach Joel Santana, thinking the team's poor run would finally end, must be very worried. In the first game under the coach, who is managing the team for the fourth time, Flamengo played poorly and was rightly thrashed by Santos 3-0 at Vila Belmiro.
To make matters worse, Joel was caught on TV at the side of the field at the end of the game, ordering his players to hit the opponent, who was practicing an 'olé'. With this result, the Rio de Janeiro team remains in the relegation zone, second to last in the Brazilian Championship, with 13 points.
Until the 15th minute of play, the Flamengo and Santos goalkeepers hadn't made a single save. Isolated up front, Obina had no ammunition, despite a few runs from Renato Augusto on the right. Santos, on the other hand, played with more organization and purpose. And with their first shot on goal, in the 25th minute, Santos opened the scoring. Marcos Aurélio ran down the left and shot from outside the box. Full-back Leonardo Moura tried to clear the ball, but the ball fell to Pedrinho, who crossed the ball and scored Santos' first goal.
Flamengo, already struggling in the match, retreated, allowing the opposing team to press. The result could only be Santos' second goal. In the 32nd minute, Alessandro sent the ball into the box, Jaílton tried to clear it, but ended up giving Marcos Aurélio space to double the lead.
The second half began exactly as the first ended: with Santos pressing Flamengo. And just five minutes in, Kléber took a precise free kick to increase the score to 3-0. A minute later, Flamengo's first and only good play: Renato Augusto crossed, Fábio Costa came out of goal poorly, and Obina headed, but the Santos defense saved.
From then on, Santos simply managed the result, as Flamengo showed no signs of fighting back. The midfield didn't produce a single good play (Roger and Ibson were both useless), the defense, as always, was abysmal, and Obina, alone in attack, without receiving the ball, would only have scored by a miracle.
Faced with such incompetence, the Santos team, which didn't even play that well, was left to give the disoriented Flamengo fans a hard time. Irritated, Joel Santana ordered the team to fight: "If this nonsense starts, beat them up." Joel and the Flamengo fans still have plenty of trouble ahead.
Sports Gazette
Santos prevails at Vila Belmiro and crushes Flamengo
Marcelo Cazavia
Santos (SP) - This time, Santos didn't scare its fans and left Vila Belmiro this Sunday with its second consecutive victory in the Brazilian Championship, beating Flamengo 3-0. The result leaves Santos with 24 points, compared to 12 for Flamengo, who lost again after two matches. In the next round, the black and white team from the beach will try to get even closer to the Copa Libertadores qualification zone by hosting Paraná at home on Thursday. The day before, the Rio de Janeiro team will travel to Curitiba to face Atlético-PR, still with no chance of leaving second-to-last place.
Playing in a 4-5-1 formation, Flamengo started tactically much better and had more possession, but they barely managed to advance beyond the halfway line. The few opportunities they did, it was down the right flank, with Leonardo Moura, Cristian, and Renato Augusto all playing in that area. Santos, on the other hand, struggled to exchange passes and was limited to neutralizing their opponents.
Despite the red-black superiority, the first real dangerous move of the match came only in the 19th minute, when Renato Augusto received a deep pass on the left side of the area and, instead of finishing, tried to cross to Obina in the middle, making it easier for the black-and-white defense to cut out.
Peixe's response was immediate, and with much more quality. In the 20th minute, Marcos Aurélio fought for the ball on the left wing, attempted a shot, and it ended up falling to Pedrinho, who controlled it and fired a powerful cross, giving Bruno no chance: 1-0.
The home side woke up and had a great opportunity to extend their lead four minutes later. Marcos Aurélio crossed from the left, the ball went past Kléber Pereira, and Alessandro appeared on the right side of the box to try his luck with his left foot, forcing a good save from Bruno.
At this point, Kléber began to position himself more in the midfield, while Dionísio ventured to left-back – the change was one of the weapons planned by coach Wanderley Luxemburgo.
Rubro-Negro continued without shooting on goal and the punishment for the lack of objectivity came in the 32nd minute, when Alessandro launched Marcos Aurélio on the right side of the area and the shot went across, once again far from Bruno's reach: 2-0. Fábio Costa was only called upon in the 36th minute, to place a free kick taken by Jaílton in the middle of the goal.
The two teams returned with the same lineup for the second half. And the net shook again just six minutes in, with a perfect free kick from Kléber that found Bruno's left corner: 3-0.
In the 13th minute, Adoniran made a good play down the right and crossed for Kléber Pereira to finish under pressure from the defense. Despite its weak clearance, the ball fell close to the crossbar, which the goalkeeper managed to make a save. Then, rookie coach Joel Santana sent on striker Paulo Sérgio in place of Jaílton.
Santos then slowed down and waited longer for Flamengo to attack in their own half so they could launch quick counterattacks. The strategy was perfect, especially since, despite passing the ball around, the Rio de Janeiro team still couldn't find a shot on Fábio Costa's goal.
In the 20th minute, Luxemburgo strengthened the defense with the introduction of defensive midfielder Adriano in place of midfielder Pedrinho. Dionísio remained at full-back and Kléber in the middle. In the 26th minute, Joel changed again, opting to replace Roger with Argentine forward Maxi, cousin of Barcelona star Messi.
The game's scenario at this point was exactly the same as at the start of the first half: Flamengo had more possession, frequenting the midfield, but failing to threaten Fábio Costa's goal. Satisfied with the result, Peixe simply waited for the clock to tick down.
In the 37th minute, the Santos coach decided to make two changes. Dionísio, suffering from a groin injury, was replaced by midfielder Rodrigo Tabata, while Marcos Aurélio was replaced by midfielder Vitor Junior. The changes made the home team faster, but there were no significant scoring chances until the final whistle.
PeléNet
STJD ruling could remove striker Souza from the Brazilian Championship
From the Editorial Team\ In Rio de Janeiro\
Striker Souza, who did not even travel with the Flamengo delegation to Santos due to pain in his right thigh, will be tried this Monday at the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD). The athlete was sent off in the match against Grêmio on June 22nd after hitting midfielder Tcheco with an elbow.
However, the player's situation could become even more complicated, as after receiving the red card, Souza slapped his opponent in the head off the field. As a result, the striker was charged under two articles: 253 and 254. The first for physical assault and the second for violent play.
If convicted under Article 253, the red-and-black athlete could be suspended and out of action for 120 to 540 days. If punished under Article 254, the player's suspension is lighter: two to six matches.
It is worth remembering that Souza had already been sent off in this Brazilian Championship, in Flamengo's defeat to Figueirense, on June 10th.
On that occasion, the player was suspended for two games after hitting a player from the Santa Catarina team with a kick. The athlete's trial is scheduled for Monday at 18 p.m.
Luxembourg downplays Joel Santana's statements
From the Editorial Office\ In São Paulo\
Coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo made a point of downplaying Joel Santana's remarks during Santos' victory over Flamengo last Sunday at Vila Belmiro. For the club's manager, what the rival coach said is normal and shouldn't be viewed as controversial.
In the final moments of the match, when the black and white club was already winning the match 3-0, Joel Santana showed great irritation on the bench and ordered his players to hit the Santos players if they kept touching the ball to the side.
According to Luxemburgo, this is common in football as long as the opponents aren't unfair. "This is normal in the game. You just can't ask to hurt anyone, but asking to play hard isn't a problem," he commented.
After the match, the red-and-black coach also explained his approach. "If, even if a team wins, they play forward all the time, they can even win with six. But if they start playing sideways, it gets complicated. I just asked my team to have more attitude," Joel stated.
Flamengo and Santos return to action this week for the 18th round of the Brazilian Championship. On Wednesday, the Rio de Janeiro team faces Atlético-PR away from home. Santos plays Paraná the following day at Vila Belmiro.
Joel regrets the result, but believes in Fla's recovery
From the Editorial Team\ In Rio de Janeiro\
Defeated for the first time in his debut as Flamengo coach, Joel Santana lamented the mistakes made by the Flamengo defense in Sunday's loss to Santos at Vila Belmiro. According to the coach, his team was deeply affected by the opponent's first goal, scored by midfielder Pedrinho.
"Until the 20th minute, the game was balanced. We weren't doing badly, but the team really felt the goal and it took us a while to recover from it. In the second half, we changed our style of play, but there was a foul early on and Kleber hit a great shot," lamented the coach.
In 19th place and in the relegation zone, Flamengo is only ahead of América-RN in the Brazilian Championship standings. However, the red-and-black team still has games in hand. Despite the difficulties, Joel Santana still believes in the Gávea club's recovery in the national competition.
"I know the situation is difficult, but we can recover. Sometimes you win a match and make a mistake later on, but not now, because we lost and that can't happen again," said the coach.
Next Wednesday, Flamengo will play away from home again. The red-and-black team will face Atlético-PR at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba at 21:45 p.m.
Flamengo's newcomers are discreet at Vila Belmiro
From the Editorial Team\ In Rio de Janeiro\
The 3-0 loss to Santos, which kept Flamengo on 12 points and in second-to-last place in the Brazilian Championship, marked several debuts for the Gávea team. However, none of the newcomers were able to do anything to prevent the team's fifth loss in the national competition.
On the bench, Joel Santana, in his fourth stint with the club, yelled, gesticulated, got rained on, and complained about his defense, which, according to the coach, allowed the opponent's first two goals. "We can't make mistakes like that," he raged.
However, by deploying the team in a 4-5-1 formation, he left striker Obina isolated up front, and he was trapped by the São Paulo defenders. During the second half, he tried to correct this by bringing on Paulo Sérgio and Maxi Biancucchi, but by this point the score was already 3-0.
Maxi, by the way, made his debut in the red and black jersey. A cousin of Barcelona star Lionel Messi, the Argentine came on in the 26th minute in place of Roger and created little, despite showing fighting spirit.
Among the day's newcomers, the standout performer was Ibson. Although he didn't shine, the midfielder, who returned to the club after two and a half years in Portuguese football, playing for Porto, tried to lead the team forward and fought hard in midfield.
Even though he was playing his first match, he played the full 90 minutes and asked the fans for encouragement to help the team leave the bottom of the table.
"We're a big team and we should be fighting for the title, not relegation, but the fans have to keep believing. I know that only we players can get Flamengo out of this situation, but we need their support," said Ibson, who didn't consider the result fair:
"Anyone who watched the game knows that we controlled the ball and put pressure on Santos, but two of our mistakes resulted in us conceding two goals. Then in the second half, they scored a free kick and won. Santos must have had three shots on goal during the entire match."
Flamengo's next match will be away again. This Wednesday at 21:45 p.m., the club faces Atlético-PR at Arena da Baixada.
In his fourth season, Joel suffers his first defeat in his debut
From the Editorial Team\ In Rio de Janeiro\
With the loss to Santos this Sunday at Vila Belmiro, coach Joel Santana suffered his first setback in his debut with Flamengo. In his fourth stint at the Gávea club, Joel had won once and drawn twice in his previous debuts as Flamengo coach.
In his first stint, in 1996, the coach led Flamengo for the first time in a 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund of Germany in the Euro-America Cup. In 1998, Joel Santana had better luck and again beat Botafogo 3-0 in the Rio State Championship.
In 2005, Joel Santana was hired to save Flamengo from relegation. In his first official match, in that year's Brazilian Championship, the coach led the team to a 2-2 draw with Juventude in Caxias do Sul.
Defeated this Sunday by 3-0 at Vila Belmiro, the coach lamented the team's mistakes that culminated in the goals of the São Paulo opponent.
"The game was evenly balanced, but we made a lot of mistakes. When you make mistakes you end up conceding goals," lamented Joel Santana, who arrived to replace Ney Franco, who was fired after the 2-2 draw with Corinthians last weekend.
Flamengo's first goal this afternoon saw the ball fall freely to Pedrinho to open the scoring at Vila Belmiro, just as it did for the São Paulo team's second, when Marcos Aurélio, alone in the penalty area, scored Santos' second. The third was scored by Kleber, on a free kick.
BalloonSport
Santos' 'cooling off' bothers Joel
Coach demands action from his team after seeing the host satisfied with the result
Carolina Elustondo
Flamengo was defeated by Santos 3-0 this Sunday at Vila Belmiro in the Brasileirão. The home team decided the score five minutes into the second half, when Kléber scored the third with a free kick. After that, they began to control the match. Flamengo coach Joel Santana was displeased with his rival's "cooling off" and demanded action from his team.
Watch the highlights of Santos 3-0 Flamengo at Vila Belmiro!\ Irritated, the coach got up from the bench and yelled at the players. After the match, Joel explained his behavior.\
"When a team plays forward all the time, they can even score six. But when they start passing to the side, it gets complicated. I asked my team to be more assertive at that moment," complains the coach.
Upset with the result, Joel remembered the Flamengo fans, who turned out in good numbers at Vila, even on a rainy afternoon.
"We have four more months until the end of the championship. If we don't react now, when will we, in December? Even with the rain, our fans showed up and are as upset as I am," laments the coach.
Joel wants a quick reaction
Coach complains about defensive errors and says he is not used to losing so much
Joel Santana, this time, had no luck in his debut for Flamengo. The coach saw his team nullified by Santos, who easily won the match 3-0 this Sunday at Vila Belmiro. The Flamengo manager lamented the defensive errors.
- I thought the game was evenly matched, but we made too many mistakes. When you make too many mistakes, you end up conceding goals.
On Santos' first goal, the defense couldn't clear the ball, and midfielder Pedrinho came in unmarked to score with his left foot. On Marcos Aurélio's second goal, the defenders were stopped, and the striker took advantage with a powerful shot into Bruno's right corner.
Joel also said that neither he nor Fla are used to losing by a score of this nature, and that he needs to act quickly to change things within the team.
- We have to make some changes as soon as possible. We can't play the way we did here (at Vila).
Ibson: 'There's no point in criticizing, we have to unite'
In his return, Ibson asks fans to support the team so that a reaction can happen.
Flamengo looked like they would upset Santos at Vila Belmiro this Sunday, starting the match with a strong spirit and creating chances. However, the Rio de Janeiro team lost the match 3-0 and remains in a difficult situation, with only 12 points in the Brazilian Championship. Ibson, who made his debut for the red-and-black team in this match, asked the fans to support the group at this time.
"At this point, there's no point in fans criticizing, because only we can get the team out of this situation. We have to join forces to get out of this, because Flamengo is a big club," explains Ibson.
Peixe beats Fla in the Vila drizzle
Hosts beat visitors, who had three debuts but didn't score any goals
Carolina Elustondo From GLOBOESPORTE.COM, in Santos, SP, get in touch
Fernando Prandi From GLOBOESPORTE.COM, in Santos, SP
Santos returned to Vila Belmiro with quality, defeating Flamengo 3-0 this Sunday in the Brasileirão. The victory, on a rainy afternoon in Baixada, left Santos with 24 points and a more comfortable position in the standings. Flamengo, which still has four games in hand than most teams in the competition, remains with 12 points and in the relegation zone.
Not even the debuts of Ibson, Maxi Biancucci and coach Joel Santana helped the Rio team achieve a better result.
Fla starts better, but Peixe decides
The drizzle settled in Vila Belmiro, keeping Peixe fans away, who didn't fill the stadium. Flamengo fans were a minority, but they were excited to see their new-look team. With Ibson and Roger (one red and the other black) on the field, the visitors started the match better, creating more opportunities, especially on the left side of the opposing defense.
Renato Augusto missed a great chance to open the scoring. And the attacking players' poor decisions cost Flamengo dearly. In the 20th minute, Pedrinho came down the left and fired a cross-shot into the left corner of Bruno's goal. The Santos fans breathed a sigh of relief!
After scoring the goal, Santos improved significantly in the match and reversed the roles: now it was the home team attacking, while Flamengo defended. The visitors, in fact, felt the pain of the goal they conceded. They never recovered, allowing Santos to extend their lead in the 32nd minute. The play was very similar to the first goal: this time, Alessandro passed the ball to Marcos Aurélio, who was on the right, and also shot across goal.
Great free kick goal from Santos' number 10
Joel Santana didn't change Flamengo's lineup for the second half. He bet on fewer mistakes and a strong comeback. But there wasn't even time for excitement: five minutes in, Kléber scored the third with a beautiful free kick from outside the box. The ball found Bruno's left corner. A gift from the player, who earned the chance to wear the number 10 jersey in this match. In the future, the number will belong to the newcomer Petkovic.
With the score more than favorable, the host closed in, with Adriano in the middle, and began to capitalize on counterattacks. Flamengo still tried to minimize the damage and had a good chance with a free kick from the front. But Cristian missed.
Maxi Biancucci, cousin of Argentina's Messi, also made his debut for Flamengo, but failed to change the game's course. Santos was left to manage the score.