Abel Braga praises debutants and assesses draw against Resende
Coach gave a press conference at the Raulino de Oliveira stadium
By Mariana Sa - inOn Wednesday night (23), Flamengo drew 1-1 with Resende at Raulino de Oliveira, in a match valid for the Campeonato Carioca. After the match, coach Abel Braga gave a press conference, talking about the result.
"I don't think we deserved this result. We had a full midfield, and we tried to understand the game. This team hasn't played 90 minutes yet, and we've had two debuts with players who weren't at their best, unaware of their teammates' characteristics. It was a very pleasant surprise. Gabriel and Dantas finished with a bit of cramp, which is normal. It was worth it because their team is good, organized, and demanding. We deserved a little more. It was nice that the fans called for Vitinho today; it certainly had a positive impact on him. We saw his quality and the importance he has for the team. I can't say anyone didn't play well. We think we helped by giving the armband to Dourado, who ran a lot. That's how we're building a group. The tendency is for it to grow even more. Today was a great time for observation," analyzed the coach.
Next Saturday (26), Flamengo faces Botafogo, at 17 pm, at Engenhão. "Everyone will be available. It's premature to talk about putting Vitinho and Cuéllar, for example, as they played in both matches. The important thing in all of this is to create a group that we can't fear. There is one or another deficiency, this is Flamengo and it has a very big weight. Strategically we will look for a different formation than the one we had today", said Abel.
Against Resende, Gabriel Barbosa and De Arrascaeta made their official debuts in Volta Redonda and received the affection of the nation. "They're both very different. Gabriel has a very good tactical vision. I switched positions between them to avoid overexerting them. In the first half, he was more relaxed with De Arrascaeta behind him, leaving the heavy workload to Hugo Moura, Jean Lucas, and Piris da Motta. In the second half, things changed, and our team improved. They performed very well. Players like that will bring more quality to the group," praised Abel Braga.