After 15 long years, Abel Braga returned to manage Flamengo. The coach had very little time to work and fielded the backbone of the 2018 Brazilian runner-up to face Ajax, in Flamengo's season and Florida Cup debut. In the end, a 2-2 draw sent the game to penalties, where his team won 4-3 and qualified for the tournament final against Eintracht Frankfurt next Saturday at 19 pm (Brasília time). 

Throughout the match, Abel frequently gesticulated with his players, guiding them on the field. In the first half, the tight-knit Flamengo side that finished 2018 felt a bit out of rhythm against a team that has been playing consistently well (they're in the Champions League round of XNUMX and second in the Dutch league) and fell behind twice. Uribe, with talent and opportunism, equalized. In the second half, with a significantly changed team, Ajax had more chances but were thwarted by the red-and-blacks. Abel acknowledged the strength of his players after the match and spoke about the strategy adopted.

"We developed a strategy of waiting to play. We didn't have the conditions or training time to try to score higher. It was six days versus six months. But my strategy is different. It's to score higher. And today it was the opposite. I knew they would play like that; they did it against Bayern Munich. On the field, at the beginning of the season, your legs are heavy, it's the lack of rhythm. I kept the team that was playing and I'm very satisfied. We have to climb the first step, but not be worried and look to the bottom of the ladder," the coach declared in a press conference at Orlando City Stadium.

When he arrived at Flamengo in early January, Abel mentioned his hunger for titles. The coach addressed the topic again, but then passed it on to the players, who also share the same sentiment and want to win trophies this season. Discarding favoritism, Abel showed that for Flamengo to be champions, it depends on the team playing its part. 

"Being champion is a challenge. We're going in there to win a lot. We need a little luck, and we're hungry. Favoritism is bad. The pressure comes from ourselves. We have to know how to handle the mental side. Today we took a step up," the coach added.