Barbieri talks about accumulated fat in the table, but asks for more
The return of Dourado's goals and the Nation's celebration at Mané Garrincha were also discussed.
By Lucas Dantas - in
Earning as many points as possible now will give you the biggest cushion later. This is coach Mauricio Barbieri's recipe for Flamengo to close out the Brazilian Championship before the World Cup break next week. With 23 points and five behind second place, Mengão can widen its lead on Sunday against Paraná Clube at Maracanã, and also in the final game before the break, against Palmeiras in São Paulo. For the coach, the team must remain focused on points so that if needed in the future, they'll have something to draw from.
"The advantage is good, but not definitive. No one will be champion in the first half of the year. We have to open up as much as possible to have room for fluctuations in the second half, when we have many decisions to make," said Barbieri after the game, at a press conference at Mané Garrincha.
Flamengo entered the field with Marlos Moreno in place of Diego. The Colombian's decision stemmed from Fluminense deploying a three-defenders-two-defensive midfield formation, constricting the midfield and allowing only the wide players to play. It worked, and it was Marlos who scored the game's first goal, a penalty scored by Henrique Dourado in the 28th minute of the first half.
"Marlos is on a very good rise. He's tactically important and today he played in the position he feels most comfortable in. Today he felt the rhythm, which is why he was substituted, but he's on a very good rise and we'll be counting on him a lot," explained the coach, who commented on the formation used in the victory.
"It's natural for opponents to overload the center of the field, so we need to take advantage of the spaces. Fluminense, even playing with two defensive midfielders and three center-backs, forced us to exploit the flanks. In the second half, even because they changed their formation, we had a different game. We have to study the opponent and understand where they offer us space to take advantage of," he concluded.
Check out the other topics from Mauricio Barbieri's press conference below.
Rhodolfo
"We'll evaluate the Rhodolfo issue. Juan has been progressing well in training, so we'll see how he'll be doing. Thuler and Léo Duarte are more than experienced, and we have complete confidence in them both for Sunday's game."
Fans at Mané Garrincha
"The impression we're left with is very positive. The fans were amazing. They pushed us throughout the game. This makes us much stronger. The pitch could be better, but the stadium is wonderful and the feeling is very positive."
Henry Gold
"It was already very beneficial for him to open the scoring. He demands a lot from himself and managed to take the burden off scoring the goal. Flamengo is the one who wins. They already won today and we hope to continue winning with his goals."
Cast
"Those on the outside feel like it's a game of chess. These are human beings, and they need to be in good shape to win. Not just those who are coming in, but those who have fewer opportunities as well. Those who are coming in have been helping a lot. Thuler, for example, wasn't being used much, but when he came in, he played a great game. We talk a lot, and these conversations help the whole team."