Barbieri believes in the nation's support to win the decisive duel against Grêmio
Wednesday's match has 42 tickets sold; North and Maracanã sectors are most sold out
By Flamengo Communication - in
Flamengo faces a decisive match tomorrow against Grêmio in the Copa do Brasil at the Maracanã. Before the final training session for Wednesday's match at 21:45 PM, coach Maurício Barbieri gave a press conference at the CT George Helal - Ninho do Urubu and highlighted the support of the fans, who have already purchased 42 tickets.
"From what I can see, a large number of tickets have already been sold. I hope the stadium is packed, because when our fans work in synergy with us, giving us support, our advantage is significant. Our fans have demonstrated this in almost every game. It's important to emphasize that having the fans on our side makes Flamengo stronger, and that's what we need tomorrow. We're playing against a very qualified team, the champions of America. We know the size of the challenge, but we're counting on our fans."
"Quantifying how much it weighs is difficult, but it's undoubtedly an important factor, though not a definitive one. Playing at home alongside our fans motivates and pushes us forward, but we know the difficulty the game will present. Without a doubt, with our fans on our side, contesting every play with us, we know we can be stronger and emerge victorious from this duel," concluded the Flamengo coach.
Henrique Dourado started in last Sunday's victory against Cruzeiro and scored the winning goal for Flamengo. When questioned about the striker's inclusion in the starting lineup, Barbieri dodged the question.
“It doesn’t change Dourado’s level. He was never our fourth option. We’ve been making choices based on the opponent. Lincoln came in and responded well, it’s difficult to evaluate Uribe because he’s only played a few games so far. I want to emphasize again, Dourado played a great game against Cruzeiro and scored a very important goal. He’s undoubtedly a player we’re counting on for tomorrow, just like Uribe and Lincoln, to help us achieve this crucial victory.”
Check out other topics from the coach's press conference:
Which attacker to use:
Uribe has been doing transitional work; we'll see if he'll be able to train on the field. He's a possibility, as is Dourado, and Vitinho, who has also been improving and is another possibility. We'll study during today's training session what our choices will be.
Uribe and aerial plays:
I think Uribe and Dourado have distinct characteristics. Dourado is just as good a header of the ball as Uribe. That impression might have remained because after the World Cup we played with Paolo, who is no longer in the squad, and Uribe, which favored plays with direct passes. This favored the use of two players as a reference point. In the last game, Vitinho was making an attacking run and the ball fell to him, but that doesn't depend on who is playing, but rather on the moment of the game, and that's when we decide how to play.
Lincoln:
Lincoln brings the element of confidence. If he comes in, he knows he's capable of facing a strong defense and can excel. We'll always opt for the best choice. Even if he doesn't start, we count on him so that whenever he comes on he can contribute to the result.
Expectations for the game:
I expect a very competitive match. We have the home advantage, and with our fans supporting us, we are very strong; they themselves have said so. We know we can't let their team get comfortable in the game because they have players who can decide the match. We have to play a solid and secure game because whoever gives Grêmio space can run risks, but the reverse is also true. If they give Flamengo space, we will also attack.
Options for the side panel:
Trauco played a solid game. The fact that we opened the scoring meant we weren't too eager to attack, which is why Trauco's main strength didn't shine through, but he was very good defensively. We understand the fans' demands, but those who are being booed today were applauded before. Maybe Rodinei had a good opportunity on Wednesday and didn't finish well, but he has been helping us a lot. Pará is very experienced and can always help us too, but we will always decide based on the opponent.
Comparison with the game against Cruzeiro in the Libertadores Cup:
Wednesday was a different competition, a different atmosphere, different rules, a different opponent. The home advantage is similar, but tomorrow's game is different. The mistakes and successes will be taken into account as a benchmark for improvement. That was a first decisive game, tomorrow is a second decisive game, and that influences how the teams approach each other. The mix of young and experienced players can help us face a strong team like Grêmio.