Barbieri praises the team's spirit in the draw with Grêmio in the Copa do Brasil
Coach analyzed Vitinho's debut and Lincoln's opportunity
By Lucas Dantas - in
A coach's life is tense all the time, and Mauricio Barbieri's is no exception. The Flamengo manager watched his players fight until the last minute for a draw at the Arena do Grêmio. If victory didn't come, defeat couldn't be the result of a match in which Flamengo was vastly superior and demonstrated, once again, why they lead the Brazilian Championship. In the first battle of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals, Lincoln's goal in the 48th minute leveled the score between the "Mais Querido" and the "Tricolor Gaúcho." The second leg will be on the 15th, with no qualifying goal, and if there's a draw, a penalty shootout will be decided.
After the game, Barbieri held a press conference at Arena do Grêmio and, as expected, praised his players.
"We played a great game. Coming here and playing Grêmio is very difficult. We were even superior. The numbers, shots on goal, possession. We set a very intense pace. At no point did Grêmio feel comfortable. We had a lot of pressure, and it would have been unfair if we hadn't scored. We could have come away with the win. They'll be a tough opponent in Rio, and it will be another great game."
The coach fielded the exact same team that started the match against Sport last Sunday. And the marathon, of course, was a topic of discussion at the press conference. Barbieri explained how Flamengo's planning is done, demonstrating that there's no point in trying to predict what will happen. The coaching staff will now talk with the players to assemble Saturday's team.
"We don't have a plan for who will play in a given game. The evaluation is made after the match. We'll evaluate the players tomorrow and see how they respond. The idea is to compete in all three competitions, remain among the top three in the Brazilian Championship now, and advance in the remaining competitions," explained the coach.
The night's debutant was also a topic of discussion. Vitinho fulfilled his "childhood dream" in the 18th minute of the second half, coming on for Marlos Moreno. And the number 14 made a mess of things. With speed and early synergy, he changed the team's left side, forcing Renato Gaúcho to make changes to his team in an attempt to hold on to the victory. It didn't work. It was from that side that the equalizer came.
"I think Vitinho came on well. It's natural that he feels the rhythm and the lack of connection with his teammates. He added to the game, holding onto the ball. He's a very clear-headed player. He brings a weight to the opponent and a greater sense of purpose. When he came on, Grêmio put Leonardo on him to mark him, and that even created space on the field."
And what about the goal scorer? For Barbieri, nothing new. He knows his 17-year-old homegrown talent well, and urges calm with his excitement, but trusts young Lincoln enough to use him as an example of the strength of the red-and-black squad.
"Lincoln is a young kid. Sometimes we want to give him too much responsibility. He's only 17, but he has a lot of talent and quality. He was looking for an opportunity, and I'm very happy that he came on and scored. This shows how much quality the squad has," concluded the coach, who was in charge of the team for the 24th time.