Paulo César Carpegiani's first title after his return to Flamengo was won on Sunday night (18), when Mais Querido beat Boavista 2-0 in the final of the Guanabara Cup. After the match, the coach gave a press conference at the Kléber Andrade stadium, in Cariacica (ES), and commented on the cup, in addition to praising the team's attitude and young Vinicius Junior.

Fan club members get discounted admission and easy access, while also helping Flamengo become stronger. Click here to become a fan club member!

"We were too hasty and reckless. The opponent always kicked the ball out, and we couldn't apply the necessary pressure. We had width and the final pass only in the second half. In the first half, we had possession, but we narrowed it down too much. We have a foundation, and we need to continually improve it. We need to be competitive. We were patient and composed today. It was a very fair victory over an opponent who deserved it," said Paulo César. 

What's missing for Vinicius to be a starter is a change in the rules of the game. He came on very well, has a unique personality, is very fast, and decided the match. He's just not a starter for others, because for me, he's as important as everyone else. It's a temporary matter. I'll always be happy to put him on the field. I don't argue about whether he's a starter or not. I have 14 or 15 undisputed players on the team, but I can only field 11. There are those who come in and, like Vinicius, make a difference. 

I'm pleased, and I've conveyed this to the players. We had a somewhat mixed start to the year compared to last year, but as the team got into shape, we strengthened. A trophy is a trophy. We would have had a problem if we lost today, but we confirmed it, and down the road we'll have the opportunity to compete for the title with three other teams.

What I want is for my players to continually improve. I'm using the best quality Flamengo has. It's a matter of convenience. They need to improve further. We're facing a very difficult group in the Libertadores, but everyone is demonstrating excellent possession. We need to be more decisive, but it's important to maintain possession against our opponent. We did that against Botafogo and today as well. Let's hope they improve further. If I don't see any improvement, I'll make the necessary changes. We have a lot of room for improvement. But I'm satisfied. I need to give the players this endorsement. They have a lot of quality.

Rodinei's introduction was to open up the opponent more. Boavista tried to mark us in the first half, and we were physically exhausted. In the second half, we opened up the game more and managed to play better. I like full-backs who support. Could we struggle with one defender down? We might. But we need fluidity on the wings, and the midfield needs to be a fighter in possession. Does it take time? It does. But we're trying to make this team more competitive every day.