At the end of the match that closed the group stage of the first round of the Campeonato Carioca, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the red-and-blacks at Nova Iguaçu, coach Paulo César Carpegiani gave a press conference in the press room at Mané Garrincha Stadium in Brasília. The manager analyzed the team's performance in the triumph and, despite the positive result, emphasized the need for improvement. Fan club members have the pride of playing alongside each victory: the money goes to football and brings more reinforcements, new talent, and infrastructure to the training center. And they also have advantages in official stores to buy the jersey and wear it with pride! Click and join now. "I try to field the most appropriate team. We don't need two defensive midfielders to play," he explained. "We had a very good first half, which I was completely satisfied with. The team played with speed, touch, and rotation. I wouldn't like to talk about the second half, because it didn't really happen. I told the players that what we have to do now is separate the first half and compare it to the second. Only then will we see the team's evolution and maturity," he projected. In this Sunday's match (04), some more of the players who returned on January 13 played, such as defender Juan, midfielder Diego, and forward Éverton. These players have been gradually being included in the matches, in a coordinated effort with the physical and medical departments, in addition to taking their technical aspects into account. Although they are not yet fully fit, Carpegiani was pleased with their performance during the first half. "I was pleased. I thought it was normal that performance had dropped; many players hadn't been playing together. Two or three more should start next Saturday," observed the coach, who commented on Henrique Dourado's chances of debuting in the derby. "He'll make his debut. It was planned. We're waiting for a home game for that to happen," he said. The center forward will represent an important option for a position currently lacking options. Fifteen minutes into the first half, Lincoln was replaced by Vinicius Júnior. Regarding the change, the coach commented that the decision was made based on physical fitness, but that he would opt for another player who performs the same role as the young striker rather than a player accustomed to playing on the wings. "At the end of the first half, he stifled the momentum. If I had another center forward, I would have replaced him. I don't think Lincoln's departure was the reason the team suffered a slump. I would have liked to have taken off other players too, but I only have three substitutions. The important thing was that Lincoln played well, but I took him off because I felt he was one of the most worn out, like Diego, who was also scheduled," he added. This Saturday (15), it will be the Mais Querido's turn to face Botafogo in the semifinal stage of the Taça Guanabara. Regarding the match, the coach avoided naming a favorite, but stressed that he has high expectations for his players in the derby. "We'll face a traditional team, which also qualified. I wouldn't talk about favoritism, but personally, I think my team has an obligation to win. That's always my proposal, regardless of who is on the other side," he concluded.