After the 4-0 rout of Internacional last night at Maracanã, coach Cuca highly praised the performance of the entire red-and-black team. For the coach, the week of training in Teresópolis was crucial for the team to perform confidently and secure its third victory in the Brazilian Championship.

"The week in Teresópolis was a work of God. We sought physical, technical, and especially interpersonal balance. I have a lot of confidence in my group; I wouldn't trade it to manage anyone else. We talked face-to-face, eye-to-eye, and we managed to bring the tactical responsibility we needed to the field. We demonstrated Flamengo's greatness by delivering a rout after a week in which the team suffered a 5-0 defeat. Now it's time to build on that. We played a solid game. My biggest concern was the defense, having conceded nine goals in two games. Our offensive strength would normally have shown up. That's why I opted for Fabrício. It worked. Inter only had two chances, and the score was already 4-0."

Cuca already has his mind on the red-black's next challenge, against Fluminense, on Sunday.

"We gained eight places with this victory. Just think, if we pull it off and win our next two home matches, we'll be right up there. Fla-Flu is a packed stadium game, and we'll work hard this week to put on a great performance."

Cuca surrendered to the talent of Adriano, who scored three goals in yesterday's rout.

"It was a wonderful match from Adriano. I'm very happy with his performance. Let's be honest, he debuted without much fitness. Now, with a week to train, he played very well. He's a very professional player, very dedicated."