Short but intense: Rueda's journey to the final

Short but intense: Rueda's journey to the decision

Victory in Wednesday's classic guaranteed Mais Querido a place in the Copa do Brasil final

By Matheus Oliveira - in 24/08/2017 às 01:25

Coach Reinaldo Rueda's first major goal as Flamengo coach was achieved this Wednesday. In front of a packed Maracanã stadium, which cheered and cheered the team throughout the entire 90 minutes, the Colombian coach saw his team advance to the Copa do Brasil final, defeating Botafogo 1-0, after a 0-0 draw in the first leg.

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And it was in the first leg of the semi-final that Rueda's story intertwined with that of Mais Querido...

From the moment of the official announcement on August 14th, a race against time began to have Rueda in charge of the team for the first semifinal derby. The documents needed to be ready by the day of the match, which took place exactly a week ago. With the expertise of the football department professionals involved in the process, the coach and the new members of the coaching staff were able to be on the bench.

On the field, the Mais Querido came close to securing a victory. In the first half, Berrío came close to finding the net after a beautiful play by Pará on the right, but was denied by a great save from Gatito Fernandez. In the second half, Diego hit the goalkeeper's post with a beautiful free kick.

Three days later, a more significant impact from the work of 'El Catedrático,' as the Colombian coach is known, would emerge. Turning his attention to the Brazilian Championship, Rueda managed to apply a bit more of his playing style to the team, despite having little time to work in the match against Atlético-GO.

Flamengo successfully challenged their opponents with quick, vertical passing. Vinicius Jr. scored both goals in the 2-0 victory at Ilha do Urubu, which also featured a key role from midfielder Lucas Paquetá, testing his first strike position. The number 39 made the most of his chance and received high praise from the coach during the post-match press conference.

Wednesday night was no different. A superb performance orchestrated by the Colombian coach and masterfully executed by the players secured a spot in the Copa do Brasil grand final, where the title will be decided against Cruzeiro.