The best defense in the Brazilian Championship since the World Cup is the result of intense dedication from all the players. This is the mindset of the Flamengo squad. According to left-back Juan, who gave a press conference after training on Thursday afternoon (August 05.08), the entire group deserves praise for their strong defensive performance.

"It's a good average. The team has found its tactical positioning, which was lacking before the World Cup. The marking starts up front. The attackers have also been putting in a lot of effort," he said.

The number 6 believes that, just like on defense, everyone has to work hard to help the attack. According to Juan, players can still improve if they can acquire better playing rhythm as the rounds go by.

"Everyone is responsible for defense and attack. We have to look to improve our attacking side. Not just the forwards, but also the full-backs and midfielders to get the ball up front. The players aren't yet at their ideal playing pace, but when they are, the team will be strong," said the player, who also believes that the key at this point in the championship is not letting the leaders get away.

"We've lost a bit of momentum, but we have a qualified squad that will continue to grow a lot. We have to focus on staying close to the leaders so we're ready to take off at the end of the championship," he concluded.

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