The topic was a recurring theme in the press conferences leading up to the semifinal, with defenders emphasizing the importance of stopping this type of play, but ultimately, it was Botafogo's aerial play that decided Wednesday's derby at the Maracanã. With two such plays, the black and whites managed to turn the game around against Flamengo. As a result, the red and black defenders left the field disappointed.

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Ronaldo Angelim acknowledged that coach Andrade's defensive system didn't work as expected. The number 4 again emphasized the team's strong performance, but lamented that the team conceded two goals in a way they had trained so hard to avoid.

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"The team played well, but we conceded the goal we knew we would... They play like that, with the ball in the box, and we fell for their moves. The important thing is that Flamengo played well," he said.

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Midfielder Willians expressed dissatisfaction with the result. He said the team from Gávea conceded goals in the only dangerous chances Botafogo created in the match.

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"Botafogo only had this one play to make. And they did it," he observed.