Diego Alves praises defensive system and praises the nation's support
Goalkeeper spoke to the press at a press conference held at Ninho do Urubu
By Flamengo Communication - in
After beating Vitória 1-0 last Thursday (23) in the Brazilian Championship, Mais Querido has already returned to Ninho do Urubu and is focused on the next commitment in the national competition, which will be on Sunday, against América-MG, at Independência.
After the training session at Ninho do Urubu, goalkeeper Diego Alves spoke to journalists in a press conference and took the opportunity to highlight the good defensive work that Mais Querido has been presenting in 2018. Of the 20 games played in Série A this year, the team led by Mauricio Barbieri came away without conceding on 11 occasions.
"We've had a solid defense since the beginning of the year, and after Mauricio's arrival, we've had better consistency. This extends from the attack to the defense. Possession helps, as does applying pressure and stealing the ball in the attacking half. This is good for keeping the opponent away from our box. There are games where we'll concede goals, and that's natural, but overall, the numbers prove that this consistency has been crucial this season."
Flamengo entered the second round of the Brasileirão with a victory against Vitória and the number 1 took the opportunity to project the tough sequence that the Rubro-Negro will have until the end of the year.
"The goal is to reach the final stretch of the championship, leading the way, with the title in the cards. Every team wants to win, and the second half is a different championship, with the teams already formed. The teams are set, and the margin of error is very small. We emphasize that it would be game by game, and we know that the Brazilian Championship demands a lot."
Diego Alves also took the opportunity to praise the nation's consistent support during home games. For the goalkeeper, when the team and fans are united, it's much harder for opponents to take points from Flamengo.
"The fans are crucial to us, and everyone saw our strength with them at Maracanã. We sold out in Brasília too. This shows that the fans are on our side, and we want them to believe and trust us. When there's unity between the fans and the team, things go better. We know the pressure and responsibility of being at Flamengo, but when things are going well and the team is united with the fans, it's hard to beat us. We count on their support and want this unity until the end."