Dorival Júnior praises Flamengo's fighting spirit: We will fight until the end.
The coach also spoke about the importance of the fans and praised Marlos for his work.
By Mariana Sa - inWith the Maraca packed and almost 60 Flamengo fans present, Flamengo fought until the end and drew 1-1 with Palmeiras with a goal from Marlos, on Saturday night (27). After the match, coach Dorival Júnior gave a press conference and commented on the result that keeps Fla four points behind the São Paulo team in the fight for the Brazilian title.
“We have to be realistic, it’s one less round to win points. However, we remain fully focused and strongly believe in our path. We always have to do our part first and then look at our opponents. The players continue to believe, they fought, battled until the end, and the fans recognized that. We faced a great team, but at a moment like this, we can't use any words other than strength and fighting spirit. Football is capricious. We tried everything, we faced a very well-organized team with good players. We played a game looking for quick transitions, we tried to put speed on the wings. That's how our goal came about, along with other important plays. The players gave their all, and this commitment to the fans made us play a great game. The team tried everything, and this recognition from the stands shows that,” said the Flamengo coach.
The player who scored the equalizing goal that made the Maracanã stadium vibrate, Marlos, was praised by Dorival, who emphasized his desire to help Flamengo. “Marlos has been working very hard and asking for an opportunity because of the way he's been behaving. He's very interested, wanting to find a new level. It's up to the coach to believe in the player at a moment like this,” he praised.
Climate in the locker room
After the equalizing goal, Flamengo suffocated Palmeiras in their defensive half, and Paquetá almost turned the score around. Dorival defended the number 11, highlighting that Paquetá has already decided several matches for Flamengo. “Uribe got tired, and we wanted Paquetá to come back and create triangles, open up spaces, and get forward more. He wouldn't be a natural striker, but with the potential he shows, he would open up those spaces. Lucas had the game-winning opportunity at his feet, but he miscalculated. However, how many matches has he decided for us? This has happened with great players before. We gained in many aspects with him in that position; Everton Ribeiro and Diego were also doing well. But football sometimes exacts a very high price for not being able to capitalize on opportunities. We haven't lost hope nonetheless,” explained the coach.
Ball in the game without a center forward.
Asked if the fans were putting negative pressure on the team for results, the coach praised the support of the fans, who once again filled the stadium, and highlighted the commitment and dedication of his players.
“We always want the fans to be there. You have no idea what it’s like to play against Flamengo’s fans. That’s the support we want to continue. We created good opportunities, we pushed hard, maybe the final touch wasn’t good. We only gave them one counter-attack. Flamengo went on the attack and looked for the goal the whole time. It wasn’t a happy afternoon just because of that final touch, but we could have had better luck,” he concluded.
Flamengo returns to the field next Sunday (4) to face São Paulo, at Morumbi, at 18 pm.