Fabrício continues to prove his worth
Shirt 20 made his debut as a starter this year and received praise even from former defender Mozer
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - inFor the first time in eight games this year, Flamengo didn't concede a single goal. And, coincidence or not, this was Fabrício's second game as a starter in the red-and-black defense in 2010. The young defender, who turned 20 last Saturday, replaced Ronaldo Angelim and did not disappoint in the team from Gávea's Copa Libertadores debut on Wednesday night against Universidad Católica.
\The defender showed his full potential: he tackled, kicked the ball, dribbled, ran the ball through, headed the ball, and tackled... In short, he showed his worth to coach Andrade, who was pleased but not surprised by what he saw. According to him, Fabrício performed as expected. Despite this, the coach thinks it's premature to guarantee that the defense has found its optimal play based solely on this match.
\"Fabrício did very well. He did what was expected of him. We know he's a calm player, with technical quality and very fast. It was a good test for him, but I think it's premature to say that the defense is fixed just based on this game. We'll wait another three or four games to make that analysis," said Andrade.
\Fabrício himself agrees. Humble and calm, the number 20 praised the entire team's performance, highlighting everyone's dedication, especially after Willians's sending off just two minutes into the game, and asserted that, at Flamengo, there's no vanity in the battle for position.
\"The team played well, and the credit goes to the entire group. We got our marking right, even with Williams sent off. Love coming back really helped us maintain our composure on the field, and that's why we came away with an important result. I think the entire group is on the same level. Here, there's no such thing as starting or not; each player plays according to their moment, and we're working to always be available when the coach needs us," he said.
\A defender with outstanding technical ability and determination on the field, Mozer approved of Fabrício's debut when he played in the 80s. For the 1981 Copa America and World Cup champions, the young red-and-black defender has everything he needs to shine in the future.
\"Fabrício is a young guy, but it's a natural maturation process for someone with quality, and that's the case with him. He debuted very well, showed personality, even with the sending off, which really hinders the team, and he did very well. His job is to prevent the team from conceding goals, and he did that very well," he observed.
\This was Fabrício's tenth match for Flamengo. And the defender is a lucky one, having lost only once. In the other nine matches, he won four and drew five.