Flamengo is cautious when discussing the Rio Cup final
The squad gives Botafogo the advantage, which could become state champions as early as Sunday.
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
Flamengo and Botafogo have dominated Rio de Janeiro football for the past three years. They've met in three State Championship finals and, in total, played nine decisive matches during that period. This season, the two teams face off again at a crucial moment in the championship, but the sentiment at the Rubro-Negro club is cautious.
As they still need to beat their rivals next Sunday (18.04) to earn the right to play in the State final, Flamengo's players don't think that the past years' record will be of any use. Quite the opposite.
"Botafogo has the advantage in the final. But no title we've won has been achieved easily. Everyone here wants to make history at Flamengo. A fourth title is unprecedented, super important, and we'll give everything to achieve it. But we'll have to overcome challenge by challenge," said Léo Moura, who has won the last three State Championships with Flamengo.
Andrade, who took over the team in the 2009 Brasileirão, has not yet had the taste of winning a State Championship as a coach, but he does not want to rush and, like Léo Moura, indicates the opponent as the favorite.
"I even think Botafogo is the favorite. They're the ones with the fat to burn in this Taça Rio final. But the match will be evenly matched, without a doubt. I'm not thinking about winning the fourth title yet. Things need to be won one at a time. I can't talk about that if I haven't beaten Botafogo. If they win next Sunday, it's all over," said Andrade, making a point of rejecting any sense of revenge for this final, since Flamengo was eliminated by Botafogo in this year's Taça Guanabara.
"There's no defeat that's holding us back. This will be another game, without any sense of revenge. We need to win to continue dreaming of winning another title. We're going in to leave with the Taça Rio title undefeated. Only then will we think about reaching the State final. It will be very difficult, and you can expect a very strong Botafogo, different from the one we lost to in the Taça Guanabara," warned the Flamengo coach.
The respect shown to their opponent, however, cannot be mistaken for fear. Experienced, Flamengo's players know what they need to overcome this challenge: fight until the end.
"Flamengo always enters competitions to fight for titles. It will be another tough match against Botafogo, but we will fight hard. With all due respect to our rival, we will go in to win. But we know we will have our work cut out for us," concluded Léo Moura.
As they still need to beat their rivals next Sunday (18.04) to earn the right to play in the State final, Flamengo's players don't think that the past years' record will be of any use. Quite the opposite.
"Botafogo has the advantage in the final. But no title we've won has been achieved easily. Everyone here wants to make history at Flamengo. A fourth title is unprecedented, super important, and we'll give everything to achieve it. But we'll have to overcome challenge by challenge," said Léo Moura, who has won the last three State Championships with Flamengo.
Andrade, who took over the team in the 2009 Brasileirão, has not yet had the taste of winning a State Championship as a coach, but he does not want to rush and, like Léo Moura, indicates the opponent as the favorite.
"I even think Botafogo is the favorite. They're the ones with the fat to burn in this Taça Rio final. But the match will be evenly matched, without a doubt. I'm not thinking about winning the fourth title yet. Things need to be won one at a time. I can't talk about that if I haven't beaten Botafogo. If they win next Sunday, it's all over," said Andrade, making a point of rejecting any sense of revenge for this final, since Flamengo was eliminated by Botafogo in this year's Taça Guanabara.
"There's no defeat that's holding us back. This will be another game, without any sense of revenge. We need to win to continue dreaming of winning another title. We're going in to leave with the Taça Rio title undefeated. Only then will we think about reaching the State final. It will be very difficult, and you can expect a very strong Botafogo, different from the one we lost to in the Taça Guanabara," warned the Flamengo coach.
The respect shown to their opponent, however, cannot be mistaken for fear. Experienced, Flamengo's players know what they need to overcome this challenge: fight until the end.
"Flamengo always enters competitions to fight for titles. It will be another tough match against Botafogo, but we will fight hard. With all due respect to our rival, we will go in to win. But we know we will have our work cut out for us," concluded Léo Moura.