In preparation for the match against Nova Iguaçu, which will be played this Sunday (04) at the Mané Garrincha stadium, in Brasília, Mais Querido faced Bonsucesso in a training match on the afternoon of this Wednesday (31). The match was played at Field 5 of Ninho do Urubu and ended in a 1-0 victory for the red-black team, with striker Geuvânio scoring.

The activity was divided into four 25-minute periods, during which coach Paulo César Carpegiani gave the athletes who returned on January 13th a run-in in this final stretch of physical and technical reconditioning for the current season. Tests were also conducted with the Garotos do Ninho U-20 team and new tactical formations.

During the match, the Rubro-Negro's high-volume play dictated the pace. Despite both teams' fierce combativeness in midfield, creativity in creating attacking plays came naturally, with quick passing and ball switching to open up the opposing defense.

Striker Lincoln and right-back Kleber had the best chances to open the scoring, being denied by good saves from the goalkeeper and defender of the team from Rio's north zone, respectively. In the final period, the home team's pressure paid off. After a good exchange of passes on the right, Rafael Vaz found Geuvânio on the opposite side with a precise pass, and the striker finished first time into the goal, sealing the score.

After finishing his training session at the George Helal Training Center, Rhodolfo attended the Victorino Chermont Press Room, where he gave a press conference. The upcoming Guanabara Cup challenge was the main focus of questions from the journalists present. The defender spoke about his preparation not only for the weekend's match but for the entire current season, emphasizing the importance of training for athletes to maintain physical fitness.

"We need to try to improve with each match. The coach hasn't been able to replicate the team in any of the games yet, so it's normal for the team's chemistry and physicality to be a little lacking, but the team has to improve with each match," the defender analyzed. "At the beginning of this year, there are still many things to work on. The team is now assimilating what Coach Carpegiani is teaching us: how we should mark, attack, and how he likes us to press. Now we have a tough game, and we're going to win it," he added.

Leading Group B in the first round of the state competition with three wins and one draw, the red-and-black team's defensive performance has been highly praised. In four matches played, Carpegiani's team has yet to concede a goal, an important statistic for both young and experienced players who have filled defensive positions at the beginning of 2018. The defender commented on the support he can provide to his teammates, given the work he has done with the coach previously.

"I met Carpegiani a while ago. We worked together at Atlético-PR and São Paulo. I know the characteristics he likes, and we've been trying to talk to him about mentoring some of the players," said Rhodolfo. "I think the team got off to a good start defensively. All the players who played there did well, but I believe the defense isn't the only one to take credit for. Our midfield and attack are also helping us a lot. The team is on the right track, but we still have a lot of room for improvement," he noted.