Intense passing and a lot of movement dictate the rhythm of Barbieri's Fla
The squad buys into the coach's idea and sees their performance improve this season.
By Nathan Mello - inThe 1-1 draw against Palmeiras in the 12th round gave Flamengo a four-point lead over the second-placed team in the standings. The following day, the World Cup in Russia began, and with the team experiencing a great moment in the season, many questioned whether Flamengo would be able to maintain the rhythm they had been showing after the World Cup break.
Barbieri locked himself and his group of players in the Ninho do Urubu training center for full-time training, in a kind of pre-season that lasted just over 20 days. This was the time needed for the coach to put his stamp on the team. Round after round, the team led by the coach showed that it had absorbed the work philosophy, which is reflected in the way they approach the game and control the opponent by maintaining possession of the ball and exchanging quick passes.
“We are achieving a good level in passing, having patience and working the ball with speed, which is important to give rhythm to the game and unbalance the opponent. With that, we can make the best choice, whether wide or inside, in the area,” declared Barbieri, after the 4-1 victory over Sport. In this game, Flamengo exchanged no less than 482 passes, missing only 13.The strategy of controlling the pace has been very evident in the last five games, regardless of the result. Since returning from the World Cup break, Flamengo has accumulated two wins, two draws, and one loss, with absurd numbers when it comes to ball possession and passing. Even when defeated by São Paulo, the game's dynamic indicated that victory was within reach. In that match, Flamengo had 58% possession with 475 passes and a 91% pass accuracy rate.
To give you an idea, last Wednesday, Flamengo pressured Grêmio in their own half throughout the second half and, at one point, had 70% possession. Thanks to 524 passes exchanged, with a 91% accuracy rate, Flamengo hammered away until the end, and in stoppage time Lincoln equalized the match. A very important result that put the teams on equal footing for the return leg.
Against Santos, the scenario was very similar to that of Grêmio in the second half. After starting the match ahead, Barbieri's team conceded a goal. But in the second half, only one team played, and the offensive supremacy was reflected in the match statistics. That night, Flamengo had more possession than their opponent, 54%, and exchanged 436 passes with a 90% accuracy rate.
Before the game against the Vila Belmiro team, number 10 Diego was already warning about the team's improvement and praised the work done by the coach.
"This growth was predictable. Mauricio has been doing a spectacular job. This gives us confidence. The team's improvement allows each player's individual brilliance to shine through. Our team has a defined way of playing."
Finally, against Botafogo, Barbieri's team were precise. Lots of movement, positional changes, and in less than 10 minutes of the first half, Matheus Sávio and Paquetá built the winning score against their rival. In this game, which had the lowest number of passes, 403 in total, the Flamengo players only missed 40 passes.
See Flamengo's numbers since the return from the World Cup:*
Flamengo 1 x 1 Grêmio
58% possession / 524 passes 91%
Flamengo 4 x 1 Sport
56% possession / 482 passes - 96%
Flamengo 1 x 1 Santos
54% possession / 436 passes - 90%
Flamengo 2 x 0 Botafogo
55% possession / 403 passes - 90%
Flamengo 0 x 1 São Paulo
58% possession / 475 passes - 93%
* Source: Footstats