Maurício Barbieri and Diego talk about the defeat to Cruzeiro
Coach and midfielder lamented the negative result at Maracanã
By Flamengo Communication - in
Flamengo lost to Cruzeiro 2-0 on Wednesday night (8) at Maracanã. After the match, valid for the Conmebol Libertadores, coach Maurício Barbieri and midfielder Diego spoke at a press conference about the negative result.
"We ended up letting anxiety take over the game, trying to decide everything too quickly, and we lacked patience. We had opportunities, but it wasn't a happy night in terms of finishing. We managed to create a good number of chances; Cruzeiro, despite being a great team, isn't unbeatable. We're capable of facing this challenge when we return to the Libertadores. Collectively, we weren't able to put up a good performance. In a match of this magnitude, we have to seize our opportunities. We talked a lot in the locker room; we're unhappy with our performance today. Now it's time to look forward, keep working without throwing everything we've done so far away," analyzed Maurício Barbieri.
"Several factors contributed to the number of crosses we had. Cruzeiro is very defensive in the middle, and we knew we would need to exploit the wings. We knew they were very strong in the air. We had good chances in the first half, and in the second half, we had two good players up front, Uribe and Lincoln. Vitinho also had a good chance late on. We conceded a goal very early on in a play we had studied. We couldn't get them out of their comfort zone, we created good chances, we weren't efficient, and we conceded a goal late on. The result is bad, and everyone feels frustrated. We couldn't play the game we know we can. We made too many mistakes. We understand the fans' frustration. We need to turn the page, as we have more decisions ahead of us," the coach concluded.
Diego also commented on the setback at Maracanã. "We always expected a tough game against Cruzeiro, but everything is open. It will be tougher there, but we have to organize ourselves and believe that it's possible. I trust this team and know we'll do everything we can to put in a good performance. The early goal surprised us. We could have reacted better. We created chances, but if we had converted them, everything would have been different," said the number 10.
"The fans have done their part. We have to find a solution. They come to support us and see us win—that's what we need to do. We're disappointed, just like them; our intention and motivation is to repay their support. We're saddened by that. Today is the day to feel the defeat, but starting tomorrow, it's time to focus on Sunday's challenge," said Diego.
The Most Beloved returns to the field next Sunday (12), at 16 pm, when they face Cruzeiro again, this time for the Brasileirão. The match will be at Maracanã.