Maurício Barbieri praises the Nation and the good result at Maracanã
Coach also commented on the performances of Piris and Dourado
By Mariana Sa - in
A beautiful victory to get back on track. That's how Flamengo ended this Sunday (12), when they beat Cruzeiro 1-0 at the Maracanã. With a goal from Henrique Dourado, the Mais Querido (Most Beloved) team remained in the fight for the lead in the Brazilian Championship. After the final whistle, coach Maurício Barbieri spoke to the press in a press conference at the stadium.“Being a Flamengo fan is something that passes from father to son. It’s a special day, and this victory helps our fans celebrate this date in a very happy way. One of the biggest reasons for today’s result was them, who always support us, who are by our side even after a bad result. We have the highest average attendance in the championship, which helps us a lot. This shows the synergy between the team and the fans. We count on them on Wednesday to fill the Maracanã, because that way we are much stronger,” said the coach.
Maurício Barbieri also commented on Henrique Dourado's performance, who scored the winning goal in the first half. “I've always emphasized the importance of Henrique, as well as Uribe and Lincoln. They are very important players. His selection today is due to the characteristics of the game. We believed that Cruzeiro would wait for our attacks to make their moves, and it was a choice that worked out well. We will always analyze the opponent, the moment, and other factors to choose who comes on,” he said.
“Piris did very well, Trauco too. We played a safe, consistent game, largely thanks to their performance. Until the three main Cruzeiro players came on, they hardly threatened us. We played a solid match. It's not easy to debut as a newcomer, especially with all the pressure Flamengo puts on you. He came on very well and is another option for Wednesday,” Barbieri added.
Looking ahead to Wednesday's match, the coach preached caution. "It's an important victory, as it helps us go into Wednesday strong. But it's a different opponent, a different situation. Now we'll enjoy the result, but from tomorrow onwards, the focus is solely on Grêmio," he commented.
Flamengo returns to the field next Wednesday (15), at 21:45 pm, facing Grêmio at Maracanã for the second leg of the Copa do Brasil quarter-finals. It is worth remembering that the first match ended in a 1-1 draw.