After the activities of this Friday (24) at Ninho do Urubu, coach Zé Ricardo appeared at the Victorino Chermont Press Room, where he gave a press conference. With an eye on the classic against Vasco, which will take place at the Mané Garrincha stadium, in Brasília, Zé commented on the options he will have for the match.
However, the preparation will be completed in this Saturday's activity (25). The red-black commander revealed that he will make the final adjustments and decide which players will start the match. Then, the coach spoke about the style of play of the teams assembled by Milton Mendes, the new coach of this Sunday's opponent (26), and celebrated the inauguration of Field 5 of the CT's professional module.
See the main excerpts:
Athletes available for the classic
If there are no physical or medical issues, including the athletes who are recovering, we'll take the best we have. Both Gabriel and Rômulo are in this process. Rômulo felt discomfort in his calf, and we'll evaluate him tomorrow. I'm in daily contact with the Medical Department, and the information we have on Ederson, Conca, Gabriel, and Rômulo has steps to follow.
Scheme with two center forwards
Guerrero has this difficulty of being called up constantly, and with that in mind, we had to prepare Vizeu and Damião in the same way he does and also to play alongside him. We assumed they were both ready. Damião has played in the position longer, but Felipe is very promising and doesn't go long without scoring. We haven't yet decided whether to use two key strikers.
Facing Milton Mendes again
We had a brief glimpse of his playing style in the match against Santa Cruz, which we won 1-0 in an extremely difficult match. His game is characterized by high speed. Despite his short time in charge of Vasco, we can already see them experimenting with these types of plays. It will be a difficult match, like every Flamengo and Vasco match, and there will be a significant mobilization within their team due to the change in coaching.
Classic against Vasco
Our motivation is immense. We assume respect and humility are essential in this matchup. We try to approach all our rivals with the same approach, and this time we're facing a formidable opponent. The fact that we've qualified for the Carioca semifinals doesn't change our approach or our motivation for this match.
Opening of Field 5
Flamengo has been paying close attention to all aspects of the training center's physical space. Today, we completed another milestone with the release of Field 5. All fields are available, including for the youth academy, for whom it's crucial to train alongside us. Now, the professional team trains on a field with official dimensions. Being close to the CEP is also important for our travel. It will certainly yield benefits for both teams.