After Flamengo's resounding victory over Chapecoense at Ilha do Urubu, on Thursday night (22), coach Zé Ricardo gave a press conference. The red-black manager celebrated the result, pointing out the difficulties encountered in the duel, and praised the performance of Diego, Guerrero and Berrío, who recently returned from injuries and, in the case of the Peruvian, from the national team.
Fan club members have the pride of playing alongside each victory: the money goes to football and brings more reinforcements, new talent, and infrastructure to the training center. And they also have advantages in official stores to buy the jersey and wear it with pride! Click and join now.
Check out the full interview:
Result
An important victory, considering how it happened. Despite the large score, it was a difficult match, especially after Chapecoense's goal, with many fouls near the area and many set pieces. That was the most tense moment, but we took advantage of the counter-attacks and achieved an important victory that gives us confidence for the match in Salvador. We had difficulties in the first ten minutes and especially after their goal. Anxiety set in, due to the obligation to win, but we managed to score the third goal soon after, and the match became ideal for counter-attacks.
Returns of Diego, Guerrero and Berrío
The gradual return of Diego, Guerrero, and Berrío also had a good game after some time out. It was very important; he would have been an option if E. Ribeiro had made his debut. And Berrío not only held up well and endured the entire match but also fulfilled his tactical role very well. Diego is a player I spoke with yesterday, and he told me he was confident he would have a great game today. And that was confirmed; the player feels he is improving physically and technically. Paolo, a great striker, a great player, I hope these were the first of many goals in the Brasileirão.
Midfield duo
It wasn't an easy choice, but we made the change largely due to the opponent. We opted for Arão because Cuéllar and Márcio's characteristic is to play behind their two midfielders. If E. Ribeiro had made his debut, perhaps Cuéllar would have been a good option, but with Berrío, I opted to keep Márcio. Chapecoense's game involves a lot of ball switching; we needed a fast player to cover, and Márcio did very well. Rômulo has great height and jumping ability, and we brought him on in the second half to play in front of the defense.
Rotation
It's not just a vocation, it's a demand from the fans and the club's tradition to play well. The Brasileirão is a very tough championship and we need to have a strong and large squad. That's how we're thinking at Flamengo. Now it's time to rest until we play on Sunday in Salvador. We'll recover the players and make a careful assessment to know who will be fit for the game against Bahia.
Guerrero, goalscorer
Guerrero is a special player. He has a lot of technique, intelligence, and he needs support (to mark him). The decision to bring on Arão was also to increase our attacking power. Today Rodinei wasn't as offensive as usual on purpose, and Márcio also held the defense together.
next challenges
We'll work game by game, studying the Bahia team thoroughly; they're very strong in Salvador. This way we can concentrate our energies and make a collective effort for the next game. We'll be 100% focused in every match. We'll mobilize the players once again, and I'm counting on my coaching staff. We've worked hard and will continue working to bring joy to the fans.
substitutions
Everton and Juan are suspended, and Réver took a knock. We can use Matheus Savio, Berrío, E. Ribeiro, Vinicius Jr., and Geuvânio. We'll analyze all the options calmly; we'll only have Friday and Saturday to define the team.
Fan club members have the pride of playing alongside each victory: the money goes to football and brings more reinforcements, new talent, and infrastructure to the training center. And they also have advantages in official stores to buy the jersey and wear it with pride! Click and join now.
Check out the full interview:
Result
An important victory, considering how it happened. Despite the large score, it was a difficult match, especially after Chapecoense's goal, with many fouls near the area and many set pieces. That was the most tense moment, but we took advantage of the counter-attacks and achieved an important victory that gives us confidence for the match in Salvador. We had difficulties in the first ten minutes and especially after their goal. Anxiety set in, due to the obligation to win, but we managed to score the third goal soon after, and the match became ideal for counter-attacks.
Returns of Diego, Guerrero and Berrío
The gradual return of Diego, Guerrero, and Berrío also had a good game after some time out. It was very important; he would have been an option if E. Ribeiro had made his debut. And Berrío not only held up well and endured the entire match but also fulfilled his tactical role very well. Diego is a player I spoke with yesterday, and he told me he was confident he would have a great game today. And that was confirmed; the player feels he is improving physically and technically. Paolo, a great striker, a great player, I hope these were the first of many goals in the Brasileirão.
Midfield duo
It wasn't an easy choice, but we made the change largely due to the opponent. We opted for Arão because Cuéllar and Márcio's characteristic is to play behind their two midfielders. If E. Ribeiro had made his debut, perhaps Cuéllar would have been a good option, but with Berrío, I opted to keep Márcio. Chapecoense's game involves a lot of ball switching; we needed a fast player to cover, and Márcio did very well. Rômulo has great height and jumping ability, and we brought him on in the second half to play in front of the defense.
Rotation
It's not just a vocation, it's a demand from the fans and the club's tradition to play well. The Brasileirão is a very tough championship and we need to have a strong and large squad. That's how we're thinking at Flamengo. Now it's time to rest until we play on Sunday in Salvador. We'll recover the players and make a careful assessment to know who will be fit for the game against Bahia.
Guerrero, goalscorer
Guerrero is a special player. He has a lot of technique, intelligence, and he needs support (to mark him). The decision to bring on Arão was also to increase our attacking power. Today Rodinei wasn't as offensive as usual on purpose, and Márcio also held the defense together.
next challenges
We'll work game by game, studying the Bahia team thoroughly; they're very strong in Salvador. This way we can concentrate our energies and make a collective effort for the next game. We'll be 100% focused in every match. We'll mobilize the players once again, and I'm counting on my coaching staff. We've worked hard and will continue working to bring joy to the fans.
substitutions
Everton and Juan are suspended, and Réver took a knock. We can use Matheus Savio, Berrío, E. Ribeiro, Vinicius Jr., and Geuvânio. We'll analyze all the options calmly; we'll only have Friday and Saturday to define the team.