On Wednesday night (28), Flamengo secured another important victory at Ilha do Urubu. Against Santos, the Mais Querido relied on goals from Everton and Cuéllar to beat their opponent 2-0 in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals. After the match, coach Zé Ricardo gave a press conference and, among other things, commented on the red-black intensity during the game. "Football these days demands that we always play to our limit and we played a very positive match," he stated.

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Berrío played a very good game and delivered what we asked for, providing a lot of play down the right, participating heavily in attacks, and nearly scoring a goal. While he had the energy, he did what we expected, and with him, we succeeded. Together with him, we managed to create a lot down the right, which was our goal.

Even though we had other chances, I thought it was a difficult match. Santos has mobility up front, intelligent players in midfield, tall defenders who make good passes, and very good full-backs. We needed to play to our limit to come away with the win, and we did. We were very consistent defensively and took advantage of our chances to play in their attacking half. The result was very important, but we know that, despite the advantage being good, playing at Vila Belmiro is always very difficult. We need to stay grounded and try to achieve our objectives step by step. The return leg isn't until next month, so we need to conserve our energy for the São Paulo match on Sunday.

We know the potential of our squad, which is rich in quantity and quality, which gives us options to change from game to game and develop strategies. Both Cuéllar and Berrío are very important. Both had positive and consistent performances. The important thing is to value the group, as we need to make some changes, and this only strengthens our squad. We're managing this very well internally, and everyone is aware of the importance of this season for Flamengo. The best part is arriving at training and everyone is ready, happy, and dedicated to their work. This gives us peace of mind and the certainty that we're doing the right job, and we're doing it right.

We'll still have time to think, but Flamengo has a way of playing, and we'll continue like that, looking for the game, not just playing defense. The Copa do Brasil is more important than not conceding at home, and we managed to come away with a 2-0 win. We'll still try to score there, because if we can score, we'll be in a better position to qualify.

I spoke with Cuéllar at the beginning of the year at Ninho, and he outlined his goals. I told him we were counting on him. I always told him to keep working hard like everyone else, and he was an example of that; he was always very professional. Today, he made the most of the opportunity that arose. We also had the return of Pará, who performed very well, and Everton, who played at the extreme limit and was crucial. We went through a period of instability, as every great team does, but we're getting back into rhythm. We're on a good unbeaten streak and have conceded only one goal in the last four games. Little by little, we're improving our consistency and getting back on track. Working at Flamengo is a constant pressure, we know that well. These are stages we need to go through, and we're doing it slowly.

We have professionals and a performance center that provides us with a wealth of information and data. With this, we strive to recover them, and the coaching staff always strives to prepare them in the best possible way, striving for balance and ensuring everyone is always prepared. It's important for athletes to understand that not everyone can play, as registration is limited. On Sunday, we have another tough challenge, and we need to devise a new strategy to beat them and continue our rise in the Brazilian Championship.

We managed the space well and had good chances. Vanderlei had a great game and is a top-notch goalkeeper. We controlled the space well because we knew Santos' quality and the importance of paying attention. We hope to recover our players and come back strong on Sunday.