After Flamengo's match against Santa Cruz, which resulted in three more points for the red-and-black team, Zé Ricardo spoke to reporters in the Pacaembu press room. The coach analyzed Flamengo's victory, discussing the team's performance and praising the Pernambuco team, which kept the match even for part of the first half. The coach also highlighted young Felipe Vizeu's goal, praising the center forward's qualities. Watch the full interview in the exclusive FlaTV Nação Rubro-Negra video for fan members - click here.
See the main excerpts:
Performance against Santa Cruz
We managed to control the game for the most part. During the match, we experienced a few moments of imbalance. Santa Cruz has a very strong attack. Overall, we controlled the match well.
Sequence in the competition
Our fight is with ourselves, to play well and maintain our high level of performance. Palmeiras has a consistent team. We try to remain focused on our opponents. With nine rounds to go, we can't say that catching them is impossible. We have a difficult run ahead of us, with opponents fighting for something. We will strive to play our best football in the remaining matches. We arrived well ahead of the competition's final stage, with a high level of respect.
Performance by Felipe Vizeu
He's a player we've known for a long time and have a lot of trust in. I'd like to thank the CBF for releasing him. They were extremely helpful when we contacted them after the São Paulo game. Vizeu is an athlete in the final stages of development; we see enormous potential in him, and he's only going to grow.
Red and black fans at Pacaembu
Flamengo's fans are truly remarkable at every match. We expected the fans to show up in droves, knowing we have a fan base that always shows up, regardless of where we play. So I'm sure that when we need them, they'll be there just as they were today.
Most Loved Campaign in the Brazilian Championship
We only lost once in the second half, and I think a lot will happen in that period. We're focusing on consistency game by game. Compared to the three teams currently fighting for the top spot, we have the toughest schedule compared to our opponents. However, I believe they'll struggle too. We'll need to think strategically in each match and win them.