It's part of football: often, games with countless scoring chances and shots hitting the post end in a 0-0 draw. That's how it was in the match between Flamengo and Santos, last Wednesday (3), at Arena Pantanal. Even though the victory didn't materialize, coach Zé Ricardo praised the dedication of his players and reaffirmed that the team has the strength to fight at the top of the Brasileirão table.
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See the main excerpts from the coach's press conference after the game:
On the way
It was a classic; we got a point away from home and reached our fifth match without a loss. This gives us the right to stay in the top group. Flamengo has the strength to fight for the top four and the top of the table. I'm happy with the performance, and the players gave their all. Now we have a very difficult game against Atlético-PR (Saturday, 4:18 p.m.), who are motivated by their victory over Corinthians. We'll try to win and enter the top four once and for all.
Cirino's replacement by Fernandinho
It's part of the game; we came up with a strategy that was working with Marcelo on the right. Marcelo is a player with very interesting skills for today's football. He's been showing behavior he hadn't been able to before; he's been training a lot. He relies heavily on the day's training, understanding that, and growing. Of course, he won't play at a high level every game, because there are games on Wednesday and Saturday, so it's impossible to perform well every game. I find some criticism unfair to Cirino. Today, when he was on the field, he made the most of it. His departure changed the plan, and we always go into the game with a strategy. We tried Fernando there, and he's a player who plays better on the left. Since Éverton was playing well on the left, we tried Fernando there to continue to be aggressive on Caju. There are days when a player tries to do his best when coming on, but it doesn't happen.
The ball didn't go in
Santos, despite the absences, has a great team and a strong squad. They played much of the match on the counterattack, we had a lot of pace, and we tried to balance things out defensively. At times in attack, we were a bit hasty, but we corrected our decision and stopped giving Santos the option to counterattack. We had Guerrero spread wide between their two defenders, and we ended up getting most of the passes through with Éverton and then Adryan himself, but unfortunately, the ball wouldn't go in today. I'm pleased with the team's effort; it was a long journey, and we were worried they'd feel the pressure, but that didn't happen, and they responded.
Change of tactical scheme
We need to change our playing style. With Alan Patrick and Mancuello, we lose a bit of speed on the flanks, a bit on the wings, but we gain a bit more possession. We knew Santos was coming in with a more defensive approach, so we opted to open up the game, exploit the flanks, and create triangulations. I think it worked; we managed to create a lot of deep plays. We weren't able to find the final pass or the final ball, but within our plan, I think it worked.
Rodinei, Juan and Jorge play on Saturday?
Juan, I think, is a bit of a challenge. He had some discomfort in his left calf and started treatment at Couto Pereira. Jorge and Rodinei have already worked this week, and we'll evaluate tomorrow. But we'll be comfortable with them, especially since Chiquinho and Pará are doing well.
Mengão is just two points behind the league leaders and is counting on you to help them get even stronger: click here and become a member!
See the main excerpts from the coach's press conference after the game:
On the way
It was a classic; we got a point away from home and reached our fifth match without a loss. This gives us the right to stay in the top group. Flamengo has the strength to fight for the top four and the top of the table. I'm happy with the performance, and the players gave their all. Now we have a very difficult game against Atlético-PR (Saturday, 4:18 p.m.), who are motivated by their victory over Corinthians. We'll try to win and enter the top four once and for all.
Cirino's replacement by Fernandinho
It's part of the game; we came up with a strategy that was working with Marcelo on the right. Marcelo is a player with very interesting skills for today's football. He's been showing behavior he hadn't been able to before; he's been training a lot. He relies heavily on the day's training, understanding that, and growing. Of course, he won't play at a high level every game, because there are games on Wednesday and Saturday, so it's impossible to perform well every game. I find some criticism unfair to Cirino. Today, when he was on the field, he made the most of it. His departure changed the plan, and we always go into the game with a strategy. We tried Fernando there, and he's a player who plays better on the left. Since Éverton was playing well on the left, we tried Fernando there to continue to be aggressive on Caju. There are days when a player tries to do his best when coming on, but it doesn't happen.
The ball didn't go in
Santos, despite the absences, has a great team and a strong squad. They played much of the match on the counterattack, we had a lot of pace, and we tried to balance things out defensively. At times in attack, we were a bit hasty, but we corrected our decision and stopped giving Santos the option to counterattack. We had Guerrero spread wide between their two defenders, and we ended up getting most of the passes through with Éverton and then Adryan himself, but unfortunately, the ball wouldn't go in today. I'm pleased with the team's effort; it was a long journey, and we were worried they'd feel the pressure, but that didn't happen, and they responded.
Change of tactical scheme
We need to change our playing style. With Alan Patrick and Mancuello, we lose a bit of speed on the flanks, a bit on the wings, but we gain a bit more possession. We knew Santos was coming in with a more defensive approach, so we opted to open up the game, exploit the flanks, and create triangulations. I think it worked; we managed to create a lot of deep plays. We weren't able to find the final pass or the final ball, but within our plan, I think it worked.
Rodinei, Juan and Jorge play on Saturday?
Juan, I think, is a bit of a challenge. He had some discomfort in his left calf and started treatment at Couto Pereira. Jorge and Rodinei have already worked this week, and we'll evaluate tomorrow. But we'll be comfortable with them, especially since Chiquinho and Pará are doing well.