After winning 3-0 against Bangu at the Raulino de Oliveira stadium in Volta Redonda, Zé Ricardo held a press conference and celebrated the result. The victory qualified Flamengo for the semifinals of the Campeonato Carioca.
"I'm very pleased with the squad, and the first objective was achieved. We knew the match would be difficult, but the strength of our group was proven by their convincing performance. Bangu was very defensive, with many men in front of the box. We had to study the game concept thoroughly. I was happy with the players' attitude; congratulations to all of them. Let's rest; we have a tough game on Sunday against Vasco," said Zé Ricardo.
The Mais Querido's next challenge is against Vasco next Sunday (26), at 18:30 pm, at the Mané Garrincha stadium, in Brasília.
See the main excerpts:
Play style
Our style of play has several characteristics, and one of them is maintaining high intensity for a long time. It's been ten months of work, and over time, we're showing the athletes the importance of being connected across all aspects. We have a group with the capacity and quality to make changes without losing the rhythm of the game, so the idea is to use everyone in a balanced way to prepare them for the season.
Marcio Araújo
Márcio is extremely useful and very involved. He may not be as active in more sophisticated plays, but he has quality passing and a great tactical sense. We're happy to have him on our side, because when called upon, he always delivers. He played very well today, making almost no mistakes—a great number for his position. He has the ability and can develop further in the attacking half, with longer passes.
Entrance to Paquetá
I wanted to give Paquetá a chance with a more structured team that's been playing more, so he could feel more comfortable showing his full potential and ability. He looked for space and did what we asked him to do at halftime. He's incredibly talented.
Maximum strength in the Rio Cup
Regardless of our standings in the standings, the idea is to be at full strength. We did that against Bangu, and it won't be any different against Vasco. We'll use our best players, unless a player is showing signs of fatigue, as was the case with Rômulo. If nothing like that happens, we'll be at full strength on Sunday.
Rene
We're still slowly getting to know Renê, but he's got a good attacking game, and we're working with him to rebuild. I hope today's goal gives him more confidence and he can have a brilliant career at Flamengo.