One member of the G4 and another from half of the table. Utilization of 59.4% against 45.8%. Well-placed access versus doubts and pressure from the crowd. Rivals in the decision of the last Rio Cup, Botafogo e Basque draw different paths in this B series: the cross-Maltino for now skates in an attempt to climb. Alvinegro, on the other hand, is on a honeymoon with the results, which have ensured, even in times of instability, the top of the table — a situation that reversed the expectations created when rivals assembled their squads.
On Thursday, Vasco experienced the probable first match of wide dominance in this Segundona. For the first commanded by Fernando Diniz, the cross-maltino was more in possession of the ball, proposed the game and smothered the CRB in your own field. He scored his goal with Cano and could have expanded the score, but ended up suffering the equalizer in stoppage time. A defensive failure, like several he suffered in Serie B, which once again confined the club to 10th place. But a positive sign for a team that has spent more than half a season in an identity crisis.
Meanwhile, Botafogo is going to the field this Saturday, against Nautical, at Nilton Santos, at 4:30 pm, packed. Third place, alvinegro comes from a 4-0 rout over the Londoner, the fourth victory in a row, the result of a cast that embarked on an efficient and tactically applied proposal, in line with the characteristics of Serie B. A perfect match with the arrival of the coach Enderson Moreira, which replaced Marcelo Chamusca in July, and has 84.8% utilization.
— Chamusca gave me a lot of freedom to play in the last third of the field, with Enderson I have a more positional game. He positions me well to attack the lines well. It’s a little different, yes – explained the attacker Chay, in an interview with Sportv.
Deputy top scorer in Serie B and top scorer in Alvinegro, with eight goals, the arrival of Chay was one of the turning points for Botafogo this season. Featured in the Campeonato Carioca by Portuguesa, the 30-year-old player was a sure bet by the club’s board, which soon moved to turn his loan into a definitive acquisition. With Chamusca, the attacking midfielder already mended good performances. After the arrival of Enderson, he took on the role of protagonist and pillar of experience of a cast formed, mostly, by bets and highlights pinched in smaller clubs.
This type of influence is sought after by Vasco, who brought back Nenê, 40, to try to oxygenate his team’s midfield. The cross-Maltino squad is formed by youngsters from the club’s youth categories, experienced players like Leandro Castan and Germán Cano and names that have been at the top of the lists in Brazil a few years ago, such as full-back Zeca, goalkeeper Vanderlei and forward Léo Jabá, all with Serie A or B titles in their curriculum. The difficulty has been precisely to fit a game proposal that suits the cast. Marcelo Cabo and Lisca tried reactive styles and alternated when results ran out, but they didn’t last long. With Fernando Diniz, who opted straight away for his style of ball possession and game proposition, the first impression was good.
— There are teams that play reactively and score a lot. There are teams that play with possession and cannot score that much. We have to find a way for the team to play well, propose the game and stay protected, that’s what we’ll try to do by the end of the year – said the coach, in his presentation.
Differences in numbers
On average, Botafogo is less with the ball in Serie B. According to the website “Sofascore” possession is 47.5% per match. At the same time, it has the best attack in the competition, alongside the Guarani: there are 34 goals, 30 of which are made from inside the penalty area. The efficiency of Enderson’s team in finding spaces helped to score even in matches where the team was below ideal performance, such as the 1-0 victory over the Remo, on the last day 4. Botafogo creates 2.2 great chances per game and scores 1.5 per games, numbers that practically explain the success.
Although they keep different styles, the traces of a reactive proposal are present in the style of Enderson and his predecessor Chamusca, this Saturday’s rival for Náutico. As much as the results have started to appear more positively in the work of the first one, the idea of a transition game is identified with the cast alvinegro. No wonder names like defender Kanu, the attacker Rafael Navarro, the multipurpose Warley and the midfielder Marco Antonio grew up along the Segundona. The squad gains even more strength with the arrival of right-back Rafael.
— Botafogo proved to be very organized with its financial limitations. It’s a club that knows very well what it wants. Every day that passes, I realize the desire to perform what we train – said the coach, in an interview on the program “Bem, Amigos”.
At Vasco, the lack of identity, the problems in the aerial ball and the oscillation of the team’s moments reflect the distance of the G4. The team has the ball in matches — an average of 51.7% of possession — but is unable to take advantage of it. It creates 1.5 great chances and scores 1.2 goals per game, but also suffers, on average, the same number of goals per game. It is the fourth worst defense in Serie B, with 28 goals conceded in 24 games. There were no nets balanced in only six of them.
— The atmosphere was one of frustration, but also one of encouragement. It’s a great team, with great players and it can get access. That is the mission, our task – said Fernando Diniz after the premiere. This Sunday, Vasco receives the cruise, already with the presence of the public in São Januário.
The fourth youngest cast, with an average age of 25.9 years, the Cruz-Maltino cast, valued at 29.1 million euros (180 million reais), is also the most expensive of the Series B, according to a quotation on the specialized website “Transfermarkt”. The second most expensive is Botafogo, with a valuation of 23 million euros (142 million reais), with an average age of 27.1 years. Similar proportions and different strategies, which today result in seven positions and eight points away in the table.
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