Happened again. The third time in a row, now at Nílton Santos Stadium. The same as in Itaquera and Maracanã.
Flamengo dominates, pushes Fluminense to the defense field, creates the best situations. But it doesn’t translate the superiority in the score, much for the total delivery of the tricolors in the defensive work to not concede goals.
In the last two red-black victories, the trip to the break was with a partial victory of 2 to 0. Over time, Flu learned that pushing the decision of the match to the second half means greater chances of taking advantage of fatigue and deconcentration. of the rival.
It could have been different this time, but VAR helped the field referee to mark the offside Gabigol in the second stage. Just as he called the very weak Alexandre Vargas de Jesus at the beginning of the match to cancel a penalty that didn’t even need a replay to notice that defender Nino’s arm was glued to his body.
But Flamengo was not better than the opponent on the return of the break. The 3-4-2-1 lost coordination with substitutions and Fluminense grew in midfield with the advance of Felipe Melo, Marinho created little on the right and Vitinho, who could again be an escape on the left, as in the debut of the holders against Boavista, he was expelled in a silly fight with Calegari.
The discussions, in fact, were the keynote of the classic. Even for the “combo” of rivalries. Of the last duels, but also the one that Felipe Melo and William Bigode brought from Palmeiras and Abel Braga still bears the criticism for 2019 not swallowed and the dispute between Internacional that commanded with the red-blacks for the Brazilian title in 2020.
Perhaps there was a lack of emotional control, as Paulo Sousa pointed out in the post-game press conference. They should have fallen into the right pile, turning the “you’re my deputy!” from Felipe Melo to Diego Ribas in indignation and forcefulness to resolve the match when he had the chance.
But Flamengo is experiencing a kind of “Groundhog Day”, in reference to the saga lived by Bill Murray’s character in the classic “Feitiço do Tempo”. Always the same script: he pressures the Flu, believes that the goal will come at any moment, fails in the second half and is defeated. Now the “villains” were Isla, who allowed Colombian Jhon Arias to receive the cross behind him, and goalkeeper Hugo Souza, who could not prevent a weak header from entering.
Paulo Sousa is responsible for the starting lineup, maintenance at the return of the break – to replace at six minutes of the second stage, fearing the athlete’s expulsion – and, mainly, the excessive praise to Diego at the press conference.
The coach’s diplomacy and also the group management in dealing with the main leadership in the locker room is understandable. Still, it’s hard to watch the Portuguese, who was a great midfielder, insist on 2022 with a midfielder who just doesn’t deliver a first-rate pass forward. That the almost 37 years old took the intensity and make the number ten often arrive late in the disputes.
Nothing added as a midfielder on the right, alongside Arrascaeta, another who played very poorly for his own high level, and behind Gabigol in the trio of “advanced players”. To make matters worse, Rodinei, another surprise as a starter and Isla and Matheuzinho on the bench, produced little in the sector and reversed the problem of the debut: this time the left side was more prolific than the right.
As much as the planning to balance the cast in terms of physical aspects, including timing, and tactics, is understood, perhaps someone above Paulo Sousa was lacking to explain the current context of Fla-Flu. In practice, it’s the only really big game in Carioca. The only opponent involved with Série A and Libertadores. With recent favorable record in direct confrontation. It was to put the best and take turns later – Pedro being on the bench for 90 minutes was a defiance of logic.
Now he will have a start of pressure for the Supercopa do Brasil, on the 20th. Because he stumbled and fell early in the “common grave” of Rogério Ceni and Renato Gaúcho, like another coach defeated in Fla-Flu.
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