Flamengo’s performance against PSG confirmed the evolution of the Brazilian team, with football of a high strategic level and close to that of the French team, one of the greats in Europe. Flamengo was a compact team, with a lot of pressure across the field to recover the ball, and alternated exchanges of short passes with quick transitions from defense to attack.
The other Brazilian teams, little by little, follow the same path, as we saw in the recent Club World Cup, with the participation of Flamengo, Palmeiras and Fluminense, and also in the Brasileirão, especially Cruzeiro and Mirassol. It is no longer possible to play without intensity, with very separate sectors or watch the opponent receive the free ball. There is still an excess of long balls for the attack, and the defenders, apart from Flamengo, remain far behind, glued to the penalty area.
Flamengo lacked more individual talent against PSG from midfield to forward. The ball left midfield and was soon recovered by PSG. Arrascaeta and the three most advanced players are not used to playing against teams that put a lot of pressure on those with the ball and have great defenders. Therefore, it is necessary to be careful when asking for players who shine in national championships to be called up for selection.
On the other hand, Flamengo’s defensive system, with four excellent defenders and another quartet in midfield formed by the two midfielders and a player on each side who returned to score, was once again quite efficient. PSG, with an excellent trio in midfield, had more control of the ball, but created few scoring chances.
On the same day as Flamengo x PSG, we saw Corinthians x Vasco in the Copa do Brasil, and the technical differences between the two games were evident. Vasco had a better performance in the 0-0 draw. Both teams lacked the brilliance of their best attackers, Coutinho and Rayan for Vasco, Memphis and Garro for Corinthians.
This Sunday (21), the two teams, at Maracanã, decide the title. There is no favorite. Regardless of the performances and the result, the dynamism no longer exists. Vasco stopped being a team with some notable actions that were repeated to be a more modern, plural team, with more collective variations, an evolution of coach Fernando Diniz.
Tite on Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro made a good signing, which does not mean that the team will be a great success, as it will depend on many details. Furthermore, Leonardo Jardim did a great job, and the fans expect something better.
Tite awakens opposing opinions and feelings. There are those who have great admiration for the person and the coach, due to his knowledge, professional seriousness and rationality and for several previous victorious campaigns in charge of Brazilian teams. They think that the team’s eliminations in the last two World Cups gave the coach more experience. Others find Tite very professorial, pastoral, theoretical, inefficient and point out that he was largely to blame for the defeats in the two World Cups.
A great coach, in addition to having technical and tactical knowledge and knowing how to command a group well, needs to be able, during matches, to notice the unexpected and quickly make decisions that were not planned or rehearsed. It’s not easy. It’s for few.
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