The many injuries have hurt the team, but I look at the lineup today and it's still loaded with quality players. I thought you would have won even if by just 1 x 0. Didn't watch the game but from the stats it looks like you dominated. Was it just bad finishing ?
Most of the shots that make up the "on target" stat were soft, not at all threatening. But it didn't even feel like that was the problem, it was getting there in the first place. Those shots were bad because they came from half chances or disjointed play, not cause someone got into position and then screwed up a chance.
Hulk and Paulinho missing sitters and PKs and Deyverson comes in shows them how it's done. The legend continues. Atletico going through.
Botafogo go through on PKs. Second time they almost "pipocam" and throw away a win. Not to mention the last min win vs Flu. It's like they are exorcizing what happened last season.
Peñarol are through with a goalless draw. Flamengo couldn't break through the Peñarol bus. Plata had a chance in the 1st half but seems to have frozen in front of the goal by the ball bouncing high. Pedro or even Gabigol would have put that in. Flamengo had trouble getting a shot on target.
I don't expect fans to be happy with Tite, he's done poorly in this critical stretch without key players, but this isn't a new thing for Flamengo. Whether it's the administration, the players or the medical department, there are other problems that always seem to get in the way of the team achieving this potential everyone knows they have and I, for one, don't think another coaching change is suddenly going to fix the club. It might win titles, but as I say with the national team, it will be more due to luck and timing than planning and working towards the goal.
You think he is gonna last into next season ? I'd imagine a loss to Corinthians in the CdB would certainly seal his fate. And even then, I am not sure he will make it through.
RMP has an opinion column today titled "Porque o Tite ainda nao foi demitido?" It's ridiculous, as bad as this stretch has been. Close out the season with him, then let him go and get someone else early for the next season. But that's what you get with idiots like RMP who operate on this very Brazilian mentality about coaching. They keep propping up this delusion that Flamengo (or whatever traditional club they write about) is not the problem and if we just get a new coach tomorrow everything will be fine... until they call for the next coach of course.
It's so irksome about how people forget everything so quickly; as a well-informed Flamengo and Brazil and overall soccer fan, this doesn't include you @Ombak but you will probably agree. Flamengo was a mess in 2023. Sampaoli showed Brazilians why his compatriots were so incensed with his coaching back in 2018. Despite a 1-0 home victory vs. Olimpia in the round of 16 and an early goal in Paraguay, Flamengo imploded in what was a rather embarrassing elimination at the hands of a team with a decidedly less talented squad and a lower folha de pagamento. Enter Tite. Back in the second half of April, Flamengo lost 1-2 at Bolivar. Aquela derrota havia sido somente a primeira vez que o Flamengo havia sofrido uma derrota em jogos oficiais durante todo o ano de 2024. Tite had done for Flamengo what he did for Brazil back in 2016: he established a playing system and shored up the defense. I'm going to a link a post I wrote about Flamengo's performance in the 2024 Campeonato Carioca and a UOL story I linked in that post. The story said, n summary: This is the best defensive performance by Flamengo in the first 10 matches of the Campeonato Carioca since 1985 (1 goal allowed in 10 matches). Flamengo boasts the best defense in the Primeira Divisão, with 7 wins and 3 draws. Flamengo has drastically changed from the Sampaoli era, when Flamengo allowed 30 goals in 23 matches; in 2023 alone, Tite began to improve Flamengo's defense by having the team allow 11 goals in 12 matches. 2024 numbers are even better. Flamengo allowed no goals against Vasco, Botafogo, and Fluminense, with wins against the second and third teams and a goalless draw vs. Vasco. It isn't Tite's fault that some players failed to shoot when they decided to pass, and while he may be partially responsible for some of the players being on the injured list, are those injuries his fault? If the players who couldn't play yesterday due to injury had all been available and at 100% condition, who knows? Tite isn't perfect, and you know how staunchly I defended him between 2016 and 2022. I will go as far as to state that if CBF were to decide to fire Dorival Jr. and to hire a Brazilian replacement, I wouldn't mind Tite back. With his track record, Tite would clean up the defense while also implementing a defined tactical system. Dorival has improved the defense, but he hasn't instituted a game plan. Under Tite yesterday, Flamengo was the dominant team in the first half. Sometimes, as we all know, the ball simply won't go in. Calleri was guilty of that against Botafogo, despite him having come through for SPFC on so many other occasions. If Flamengo or SPFC or whoever decide to re-examine their coaching staff, I would say do that after the conclusion of the Campeonato Brasileiro. Tite is still probably the best Brazilian manager, and if Flamengo releases him, I'm not sure they'll get anybody better.
Deyverson has only scored more than 10 goals in a season once in his career. Last season at Cuiaba. Yet he has decided a Libertadores final, scored the title winning goal in a Brasileirão, scored against legendary Madrid and Barca teams, and now decisive in QF and probably SF of another LIbertadores. So freaking weird.
And despite the two goals, I thought his assist was the best. No offside on a throw-in. He's exactly the type of player to use that, and then a great lay-off to Paulinho.
Atlético Mineiro repeats its home win score against River Plate in the Libertadores knockout stage. The opponents were deployed with a 5-3-2, and this system definitely didn't work. Atl.-MG dominated the midfield and when they did a wholesale roster change, it was too late. There is still another match to be played, and the host team will do all it can to stay alive, but if Atlético Mineiro pays attention, Brazil will have at least one of its teams in the final. Here's hoping that another Brazilian alvinegro wins its semifinal match tonight.
Should Atlético Mineiro reach the final, regardless of the opponent, will you be more biased in favor of Atlético Mineiro because Gustavo Scarpa and Deyverson are Galo players?
I have no attachment to those players. Deyverson honestly annoyed me on the field (now I laugh at it) and I didn't like how Scarpa left. And honestly I don't care much about players if they win or lose for a team after they leave a team I support. Although it would be cool to see Deyverson scoring and winning in a final for shits and giggles. Deyverson has scored 5 Libertadores goals in his career. 4 of them have been humongous (final, QF and SF). So bizarre. Having said that, I'd pull for Atletico against Botafogo because of Textor. Last year I had a soft spot for the club but now I have antipathy for them. I am hoping they blow both title chances.
Gotcha. Each fan views these things differently I suppose. I don't remember/don't know enough as to whether Deyverson left on good or bad terms, but I recall talking to you months ago about Scarpa.
Deyverson wanted to stay. Abel supposedly wanted him to stay. But Anderson Barros didn't. With the fans, he left on good terms. Scarpa was offered the same if not better wages to renew compared to Not.Forest but decided to go on his adventure in Europe. Ended up leaving for free. Not exactly on bad terms but definitely disappointing because it was kind of obvious it wasn't going to work for him in Europe.
I'd like to report a case of physical and mental abuse ... Botafogo 5 x 0 Peñarol Final is set. I am pissed Botafogo won't have to suffer and can concentrate on the Brasileirão as well. I blame Flamengo ... @Ombak SAF vs SAF in the final
I mean, I blame us too. Clearly Penarol made it at least a step too far. I don't know how the match went, but I see the first half was 0x0, no idea if it was that close or just them holding on, but 5x0 in the second half is enough for them to send the youth team to the next match.
Peñarol did well for the first 20-25 mins in the 1st half. And actually Botafogo were struggling. From there on Peñarol dropped back and Botafogo dominated but still didn't create many chances. After the 1st goal in the 2nd half and then specially after the 2nd (off a corner), then Peñarol self destructed. Botafogo hit them with quick plays as Peñarol opened up a bit. Some quality goals scored.
The refereeing trio for Atlético Mineiro's match at River Plate will be mixed: Colombia's Wilmar Roldán will be the referee, with assistance from Carlos Orbe, Bryan Loayza, and Christian Lescano (VAR) - an Ecuadorian trio. Their counterparts for Botafogo's visit to Centenario will be Chilean: Piero Maza as the main referee, with assistance from José Cabero, Francisco Gilabert, and Alejandro Molina (VAR). If the refereeing is fair and if Atlético Mineiro and Botafogo remain focused and do their jobs, the Libertadores will have yet another final brasileira.
Galo > galinhas Atlético Mineiro got the job done. They faced a home team which fought hard, but whose aim was found wanting. But it simply wasn't meant to be. The entire history of this tournament points to one singular fact which made River's odds difficult: no team which had won the first leg of a semifinal mata-mata by 3 or more goals ever ended up eliminated. And since their manager returned, his team scored 13 goals in 14 matches, with one being a PK. River couldn't score against Platense, in a recent match in their league (0-0). They were going to score 3 or 4 against Atlético Mineiro - a very regular performer who is in the final of another prestigious cup - the Copa do Brasil? For now, I look forward to yet another all-Brazilian Libertadores final. Peñarol will do all it can, but 5 goals?