Analysis: Cruzeiro closes shift with a dream sequence and good foundations outlined by Luiz Felipe Scolari | cruise

With six points less for the FIFA punishment, Enderson Moreira was aiming to rack up victories to try to break out of the lows. He won the first three rounds, but then stopped, until he was fired. Ney Franco, with an unrealistic speech, always looking up, did not manage to achieve this sequence either. He delivered the team with two bitter draws, which added to the match against Juventude (with Célio Lúcio as interim) and the three from Felipão, leaves Cruzeiro with five games scoring in Serie B.

The first mission, to win “at any cost” to regain confidence, was accomplished. Now, it is the search to improve the quality of the game, which has already grown against Paraná, especially in the first half. Not scoring goals for Cruzeiro is not enough in Serie B. You have to attack, play to beat all your rivals, if you want to dream again, at some point in the competition, with access. The Mineirão team did not lack this desire to win.

The goal before the first round of the pointer helped to lighten the team and showed that he has much more confidence. Even with the advantage on the scoreboard, he not only wanted to hold on and had enough volume to go down to the locker room with the game practically won.

This did not happen, but the difference of 2 to 0, built with a play of intelligence and clear training, which ended in the second goal, gave Cruzeiro peace of mind to mature in the second stage. It is true that he could – and should – have explored counterattacks better, but he was aware of trying to maintain possession when he had the ball and, above all, of scoring with all ten players when he was without it.

The vibration of the cruiser is also different. It is possible to hear the substitutes playing alongside whoever is on the field, vibrating with the balls won and guiding as if they were part of the committee. The motivation that Manoel said he did not know where to find behind the West lantern tie seems to have arrived in Luiz Felipe Scolari’s suitcase.

The squad does not yet deliver everything it needs in a Series B (more thinking that a champion campaign is needed to access), but it will be reinforced in the coming weeks. The access mission is still almost impossible, but Cruzeiro turns around at least with the hope that, although with delay, the little group of yesteryear is taking on a team format, with safe players and believing in what comes from the bank.

Luiz Felipe Scolari and his team manage to get an idea of ​​what the reality of Cruzeiro is. It is useless to think about Serie A, without first taking Serie C out of your head. With the humility of facing your rivals knowing that they can be better, but they can never have more desire (as Felipão said after the debut), Cruzeiro bricks, still small, for reconstruction.

In any work, what matters most is the base, made there at the beginning. And this cruise, which had to be renewed several times during the year, seems to be well founded on this new beginning. It may not deliver what you want in January 2021, but it seems to move towards safety and pay off, even in December of that year. At least now there is a long-term project.