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We all expected a lot, and Flamengo and São Paulo delivered very little this Wednesday night, in Maracanã. Fernando Diniz’s team, who had a bad game, well below what they usually present, returns home with a victory found: 2 to 1. Everything is open for the return in the Copa do Brasil.
The match will be marked by the mistake of the young goalkeeper Hugo, who scored a goal for Brennero at the end. But apart from this it was a bad and disappointing match.
A few weeks ago, Fortaleza, by Rogério Ceni, and São Paulo, by Diniz, drew in an electrifying first leg of the round of 16, which ended 3-3. A game. This Wednesday he had nothing to do. It was a slow, studied game in which the teams showed little ambition. Flamengo had more chances because he received more gifts. São Paulo won because they took better advantage of the gift they received.
But, with the ball at their feet, the two teams played first, struggling to accelerate, find spaces, give real work to the opposing defense.
Slowness was the great mark of São Paulo this Wednesday. Diniz’s team never managed to speed up the exchange of passes and that was clear in the first half, when São Paulo didn’t even finish on goal.
Flamengo did not exert such aggressive pressure to recover the ball, but they closed the passing lanes well. It is a way of scoring, without squeezing the ball carrier, but diminishing his options. Simply by occupying spaces, he managed to force some errors from the opponent, especially from the defenders. The ball does not burn at the feet of Volpi, Daniel Alves, Reinaldo or the midfielders. But, when São Paulo’s quarterbacks are on the ball, the risk is constant.
Bruno Alves had a difficult night in that regard. He was lucky that young goalkeeper Hugo, on the other side, wasn’t.
Some of these mistakes resulted in Flamengo’s best scoring chances, but Ceni’s team didn’t fare well with decision-making either. Gabriel Barbosa is out of rhythm, Bruno Henrique is still missing and Michael hardly participates. Most of Flamengo’s dangerous moves come from Vitinho’s acceleration from the right.
The fact is that Flamengo misses Filipe Luís and Éverton Ribeiro too much to build the game from behind. There were several pointless balls drawn for the attack field.
The second half started with a goal for each side. On São Paulo’s first ball, Sara found a lovely pass for Brenner to face and score. In a row, De Arrascaeta was the one who gave Gabigol a beautiful pass. The ball was cut, but Bruno Henrique caught the rebound and looked at Gabriel for the equalizer.
It looked like the game was going to catch fire, but it didn’t. São Paulo was slow and erratic when it came out. Flamengo had more possession in the attack field, but could not accelerate either and create big problems for the São Paulo defense. Luciano, on the one hand, and De Arrascaeta, on the other, lost the best opportunity to change the score.
In the end, ironically, it was Flamengo who missed the ball. Hugo, who had taken the place of Daniel Alves and made a good defense against Luciano, failed the attempt to dribble Brenner and handed the 2-1 to São Paulo.
In the end, São Paulo beat Flamengo without a player and, because of the bad game they played and the mistakes they made, there is more to celebrate. The game logic of leaving with the ball from behind and advancing the lines when advancing is very good. But when it doesn’t work, it becomes the great enemy.
Flamengo, on the other hand, will be frustrated with the defeat, as it would be with the tie. Because he had several untapped opportunities in São Paulo’s mistakes. With the ball, the team did not show anything very promising, but, as I have written before, Filipe Luís, Éverton Ribeiro and De Arrascaeta (still without rhythm) are too necessary. Without the ball, Flamengo has already shown signs that life will be different with Rogério Ceni. It was a more aggressive team in search of recovery than with Domenec.
Flamengo will improve with Ceni, especially when they recover so many headlines. And São Paulo will no longer play so many bad games.
