Renato Gaucho won his first game for Flamengo in the Libertadores’ round of 16. The club defeated Defensa y Justicia by 1-0 in the first game under the new coach’s guidance on Wednesday in Argentina. Michael’s fantastic strike from outside the goal area secured the victory.
The coach who has managed Grêmio over the last four years has already shown that he will follow Ceni’s squad structure, but he has already made improvements, with the players appearing more “relaxed.”
However, there are some positives to take from his first game in charge.
Renato made few changes to the team’s structure in his debut, which had already been without Arao, Rodrigo Caio, Diego, and Bruno Henrique. Michael earned a spot on the team and played on the left flank with Arrascaeta at the center in a 4-2-3-1 formation. However, the game was played in a way that was very different from what had previously been witnessed.
Flamengo, who are generally more active up front, watched as Defensa controlled the game and created great chances, but they were quick to capitalize on a misplaced pass and score the game’s first goal. The Argentine side attacked more in the second half, with Diego Alves shining with at least three brilliant stops to seal the victory for the red-blacks.
Pedro was left as a reserve because Fla prohibited him from participating in the Tokyo Olympics. One of the most prominent criticisms of Rogério Ceni’s work among flamenguists is his failure to include the double-top scorer “Pedro-Gabigol.”
After the choice to prioritize Michael, a young man who graduated from Gávea, the anxieties vanished.
Renato Gaucho’s tenacity was impressive, as the new coach demonstrated off the field in his first game in charge. He led the players in a timely manner. In the last stage, he made substitutions to help protect the team, such as putting in Bruno Viana in place of Arrascaeta.
Flamengo will return to the field on Sunday before meeting Defensa y Justicia once more. The team will meet Bahia in the Brazilian Championship at the Pituaçu stadium.
