Jardim Praises Fans and Analyzes Pitch After Flamengo’s Victory in Belém
Flamengo‘s supporters were one of the major highlights in the 1-0 victory over Remo this Sunday (06), in a match counting towards the Brazilian Serie A. Coach Leonardo Jardim made a point of commending the fervent red-and-black support, which provided a warm reception in the city of Belém.
The adverse conditions of the Mangueirão pitch, battered by rain, heat, and unevenness, were also a topic in the post-game analysis.
Praise for the Red-and-Black Nation
In an interview, Leonardo Jardim directed his first words to the fans:
First and foremost, my words are for our supporters. Not just today (Sunday) in the stadium, but also for the spectacular reception they gave us yesterday.
The Portuguese manager declared.
Curious Pitch Analysis
The coach also commented on the difficulties imposed by the playing field:
Regarding the game, the pitch had three phases. The dry pitch in the first half. In the second, the pitch got wet and improved, but it got too wet, and then in the third phase, it got worse.
Jardim reinforced that, despite the scenario, the victory was earned deservedly:
It was a more hard-fought game in the end. That’s football. We didn’t have a good pitch for the entire 90 minutes. But I believe the victory was deserved. The opponent only had one shot on goal, we hit the post, had great saves from the opposing goalkeeper, and scored a goal. It’s an entirely deserved victory, even based on the statistics.
Spectacular Saves and Missed Opportunities
Despite creating several clear chances, Flamengo couldn’t extend the lead. One of the most evident opportunities was a header from Pedro, which was stopped by an impressive save from goalkeeper Rangel.
Jardim described the intervention as perhaps the best save in the league this year. He emphasized the importance of other players being able to decide games, but stressed that the focus is always on winning:
We didn’t want to create a dependency on Pedro, or anyone else, because we have other players. The important thing is for us to score goals and win games.
Brazilian Serie A Standings and Upcoming Challenges
With this result, Flamengo provisionally took the lead in the Brazilian Serie A, with 54 points. The Rio de Janeiro team now turns its attention to the Libertadores competition.
The team will face Independiente del Valle (ECU) next Thursday (10), before taking on Corinthians on Sunday (13) at the Maracanã, in another commitment in the national championship.
Equipe M360
