Soccer
EUROPEAN CHAMPION, RODRI BECAME THE SHADOW OF VINÍCIUS JÚNIOR FOR THE BALLON D'OR IN THE SEASON
Spain beat England 2-1 in the final and won the European trophy
|
0
On Monday morning (15), the website GOAL released a power ranking (list) that indicates a change in the panorama of the dispute for the Ballon d'Or. After Spain's Eurocup title, Spanish midfielder Rodri emerged as Vinícius Júnior's main opponent for the prize. In addition to emerging as champion, Rodri was also awarded as the best player of the tournament.
In the GOAL rankings, Rodri appears as the current favorite to win the best in the world award, with Vinícius Jr appearing in second place. Some other names on the list are: Jude Bellingham (3˚), Dani Carvajal (4˚) and Lautaro Martínez (5˚).
After the end of the club season in Europe, which had its Closing with the Champions League final, won by Real Madrid, Vinícius Jr was the main favorite to be chosen for the Ballon d'Or. This consensus remained until the beginning of the European Championship and the Copa América, which concluded last Sunday (14), with the respective titles of Spain and Argentina.
Brazil's poor performance in the Copa América, With an elimination for Uruguay in the quarter-finals and a group stage that was not very dominant, the debate about Vinícius Jr's favoritism cooled. In addition, the Seleção's number 7 didn't even play in the match against the Uruguayan team due to a suspension.
Bellingham leaves Rodri out of some “selections”
Before the national team competitions begin, Jude Bellingham, midfielder for Real Madrid and England appeared to be the Brazilian's main competitor. However, both he and the English team underperformed in the European Championship, despite reaching the final. This created space for Rodri to emerge as a strong candidate.
However, despite being voted the best in the Euro, the Spanish midfielder was not among the names present in the famous “selections”. who are chosen by major statistics sites that cover football. Rodri was not present in the best XI of FlashScore, SofaScore and WhoScored. His performance, although good, was rated lower than names like his teammates Dani Olmo, Fábian Ruiz, Lamine Yamal and others.
Rodri comes from a successful season with Manchester City, having won the fourth consecutive Premier League championship with the Citizens and being a key part of Pep Guardiola's team. However, when it comes to performance, he had a season relatively below the previous one (22/23), when they won the treble, with the ultimate crowning achievement being the European Champions League title with a goal from Rodri himself.
At the end of last season, Rodri came in fifth place in the Ballon D'or award, from France Football magazine. On that occasion, he was below two Manchester City teammates: Erling Haaland (2˚) and Kevin De Bruyne (4˚). In this same award, Vinícius Jr finished in sixth place.
Soccer
Filipe Luis says it will be "difficult" against Deportivo Táchira in Flamengo's debut in the Libertadores
Mengão faces blockade against a closed defensive line, but secures victory with a solitary goal in the debut of the continental tournament
|
0
Flamengo debuted in the group stage of the Libertadores with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Deportivo Táchira in Venezuela. The game, played this Wednesday (3), was marked by the difficulty of the Rubro-Negro in breaking through the opponent's defense. Coach Filipe Luís analyzed the challenges faced by the team and highlighted the importance of the positive result.
DIFFICULTIES IN OFFENSIVE CONSTRUCTION
Filipe Luís acknowledged the team's slowness in passing and moving without the ball, which prevented them from opening up spaces in the opposing defense. "Our team was a little slow in circulating the ball and, as we couldn't move quickly, the spaces simply didn't appear," explained the coach after the victory.
"It was a very difficult game..." - said Filipe Luis
In addition to the tactical difficulties imposed by Deportivo Táchira, Mengão also suffered from a lack of precision in the final pass and in finishing. "When spaces appeared, we made mistakes in control, passes and finishing. This allowed the opponent to have more possession of the ball and forced us to chase", added Filipe Luís.
ADJUSTMENTS AND CHANGES DURING THE MATCH
Over time, the coach made tactical adjustments to give the team more fluidity . The changes paid off, and CRF began to feel more comfortable on the field, controlling possession better and creating more consistent opportunities. The persistence was rewarded with a solitary goal, which guaranteed victory in the Libertadores debut. Despite the performance below expectations, the positive result brought confidence to the team and reinforced the importance of winning even on uninspired nights.
After the final whistle, Filipe Luís emphasized that , regardless of the performance, the most important thing is to come away with the three points. "If I can choose between playing well and winning, I will always choose to win. Of course, I prefer to win by playing well, but winning is what gives the team confidence," said the coach. He also emphasized the importance of the match for some players who needed to regain rhythm and confidence. "It was a very good game for athletes who were coming back from injuries or who had not played in a long season. In football, there are no easy games," he added.
Soccer
Filipe Luis demands the press at a press conference after misinterpreting his speech in Flamengo's victory - check it out
After Rubro-Negro's victory over Deportivo Táchira in the Libertadores, his speech about the opponent was interpreted incorrectly
|
0
During the post-match press conference against Internacional, Filipe Luís stated that he knew nothing about Deportivo Táchira . However, the coach explained that the reason for this was simple: he had not yet studied the opponent, as his focus was completely on the previous game. The study of the next opponent would only begin the following day . The Venezuelan press, however, did not forgive the statement and questioned Filipe Luís about the alleged disdain for the local team. The coach of Mais Querido, surprised by the repercussion, assured that his words were misinterpreted.
"They took it out of context, for sure," said Filipe Luis
WORK METHODOLOGY
When responding to the controversy, Filipe Luís reinforced that this is the way he has always worked. He highlighted that, before each match, his attention is completely focused on the immediate match, and that the analysis of the next opponent only occurs after the previous game has concluded. "They took it out of context, for sure. I didn't even know it had been controversial. That's always how I've worked. I don't know anything about the next opponent until I start studying them . It doesn't matter if it's Táchira, Vitória or Central Córdoba. First I focus on the current game, then I change focus," explained the coach.
FILIPE LUÍS APOLOGIZES, BUT DEFENDS HIS POSITION
The CRF commander also made a point of apologizing if anyone felt offended by his words. He, however, reinforced that there was no intention of disparaging Deportivo Táchira and recalled that he had warned his players about the difficulty of the match. "I'm sure that the Deportivo Táchira coach works the same way I do. When this game is over, he'll already be studying the next opponent. I warned my players that it would be a complicated, difficult match, and that's exactly how it was. If anyone was offended, I apologize, but that wasn't my intention," said Filipe Luís.
Despite the repercussions in the Venezuelan media, Edgar Pérez Greco, coach of Deportivo Táchira , did not see any problem with Filipe Luís's statement. When asked about the subject, he avoided controversy and showed understanding of the Brazilian coach's speech. "I saw the video and understood what he meant. We also had a game before facing Flamengo. In other words, the next opponent only starts to be studied after the round is over," said the Venezuelan coach.
With the controversy cleared up, Filipe Luís continues his work routine and is already focusing on Mengão's next challenges this season. The coach will maintain his methodology of studying opponents game by game, seeking to prepare the team in the best possible way. In the next match, Flamengo will face Vitória in the Brazilian Championship, and Filipe Luís is already starting to delve deeper into the analysis of the Bahian team , leaving the Libertadores momentarily in the background.
Soccer
Juninho is named best on the pitch by Conmebol after deciding to make his debut for Flamengo
Striker comes off the bench, scores the winning goal against Táchira and receives the best player of the match award from the South American entity against Táchira
|
0
Striker Juninho had a special night this Thursday (3). After coming on in the second half and scoring Flamengo's winning goal against Deportivo Táchira, the player was named best on the field by Conmebol, crowning his decisive performance in the red-black team's debut in the 2025 Libertadores.
we are already very confident..."
“It’s always good to win away from home, especially in a competition like the Libertadores. I’m very happy with the goal, but even happier with the victory and the three points. This certainly strengthens and gives confidence to the group, even though we were already very confident,” said Juninho after receiving the award for best player of the match.
JUNINHO CAME IN AND CHANGED THE GAME
The striker started on the bench, but came on in the second half with determination. In the 12th minute, he took advantage of a pass from Bruno Henrique and, with his chest, sent the ball into the back of the net. The play guaranteed Flamengo 's 1-0 away win and put the team in the lead of the group.
Conmebol, through its official networks, announced Juninho as the “Man of the Match”, praising his dedication, movement and decisive goal. His solid performance, even in just a few minutes, was crucial against an opponent who, despite their limitations, made it difficult for the red-and-blacks to create chances in the first half.
STRIKER REINFORCES FOCUS ON THE BRAZILIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
“Right now, I think my team is only thinking about the Brasileirão. And the next Libertadores game is only next week. We are going to try to study our next opponent,” added Juninho, Flamengo ’s forward.
SUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER
See previous