In the last round of the Libertadores group stage, Flamengo, now under the command of coach Tite, saw its long undefeated streak as home team come to an end. The 1-0 defeat marked the end of a run of 28 matches without losing at home in the competition. The negative result was a shock for the fans, mainly because it occurred at a crucial moment in the season and because of the expectations surrounding the team led by a renowned coach like Tite.

The last time Flamengo had been defeated at Maracanã by the Libertadores was in April 2019, when Peñarol beat the red-black team by the same score of 1-0. The current setback, therefore, brought back memories of that game, creating a feeling of déjà vu among fans . It is worth remembering that, at that time, Flamengo was in a moment of transition and seeking to consolidate itself as one of the powers of South American football.

A BREAK OF PARADIGMS 

With the arrival of Tite at the helm of Flamengo, the expectation was that the team would gain tactical consistency and competitiveness in important tournaments, such as the Libertadores itself. Tite, who has a respected CV, mainly for his work in the Brazilian national team, was hired with the mission of making Flamengo become dominant again both on the national and international scene.

The defeat at home, however , served as a cold water for part of the fans who expected a quiet victory. Their unbeaten record at home was seen as one of Flamengo's trump cards in continental competition, a guarantee of strength within their domains. By losing this status, the team will now need to deal with the pressure and doubts that arise from this result.

After the 1-0 defeat to Peñarol, in the first game of the Libertadores quarter-finals, coach Tite held a press conference at Maracanã. The team did not perform well and was booed by the fans. Despite the setback, the coach remained confident for the second leg, which will be held in Uruguay.

Regarding the boos coming from the stands, Tite admitted that the fans' dissatisfaction is understandable. "Of course this hurts, especially on the human side. But experience shows that, when you deliver a good production, the fan's reaction is proportional to the love they feel for the club", said the coach, highlighting the emotional bond between the fans and the Most Dear.

FLAMENGO HAS NOT WIN AWAY SINCE 2022

The coach was also asked about the difficulty of Mengão in achieving victories away from home in the Libertadores, since 2022. The last victory away from home came on August 31, 2022, against Vélez Sarsfield, with an impressive 4-0. "We have a great opportunity to break this sequence This is part of the history of football, and I believe we are fully capable of getting there and changing this scenario", replied Tite, showing optimism.

EFFECTIVENESS IS THE FOCUS IN THE RETURN GAME

Tite guaranteed that the team will be more effective in Uruguay, promising a better performance. "Within two or three minutes, we score the goal, and from that point on, we work on the result. In some moments we were hasty, and the opposing goalkeeper also had merit. But I'm confident that we will create half of the opportunities and convert them into goals there. You can charge me later", said the coach, projecting a positive scenario for the second leg.

The Flamengo has become a powerhouse in professional and grassroots football and the results are coming in bringing many titles. In this way, Mais Querido was champion of the Libertadores under-20 thanks to good investment in the youth categories. Thus, coach Mário Jorge commented on the strategies used during the tournament and defined the most difficult opponent for Rubro Negro in the competition.

"We used a construction with the goalkeeper who played the role of defender, so we had an advantage at the first moment. This created a little difficulty for us to analyze, but in a strategic plan for the game it worked very well. We decided: 'let them play, but then the guys there won't be a passing line'", said Mário Jorge, in an interview with 'FlaTV', this Monday (25).

"It was something we did and they really didn't know what to do, which ended up giving us the long ball. For each game, we had a different plan, but against Aucas (EQU) it was the one that created the most discomfort for us, for sure", concluded the coach.

FLAMENGO X AUCAS ="_blank">Mais Queridofaced Aucas, from Ecuador, in the second round of the Libertadores. The Ecuadorian team took the lead with a goal from Wilmer Confirme in the second half. However, Flamengo equalized with Iago two minutes later. Finally, Wallace scored the turning goal in the 35th minute of the final stage.

UNVICTED CHAMPION

The Libertadores was Flamengo's first title in the category. To further improve on their first achievement, Mais Querido won the trophy undefeated. There were five games and five wins, with 11 goals scored and four conceded.