Tite plans a duel against Penãrol in the quarter-finals

Pedro's injury seems to reveal the real extent of the loss of space in Flamengo's team under coach Tite. Bruno Henrique has been chosen so far for the role of center forward and, against Vasco, this Sunday (15), the coach opted for Carlinhos as a substitute. A situation that idol Maestro Júnior sees as an attempt to send a message to Gabriel, who entered the classic with five minutes to go.

“It was strange, really. Even because of his CV and everything he has done, independent of Carlinhos. But I think he would automatically be the man to step into that role. Whether it was more fixed or like he has done, leaving the area more. Some message was given, but Tite didn't comment at all...", Júnior said on the program 'Seleção SporTV'.

Tite was asked about the decision at the press conference and, just as Júnior said, he didn't comment much about it. the case. The stance that the coach adopts in some questions during the press conferences, and the Gabigol topic is probably the main one. He limited himself to saying that the option was based on “training and games”, in addition to highlighting Carlinhos’ decisive moments this season. Indicating that Camisa 22 is ahead.

The red-black coach's assistant and son, Matheus Bachi, assured that it was a tactical decision. This is because they assessed that the team needed a player who could take advantage of the crosses that were being created.

But the justifications were not enough to convince André Rizek. Continuing the debate with Maestro Júnior, the journalist stated that he doesn't see how Gabigol can be useful in Tite's Flamengo if he is behind Carlinhos in the hierarchy.

“He loses Pedro and opts for Bruno Henrique. But then Bruno leaves the game and the person who enters is not Gabigol, but Carlinhos. And so, if Gabigol doesn't beat Carlinhos at this moment, I can't see him being useful. A melancholic end for one of the greatest players in Flamengo's history.”

There was a current that stated that Tite could opt for Carlinhos instead of Gabigol to maintain as much as possible the characteristics that the team had with Pedro. This is because, despite technical differences, both are taller center forwards, who compete for the aerial ball and can pivot at the edge of the area. However, the choice of Bruno Henrique has already forced a change of system.

The red-black team no longer has a regular center forward. This is because, although good at playing from the top, Bruno does not usually act as a reference to hold the ball in attack. Which forces Flamengo to play with a more mobile attack, with position changes with Luiz Araújo, Gerson and now Gonzalo Plata. In addition to having reduced shots and touched the ball more in the last two games.

Tite, therefore, is already willing to change the way he plays and adapt to the team without Pedro in charge of the attack. But he has not yet shown that he is considering the possibility of testing the team with Gabigol in the starting 11.

International's 3 x 0 victory over Cuiabá, on Monday night (16), in Beira-Rio, ended the 26th round of the Brasileirão. With the result, the team from Rio Grande do Sul reached 38 points, in 8th position, and moved closer to the top squad.

Flamengo and Fortaleza were the G-4 teams that did not win, therefore, they saw Botafogo and Palmeiras opens up an advantage in the fight for the title. At the other end of the table, Corinthians lost and remains in the relegation zone. Defeated by Juventude, at Alfredo Jaconi, Fluminense is the first team outside the Z-4.

Atlético-GO 0 x 2 Vitória – Antônio Accioly

Athletico-PR 1 x 1 Fortaleza – Ligga Arena

Botafogo 2 x 1 Corinthians – Nilton Santos

Palmeiras 5 x 0 Criciúma – Allianz Parque

Bragantino 2 x 2 Grêmio – Nabi Abi Chedid

Juventude 2 x 1 Fluminense – Alfredo Jaconi

Cruzeiro 0 x 1 São Paulo – Mineirão

Bahia 3 x 0 Atlético-MG – Source Nova

Flamengo 1 x 1 Vasco – Maracanã

International 3 x 0 Cuiabá – Beira- Rio

1st Botafogo – 53 points

2nd Palmeiras – 50

3rd Fortaleza – 49

4th Flamengo – 45 (1 game less)

5th São Paulo – 44

6th Bahia – 42

6th Bahia – 42

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7th Cruzeiro – 41

8th International – 38 (2 games less)

9th Vasco – 35 (1 game less)

10° Atlético-MG – 33 (2 games less)

11° Juventude – 32

12° Bragantino – 31 (1 games less)

13° Athletico-PR – 30 (2 games less)

14° Grêmio – 28 (2 games less)

15° Criciúma – 28 (1 game less) less)

16° Fluminense – 27 (1 games less)

17° Vitória – 25

18° Corinthians – 25

19th Cuiabá – 22 (1 games less)

20th Atlético-GO – 18

Tite, current coach of Flamengo, was direct when commenting on the tight calendar of Brazilian football and the idea of ​​sparing players amid the intense sequence of games. In a recent interview, he spared no criticism of the current competition model in the country and made it clear that, contrary to what many suggest, he has no intention of arbitrarily preserving players in decisive moments.

Tite's main criticism revolves around the excess of games throughout the season. The Brazilian calendar is historically tight, with competitions such as the Brazilian Championship, the Copa do Brasil, the Libertadores, and, in years of the World Cup or Copa América, there is still the weight of international team tournaments. This scenario means that clubs, especially the big ones, have to deal with an exorbitant number of matches in a short space of time, which increases the wear and tear on players and, consequently, the risk of injuries.

However, despite this situation, the coach made it clear that it is not in his plans to adopt a strategy of rotating players indiscriminately. "No one spares", said Tite, in response to suggestions that Flamengocould rest its main athletes in some games. He highlighted that sparing athletes without a clear justification, just with the intention of preserving the squad, would be a risky attitude, especially considering the pressure for immediate results in a club of Flamengo's magnitude.

Tite was also emphatic when explaining that, when making decisions about the lineup, he takes into account several factors, including the physical condition of the athletes, the importance of the match and the team's long-term planning. "Am I going to save my job? Put my job at risk?", joked the coach, highlighting that, in a club with pressure and expectations like Flamengo, a bad result can be costly, including a coach's position.

The Brazilian football calendar is one of the most intense in the world. While in many European countries clubs play, on average, between 45 and 50 matches per season, in Brazil this number easily exceeds 70, considering all competitions. Furthermore, long trips between states, climate variations and the difference in the quality of lawns contribute to the wear and tear of athletes.