Botafogo drops duality test in Brazil – 07/16/2023 – PVC

Luís Castro says, in Saudi Arabia, that Botafogo is the team most likely to win the Brazilian, not because of the distance opened in the table. For tactical blocks that move compactly. The two lines of four move as if they had strings defining the exact position of each player.

Without being a pebolim, or geek as they say in the Engenho de Dentro neighborhood, in Rio, he goes up and down with an exact idea of ​​what needs to be done: “The block”, emphasizes Luís Castro.

Why, then, did the Portuguese coach leave the chance to go down in history as Brazilian champion? “What I always wanted was recognition. To be called by the best in the world is to be recognized”, said the coach, in a telephone conversation, ten days ago.

Money also counts, but even John Textor said that if Cristiano Ronaldo asked him, he would drop everything and go after his dream.

Textor was in France on the same day, negotiating the signing of Bruno Lage. He headed to the Caribbean, where he signed the new coach’s contract.

On Wednesday (12), I was in Rio de Janeiro in the early afternoon, for Lage’s presentation. At night, he joined the crowd in the stands, in Paraná, Argentina, victory over Patronato. On Saturday, he watched Botafogo vs Bragantino on TV in New York. Before the pandemic, the average number of spectators at Nílton Santos was 15,000. There were 37 thousand in the victory against Bragantino.

It wasn’t the best alvinegra performance so far. Bragantino had more ball possession, finished more. He bumped into the tactical and mental strength of the team still led by Cláudio Caçapa. Unlike Flamengo or Palmeiras, Botafogo is a physical team. Strength in the midfield, at the pace of Marlon Freitas, speed on the sides, with Júnior Santos and Luís Henrique, very quick substitutes, like Victor Sá, injured, and Segovinha, the crowd’s favorite.

Two years ago, Botafogo was in Serie B, the stands jokingly sang “I saw Chay”, a reference to the team’s point guard, left aside after access. Today, he sings “Segovinha plays ball.” Chay played in Thailand, returned to Brazil at the age of 23, did not find a job and stood out in Futebol Sete.

Segovinha is not a crack. He’s 20 years old, he’s from Paraguay and he has a chance to play in Europe.

Botafogo is transforming.

One of the first renaissances in Botafogo, it had as protagonist the Paraguayan winger, nickname of Egídio Landolfi, born in Mato Grosso. He scored the first goal in the 3-1 victory in the 1948 Rio de Janeiro final, won against Vasco, the South American champion nine months earlier. Paraguayo defeated Expresso da Vitória, as the Vasco squadron was known.

Segovinha, truly born in Paraguay, helps defeat the hasty idea that Brazilian football will be divided between Flamengo and Palmeiras.

From a tactical point of view, the team is simple. Eduardo, Bebeto’s son-in-law, plays the role of second striker, although he is a training midfielder. He can be champion for Botafogo, as his father-in-law failed in the 1999 Copa do Brasil.

The solid blocks move and allow for infiltrations by wingers and midfielders, as in the pass from Tchê Tchê to Eduardo’s goal, against Bragantino.

It’s too early to say whether Botafogo will be champions. There is an amazing history being built.

THREE TIMES THREE

Corinthians haven’t won three games in a row since February. He went through the three stages of the Copa do Brasil on penalties. It was unprecedented three semifinalists equal to the previous year. Flamengo, Corinthians and São Paulo are repeated compared to 2022. Corinthians from Luxembourg, with a diamond in the middle, will be competitive in the semi.

CALLERI HERO

The São Paulo striker had a serious back injury and only played the two matches against Palmeiras because of intensive treatment with physiotherapists. He could be spared against Santos. Instead, he scored two of the four goals that put São Paulo at the top of the table. The Tricolor is stronger.

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