Fluminense aims to wash its soul, and Boca dreams of a record – 11/03/2023 – Sport

Under the shadow of tensions between fans that spilled over into fights in Copacabana on Thursday (2), Fernando Diniz’s Fluminense seeks, this Saturday (4), at 5pm, their first Libertadores title against Boca Juniors, at Maracanã, in Rio de Janeiro.

The Argentine team, in turn, has six cups in the continental tournament, one less than the biggest champion of the competition, Independiente (ARG).

The last time Fluminense was so close to the trophy, 15 years ago, they succumbed to LDU, from Ecuador, on penalties.

Now, with Diniz, the tricolor team reaches the decision with confidence in their style of play and hope in Cano’s artillery. Against Boca, Fluminense will put their more rhythmic style of play and possession of the ball to the test.

Boca reached the title decision in fits and starts, drawing all the knockout matches, that is, from the round of 16 to the semi-final against Palmeiras.

Much of this campaign has been credited to goalkeeper Romero, who saved six penalties throughout the knockout stage. “At 36 years old, I have fun when penalties come,” said the Boca goalkeeper.

His fame has made Cavani, a world football star, pass through Boca with little protagonism. The star scored three times in the Libertadores knockout stage.

“It’s going to be a very emblematic game, cool to watch and we’re getting ready to play a great game,” said Diniz.

Hired in April 2022, Diniz has played 104 games, with 58 wins, 26 losses and 20 draws for Fluminense. This year, he has already lifted the Carioca Championship cup. In addition to commanding Fluminense, Diniz took over the Brazilian team in September this year.

As usual, the coach from Minas Gerais has asked for respect and praised the Argentines, and says he is prepared for whatever comes: “I’m not at the mercy of the ball that will go in or the one that won’t go in. I’ll do my best. If If that weren’t the case, I would be more likely to have a result that I wouldn’t like, because I would be more anxious than I am.”

“It took me a long time to learn, and I still fight to this day so that my life isn’t determined by a ball that goes in or doesn’t go in,” he said this Friday (3).

This Saturday’s champion, in addition to the cup, will receive a prize of US$ 18 million (R$ 88 million).

Throughout the competition, with victories in the group and knockout stages, Fluminense and Boca Juniors have each raised US$9 million, around R$45 million.

From the current retrospect, Fluminense arrives with favorite status. Boca’s performance has been very questionable. In 12 games, the team scored 12 times, did not win any match during normal knockout time and only advanced on penalties.

This writing, however, bothers fans of the Rio team. In 2008, LDU had also recorded a poor performance, but defeated Fluminense in the middle of Maracanã.

Argentine fans care little about their team’s campaign and, since the end of Wednesday (1st), they began to invade Rio de Janeiro.

On Thursday, nine fans were detained in two different outbreaks of confusion between fans in Copacabana. According to the Military Police, seven Argentines and two Brazilians were taken to the police station. Argentine media released an audio in which one of the leaders of the organized Xeneize La 12 calls on Tricolor fans to fight.

On Friday, the tension between the fans led Conmebol to call a meeting with the presence of leaders from the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), the AFA (Argentine Football Association), Fluminense and Boca Juniors.

During the meeting, the possibility of the game being played without fans present was even discussed. “From now on, fans have to unite around peace, because security is above all,” said CBF president, Ednaldo Rodrigues, after the meeting.

In a statement, Conmebol explained that the meeting addressed security as a central topic. “In the case of two clubs with enormous popular appeal, it is essential to take maximum precautions to minimize all possible contact between fans,” said Conmebol.

No new security measures were announced, however.

According to the Rio Military Police, the force in Copacabana is reinforced with police officers from the 19th BPM, the Battalion of Special Rondas and Crowd Control (Recom), the Shock Police Battalion, Mounted Police, CPAm and with aircraft carrying out aerial patrols. .

On the day of the decision, the PM will mobilize more than 2,240 police officers to work in the Maracanã area, in the places where the two fans gather, at the main entry points into the city and training centers and hotels where the delegations will be staying.

After the meeting, the president of Fluminense, Mário Bittencourt, and Boca Juniors, Jorge Amor Ameal, published a video together on social media, asking fans to calm down.

“It is very important that we establish, from today to tomorrow, a climate of peace, which can unite the two people, the two fans, so that we can be at Maracanã tomorrow having a beautiful football celebration”, said Bittencourt.

Ameal stated that “what we want is to say that we are going to play with the public and that there will not be any problems. We ask people to respect, this is not a war, it is a football match”.

Also on social media, Nino, the captain of Fluminense, sent a similar message: “On the field it will be a great game and we will do everything to win this title. Outside of it it will be a moment of great joy and peace, and that we can enjoy every moment together”, said the defender.

“The important thing is to respect whoever wins”, highlighted Diniz at a press conference at Maracanã.

In a joint statement, the organized Fluminense fans stated that they met with the club’s management and committed to ending conflicts with Boca fans.

“Let the wheat be separated from the chaff, let the punishment fall to whoever is due. All fans will punish the members involved in acts of violence with the expulsion of the cadres”, said the groups in the note released on social media.

In the afternoon, thousands of Boca Juniors fans gathered on Copacabana beach, near post 5, and spent the afternoon singing from the stands. The atmosphere, however, was calm, with only a few beginnings of confusion due to theft.

Boca fan João Inácio arrived in Rio on Friday morning and says that the scenes of violence from the previous night did not scare the group that came with him from Buenos Aires. “I hope everything goes peacefully, that it’s a party, and that Boca wins.”