Vasco stumbled against a miraculous goalkeeper; Flamengo out, says Luxa.
Coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo has already admitted that Flamengo no longer has a chance of winning the Brazilian Championship; Vasco and Corinthians have 58 points and continue fighting for the title.
Flamengo only dreams of Libertadores after defeat.
Coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo has already admitted that Flamengo no longer has a chance of winning the Brazilian Championship title. Defeated by Grêmio 4-2 on Sunday in Porto Alegre, in a match valid for the 32nd round, the team is in fifth place with 52 points, six behind Corinthians and Vasco, who occupy the top two positions.
Luxemburgo acknowledged that Flamengo is going through a bad patch and needs to reorganize to secure a spot in the next edition of the Libertadores Cup. "That's our project. We have to find a balance to achieve that (one of the spots in the 2012 Libertadores Cup)," he said.
On Sunday, Flamengo took a 2-0 lead at the Olympic Stadium, with goals from Deivid and Thiago Neves, but allowed Grêmio to come back and win. Luxemburgo avoided criticizing his own team and instead emphasized the strength of the team from Rio Grande do Sul.
"We went up 2-0 and couldn't hold on. We had a very good first half. But it's not just our fault, it's the quality of the opponent. In their second goal, the guy nutmegged the goalkeeper. Grêmio went on the attack and, with the quality of its players, got the result. We have nothing to complain about. It's part of the game of football. There's no point in just blaming our team," he stated.
The main attraction of the match, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, who was booed by Grêmio fans, lamented that Flamengo was unable to maintain their 2-0 lead until halftime – André Lima scored for Flamengo in the 42nd minute. Furthermore, the star saw the timing of the striker's second goal, just five minutes into the second half, as decisive in Grêmio's comeback victory.
"I think we conceded the goal at the wrong time. They scored the first one in the first half, and that gave Grêmio extra motivation. They also scored the second goal early in the second half. It boosted their morale, and they ended up winning," he commented.
The Flamengo squad was given Monday off. On Tuesday, the team will begin preparations for their match against Cruzeiro on Sunday at 17 pm at the Engenhão stadium in Rio, for the 33rd round of the Brazilian Championship.
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