Opinion – Penny: Goose is Goose, in its own way

As my columns are published in the print newspaper on Wednesdays and Sundays, I send the texts on Tuesdays and Fridays. I’m always in doubt if I write about what happened in the previous days and which has already been discussed a lot or if I talk about what can happen on the day the column comes out on paper. Sometimes I mix the two subjects or I don’t write about one thing or the other. I digress. Digressing is necessary, repeating is not necessary.

Currently, because of the full stadiums and the crazy parties of the fans, something happens that has always been usual, in Brazil and in the world, but which is now more remarkable, which is the greater number of victories and/or good performances by the teams of the home, as was the case with Flamengo, who rose to greater heights, pushed by the crowd. Atletico, on the other hand, seemed inhibited, paralyzed.

It’s not always like that. In the middle of the week, also for the Copa do Brasil, the visitors Fluminense, América and Atlético-GO won away from home. São Paulo and Palmeiras won in their stadiums, and São Paulo qualified on penalties, in a surprising night, for the two penalties missed by Raphael Veiga. If he scored during the match, he would be third, and Palmeiras’ classification would be certain. Details often decide games. It’s not luck. These are frequent events that we do not know when and where they will occur. Luck is winning the lottery.

The fans, every day more, explode in the stadiums and feel, without modesty, important participants in the victories. It is regrettable the violence inside and outside the stadiums. A horror, a reflection of the hatred and criminality that plagues the country.

Flamengo was far superior to Atlético, who didn’t have a single chance to score. Vidal, newly signed, who was watching the match, said Rodinei looked like a plane, to defend and attack with such speed. If Flamengo wants to be a great team, they need to be more regular and also shine away from home. The bad performance and defeat for the mixed team of Corinthians were due to the selection of some reserves, the absence of their fans and the competitiveness of the opponent at home, where they rarely lose, even with reserves and playing poorly.

Flamengo’s victory over Atlético was also strategic. The four skilled midfielders, very close, exchanged passes with ease, against just two Atlético players, Allan and Jair. Socks Nacho and Zaracho were lost. They didn’t mark, support or approach Hulk, isolated. Even with Flamengo without a midfielder on the side that comes back to score, which can be a problem in other matches, Atlético did not advance through the sides or the center.

There are several ways to play well and to win, but it’s nice to see a team that exchanges passes and involves the opponent, as Flamengo did and as most great teams play, like Manchester City, like Fluminense does. Coach Pia Sundhage told the national team players: “Keep the ball.”

At Fluminense, Ganso is not a midfielder who initiates plays in his own field, he is not a midfielder who works from one intermediary to another, nor a link midfielder, as he always was, who tries to receive the ball between the defensive midfielders and the defenders. . He is seen as an outcast, due to the lack of intensity, he will never be called up to the national team or hired by a big European club, but how pleasant it is to see him play, looking for the ball, exchanging short passes, with elegance, deceiving the marker . Goose is Goose, in your own way.