Opinion – PVC: Atlético is better and exploits rival’s flaws

In Atlético-MG’s second goal, evidence of Athletico-PR’s biggest tactical problem. His defense of three defenders intends to swing the full-backs according to the side of play. It works when Abner goes up to mark the opponent’s right back and Nikão moves back as a midfielder (see illustration).

Cuca induced Athletico to withdraw their two wingers and to make the mark on their defenders hum. The result is the goal of Keno. Abner and Marcinho made up a line of five defenders in Alberto Valentim’s team, with just two midfielders in the vital sector.

Atlético-MG did the opposite. It congested the sector of the two steering wheels from Paraná. I played the ball with Igor Rabello, Junior Alonso and Allan, Jair as the first defensive midfielder, Mariano, Zaracho, Keno and Arana in the creative zone.

​Hulk and Diego Costa, replaced early by Vargas, held the three defenders. But, in midfield, there were moments of contrast between four athletes against the only two from Paraná, Erick and Cittadini. Cuca’s greatest merit as a coach is to observe the rivals’ failures.

In this final, he has another advantage: he knows the soul of Alberto Valentim. Hired by Palmeiras in 2016, he watched his then new assistant, Alberto Valentim, direct the team in the 2-0 win in the derby against São Paulo.

Alberto was surprised to have changed five players from Marcelo Oliveira’s old team. “I’ll have to talk to him. If you didn’t agree with the squad, why didn’t you talk to the old coach?”, asked Cuca.

The relationship started with distrust, ended with a huge friendship. When he returned to Palmeiras, in 2017, Cuca insisted on asking for Alberto’s stay, on a trip to Italy for an internship with Luciano Spaletti. “One day, Alexandre Mattos called me and told me to come back, because he couldn’t stand to hear Cuca say he needed my return,” recalls Valentim.

One enters the other’s head. In the final of the Copa do Brasil, it was already known that Atlético-MG would be the attack and Athletico-PR, the counterattack. But Cuca X-rayed the failure and scored the second goal by exploiting it.

The first was also born by the wild card, Zaracho, who pushed the defense back and forced a debatable penalty from Colombian defender Nico Hernández.

The third, with surveillance on Athletico’s departure from the game, because the Minas Gerais technical committee knew that the pass was not Thiago Heleno’s strong point.

From 57% of ball possession in the first half, Atlético rose to 34% in the second stage, because Cuca loves to delay marking and play on counterattacks after getting ahead of the scoreboard.

The chance for the people from Paraná would be to control possession of the ball with a creative midfielder capable of taking away the speed of the match and of the Rooster. But he was suffocated, without exchanging passes between Nikão, Terans and Cittadini, without making the ball reach Renato Kayzer or Pedro Rocha, his possible finishers.

Galo repeated what it did in the semifinals against Fortaleza, with a rout in the first leg, at home.

On the anniversary of Belo Horizonte, a gift to the biggest fans in the city that has everything to be the Brazilian capital of football, with the two national titles of the season. The Copa do Brasil, after winning the Brasileirão.

Vinicius Pro

Benzema scored Real Madrid’s first goal in a 2-0 win in the derby against Atletico Madrid. Beautiful no-leap, pass from Vinicius Junior. The second was by Asensio, a new move by the Brazilian striker. Today, Vinicius is the most decisive Brazilian in Europe.

Missing Abel

São Paulo overcame the crisis with Rogério Ceni and will have the coach in 2022. It is valid for Sylvinho at Corinthians and Fábio Carille at Santos. In the big four, all that’s missing is the yes from Abel Ferreira, who said he needs to think with his head on the pillow. The tendency is to stay.