Only a shocking turnaround will prevent Atlético-MG from confirming the conquest of the Copa do Brasil, this Wednesday (15), in a match scheduled for 21:30. Injured by a 4-0 rout in the first leg of the decision, at Mineirão, Athletico tries to pick up the pieces and dreams of an unprecedented feat in the Arena da Baixada.
The team from Paraná only managed to score so elastic in the history of the Copa do Brasil against opponents without the strength of the current Brazilian champion. He was 6 to 2 at CSA in 1997, 4 to 0 at Vilhena in 2010, 5 to 0 at Bahia in 2011, 5 to 1 at Criciúma in 2012, 6 to 2 at América-RN in 2013 and 5 to 0 before Dom Bosco in 2016.
This season, the team has achieved a difference of four goals only once. They triumphed 4-0 over Aucas, from Ecuador, in one of the journeys of their campaign towards the Copa Sudamericana title.
The team has already experienced this adverse situation in 2017, surpassed by Grêmio with the same score. He couldn’t return the result (lost 3 to 2) and said goodbye in the quarterfinals.
The good phase of Atlético-MG, Brazilian champion after 50 years of waiting, also contributes to the pessimism of most fans of the Paraná formation. Hulk is in a great moment, was the top scorer for the Nacional in straight points, with 19 goals, and is also the top scorer in the Copa do Brasil, with seven.
Atlético-MG hasn’t suffered a defeat by 4-0 since September 2015, a result obtained by Santos, in Vila Belmiro, for the Brazilian Championship.
The advantage of the team alvinegro is unprecedented in the finals of the Copa do Brasil, a tournament that started in 1989. Even so, Cuca adopts caution in his speech.
“The first half ended at Mineirão. I am not fooled by football. I wait for the right time to do things, especially when they are favorable to us,” stated the coach.
Born in Curitiba, Cuca is a declared supporter of Athletico and is consolidating himself as the great name among coaches in the history of Atlético-MG. He participated in some of the club’s most important achievements, such as the 2013 Libertadores and this year’s Brazilian Nationals.
“We have to be careful. We will find a full arena and an opponent willing to reverse,” said the coach.
Alberto Valetim, commander of the red-black team, does not hide his despair. “Of course we have to be realistic. It is very difficult for us to revert”, he acknowledged.
In Belo Horizonte, the fans abandoned prudence and, faced with the clear superiority seen on the field, began to shout “two-time champion” even before Vargas scored the fourth goal.
With a Brazilian Cup title on each side, Atlético-MG and Athletico are the ones who most reached the decision of the tournament in the last ten years.
Atlético-MG lifted its first cup in 2014, by getting the better of arch-rivals Cruzeiro, and was runner-up in 2016, surpassed by Grêmio.
Athletico, champion in 2019 against Internacional, lost the 2013 decision to Flamengo.
If it doesn’t have the prestige of the Brazilian Championship, the Copa do Brasil presents the value of the award as one of its greatest attractions. Due to the success in the previous phases, each of the finalists has already won R$ 15 million. The champion will pocket another R$56 million, and the runner-up will get another R$23 million.
For winning the Brazilian, Atlético-MG earned R$33 million.
The team from Alvinegro may be second to raise, in the same season, the cups of the state, the Campeonato Brasileiro and the Copa do Brasil. Until today, the archrival Cruzeiro is the only one with such feat, in 2003.
Amid the good work carried out on the field, the Belo Horizonte club is challenged to reduce the financial abyss that separates it from Flamengo and Palmeiras today. In the first half of this year, Atlético-MG reached revenue of R$ 148 million, while Flamengo registered R$ 365 million and Palmeiras, R$ 443 million.
With liabilities of nearly R$1.2 billion, Atlético survives with the help of patrons and sees the need to expand its sources of income.
With the signing of famous athletes such as Hulk, Diego Costa and Nacho Fernández, the expression “4 R’s” emerged, alluding to businessmen Rafael Menin and Rubens Menin (from the MRV construction company), Renato Salvador (from the Mater Dei hospital network) and Ricardo Guimarães (from BMG bank), who have helped the club with financial support.
The Copa do Brasil will be able to cheer, in addition to the fans, the club’s finance department. The decision will be broadcast by Globo, SportTV and Premiere.
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