The ‘Fla’ added a new victory in the Copa Libertadores 2023. (AFP)
Sensation in Brazil for its offensive and attractive football, Fluminense defeated The Strongest of Bolivia 1-0 this Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro and walks calmly at the top of Group D of the Copa Libertadores de América.
Captain Childwith a header after an assist from the creative Ganso at minute 41, broke the lock for the aurinegros, who in their cup debut two weeks ago surprised by beating the mighty River Plate 3-1 at the height of La Paz.
Comfortable at the top of the table with a perfect score, after defeating Sporting Cristal (3-1) in Peru in the opening game, the tricolor from Rio de Janeiro will close the first round of the group stage against River on May 2 at the Maracana.
The Strongest (second, with three units) will seek to shake off the same day against the celestial ones in Lima.
Argentines and Peruvians, both without points, will make their second outing on Wednesday in Buenos Aires.
loyalty award
In the stands of the Maracaná stadium, with 52,419 spectators, the question arose as to when the imbalance on the scoreboard would arrive, given a total control of the ball (77%) and the spaces by the cariocas, faithful to the football style that has implanted the technician Fernando Diniz and that excites many because it vindicates the roots of the ‘jogo bonito’.
He ‘flu’who leads the Brasileirao after beating América Mineiro 3-0 on Saturday in the opening game of the tournament, did not resent the premature departure of the left-back Marceloin the 29th minute, due to an apparent muscle injury.
From the right or the left, the attacker Jhon Arias challenged the ‘Tigre’ rear guard, commanded by the Spanish Ismael Rescalvo.
His mobility, however, lacked the lethality that has earned him recent calls to the Colombian team. But from his foot the winning goal was born, a reward for forty minutes before numerous attempts to punish goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra.
The coffee grower took a short corner for Ganso, who launched a millimeter pass into the heart of the area, as far as Nino arrived to launch himself into a popcorn and shake the net.
narrow lead
The Strongest just woke up from being run over in the second half, with a violent right hand from Álvaro Quiroga (55′) that demanded a fly into Fábio’s angle.
That shot was the only danger requirement for the experienced and still confident 42-year-old goalkeeper.
Otherwise, fluminense they remained in their idea of going forward despite the fact that the narrow advantage left them at the mercy of losing all three points in a counterattack.
The desire to remain faithful to Diniz’s philosophy, with which they have accumulated five consecutive victories between the Brasileirao, the Libertadores and the Carioca Championship, even made them embed their two central defenders, Nino and Felipe Melo, in the opposing half of the field.
The dominance, however, was not reflected on the scoreboard, partly due to saves by Viscarra or unsuccessful definitions by Argentine striker Germán Cano, one of them from Chile.
The tricolores will now have to wait two weeks to face another candidate for the title, Martín Demichelis’s River, which will surely test the defensive work of a team addicted to attacking.
