The Ath. Paranaense jumped the bench, giving a 0-3 to Flamengo, in the middle of Maracana, in the second leg of the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil. And the disaster for the Cariocas (they had tied 2-2 in Curitiba) set off a crisis with unforeseeable consequences.
Renato Portaluppi resigned minutes after the defeat, but Mengao’s sports management did not accept it, trying to minimize the effects of a historic win. All the criticisms are focused on the gaucho coach, who is criticized for not knowing how to take advantage of the best squad on the continent. The name of Jorge Jesus, current Benfica coach, was chanted from the stands. The Portuguese coach left saudades in Rio de Janeiro where he won four titles in one year.
The atmosphere in Maracana was very heated, Gabigol he was hit by a glass full of beer and his family was harassed on the outskirts of the stadium. The forward reached his worst drought since he landed in Rio Negro in 2019: he has chained nine games without seeing a goal.
The super Flamengo who was opting for the triplet has said goodbye to two titles since the weekend. On Saturday, Fluminense infringed a 3-1, with a double from the youth squad John Kennedy, with which he buried practically all the options of being able to win the third Brasileirao in a row.
Now, the rubronegros, who have two games pending, are 13 points away from At. Mineiro. And this Saturday, the Galo can sentence a title that has resisted him for 40 years in his visit to the Maracana where he will find a Flamengo in depression.
The Mengao now clings to the final of the Copa Libertadores against Palmeiras for they do not end the season without any great title. The KO in the Copa do Brasil and the virtual goodbye to Brasileirao sting, and a lot, to a team that has been assembled to win everything. The month that remains until the very end of Montevideo will be very long for the Cariocas.
TWO FINALS FOR THE FURACAO
The Ath. Paranaense repeated the machado of two years ago and eliminated Flamengo in Maracaná. This time, the team he now leads Alberto Valentim, He did it in a big way with an unappealable victory and without having to wait for the agony of penalties as in 2019.
And Furacao confirms their status as specialists in KO tournaments: is in the final of the Copa do Brasil, with At. Mineiro looking for the double, and the South American Cup, where another Brazilian team, Red Bull Bragantino, will be measured.
