If the Peruvians are the Universitario, Botafogo was the teacher. In a victory marked by imposition, the team led by Artur Jorge won 3-1 in the 3rd round of Conmebol Libertadores at the Nilton Santos Stadium. The performance sends a message to the other teams in Group D: Alvinegro, having had a bad start in the competition, is more alive than ever in search of qualification.
Voz do Setorista: Giba Perez shows behind the scenes coverage of Botafogo x Universitario
The team came under pressure. After all, he was the only one – up to that point – who hadn’t scored in the group. The draw between Junior Barranquilla and LDU the previous day brought the possibility of leaving everything open between the clubs in the dispute for the two places again in case of victory.
And so Botafogo did it. A dangerous move involving a good pass by Damián Suárez in the first minutes of the match would show that the focus would practically be an attack against defense. Tiquinho Soares’ injury, even before 15 minutes into the first half, got in the way a little. With Eduardo’s entry, the team changed its movements a little and took a while to adapt – but always with the ball at their feet and without suffering.
With the number 33 shirt, Júnior Santos was placed as the reference of the attack, making runs between the defenders instead of exploring the wings. Eduardo was a second striker, with Savarino and Luiz Henrique on the wings. Alvinegro dominated the ball, had the support of the full-backs and a participative Marlon Freitas, but stopped at the low block set up by Universitario.
Three factors were important for Botafogo to transform their dominance into goals in the second half: changes in positioning by Savarino, John and Alexander Barboza.
The Argentine defender was Artur Jorge’s only change at half-time. With a qualified pass from Bastos, who started the match, it was precisely with a throw from the number 20 that Alvinegro’s first goal was created, which went through Júnior Santos until it ended in a shot by Eduardo.
With John, the team had more short-range ability from the goalkeeper. It was common to see the archer come forward and stay alongside the defenders when creating plays. This increased Botafogo’s numerical superiority in the offensive field, as it automatically left another midfielder free in midfield to receive and follow the play.
For comparison purposes, John made 43 passes against Universitario. The highest number of successful passes by Gatito, until then starter, with Artur Jorge was 30, in the 1-0 defeat to LDU.
– One thing that is clear is that I will not give anyone a ride. Either they work to play 90, 15 or nothing, or they play all the way. This substitution was a tactical option to have an option in the game. John was the right person to play today’s game – explained Artur Jorge about John’s choice.
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The main change, however, is for Savarino. Once more focused on the wing, the Venezuelan played a more central role in the second half, leaving the sides and going to the middle. More participative, he appeared with boards, passes that cleared plays and helped Eduardo in a role that was unusual for him as a “second point guard”.
Botafogo won and deserved to win. The formation of four attackers continues, but, step by step, it has been adapted so that the players in the offensive system have functions that compensate for the natural holes that a very offensive scheme generates.
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Tags: Analysis dominant performance leaves Botafogo alive Libertadores botafogo
