Botafogo ended its participation in the 2024 Campeonato Carioca last Sunday, winning the Taça Rio title with a 2-0 victory over Boavista. The consolation tournament sets the tone for a disappointing campaign in the competition, leaving them out of the semi-finals.
Fábio Matias talks about winning the Rio Cup and the arrival of a new coach at Botafogo
On the field, calendar circumstances partially explain what happened. Competing at the same time in the pre-Libertadores and the final stretch of the Guanabara Cup, the club had to prioritize the continental competition and also deal with a change of coach.
Within this scenario, some club members knew how to take advantage of the opportunities generated in the competition to gain space, others were unlucky or did not perform well. O ge listed some of the club’s winners and losers over these first few months:
The biggest winner of the squad was the young defensive midfielder. At 19, he stepped up to begin the transition to the professional ranks and made great use of the minutes he had, both with the reserve team and the starter.
The good performances even earned him a few minutes in Conmebol Libertadores knockout games. The number 25 has three assists and one goal this season, a highlight among Alvinegro’s midfielders.
The permanent technical assistant who arrived at the club without much of a spotlight gained notoriety with the opportunity he received. The gaucho took over the club that was already virtually eliminated in the State and focused on the Libertadores.
Still, he won all six matches he played in Cariocão, even sparing starters on several occasions due to the continental tournament, in which he fulfilled the mission of qualifying for the group stage.
Fábio Matias talks about winning the Rio Cup and the arrival of a new coach at Botafogo
If he was not hired in the position, the Portuguese Artur Jorge will be the coach of the future, he gained visibility that could give him a chance in the future, even at Botafogo itself.
Júnior is enjoying the highest scoring season of his career, with 13 goals scored. If most of them were in the Libertadores, where he is the top scorer with eight, it was in the State Championship that the number 11 opened the scoring and established himself as a starter.
The number 11 finished Carioca with five goals scored, the club’s top scorer in the competition, and arrives for the most important part of the season with morale.
The Paraguayan goalkeeper started the year under question and with reserve status, especially with the arrival of John to reinforce the position. However, his good performances earned him the title.
Gatito added to his good performance in the final stretch of the State Championship with decisive interventions in the Libertadores that made the fans shout the name of their idol from the stands again. The place is not guaranteed, but the prestige is back.
Marlon was labeled as one of the “villains” behind the loss of the Brazilian title in 2023. He was booed in matches at the beginning of the year and even saw protest banners mentioning his name in the stands.
The midfielder remained in the team and little by little he regained both his space and his performance. The two goals against Fluminense changed the atmosphere and helped calm the mood. He is among the midfielders with the most minutes on the field this year.
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A great jewel of the club in recent years, the number 90 received few opportunities during the beginning of the season. He lost his place as Tiquinho Soares’ immediate reserve and ended up on the bench even when the reserve team was playing.
He started just one game this season, precisely the return match against Boavista in the Rio Cup final. He hasn’t scored any goals yet this year, but he provided two assists.
Botafogo’s new goalkeeper lost space during Carioca, but not because of his performance but because of bad luck. He suffered an injury on February 3, in the second match for Alvinegro, and has not played since then.
John returned to training last week and has not yet been linked again. However, the starting status he had when he was hired is no longer as certain as it once was.
The Uruguayan, who arrived surrounded by expectations, was unable to gain ground even during Carioca. He started the year without acting, being surpassed in the “queue” by other athletes.
With the departure of Tiago Nunes, he started with the reserve team. However, he ended up being substituted in the first half of the round in the semi-final of the Taça Rio and did not play again in the decision.
Ponte was a starter in the classic against Flamengo and it seemed like he would finally consolidate himself in Botafogo’s main team. The arrival of veteran Damián Suárez, Rafael’s return and a minor injury to his left knee, however, left the future uncertain.
Suárez was the starter in the last few matches, even when Mateo was healthy, and Rafael returned with prestige. He returned to play in the final of the Taça Rio and should be the starter in his debut in the group stage of the Conmebol Libertadores. At the end of the recovery, the Uruguayan will have to regain space.
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