The information in Flamengo is that the first game of the State final, against Nova Iguaçu, was the one in which the team ran the most this season. There are personal records broken by athletes in physical terms. This demand had consequences for the athletes for the clash on Tuesday, in the continental tournament.
The coaching staff’s plan is not exactly to save money, but to select the most physically fit athletes. This is measured by analysis by physiologists, biochemical tests, thermography (which measures heat and the possibility of bruising) and reports of pain.
It was based on these data, and the physical performance on the field, that Arrascaeta was also left out of the match against São Paulo, for the Brazilian Championship. But there the team was almost all starters.
The other Sunday, against Palmeiras, Flamengo left Pedro and De La Cruz out of the starting lineup. The Uruguayan had pain in his adductor, Pedro felt pain in various parts of his body and had played seven games in a row. His physical markers were alarming for possible concussions. Both played in the second half.
The decision to cut a large part of the squad from the trip to La Paz comes after the game against Palmeiras in a new physical analysis of the athletes. It was not a previous strategy and the synthetic pitch at Allianz Parque weighed in on this assessment as it was considered more exhausting. Allan and Léo Pereira were removed for medical reasons, with the steering wheel having a blood condition that impairs their performance at altitude.
The other five – Pulgar, Arrascaeta, Ayrton, Varela and Pedro – had high wear rates. And then the travel factor weighed in: it took about 6 hours in total to Santa Cruz de La Sierra, the first stop, and another three hours to La Paz to better adapt to the altitude of 3,600 meters.
