If all sectors of the team are absent, the manager is forced to make substitutions, but the aim is also to surprise the opponent.
Coach Vasco does not yet know whether he will use Cuesta, Andres Gomez and Puma Rodriguez for the match against Gremio on Wednesday (19th) at the Arena do Gremio in round 34 of the Brazilian Championship. The logistics of welcoming them to Porto Alegre will depend on the player’s status in data FIFA friendlies.
Colombia, led by Cuesta and Andres Gomez, and Uruguay, led by Pumas, will face Australia and the United States in the North American country the day before. Even if they arrive on time, everyone will start the game from the bench. That’s what happened to the Uruguayan in Vasco’s victory over Fortaleza at the Arena Castellan. On that occasion, the right-back arrived on the day of the match and played in the second half.
For this reason, it can be said that Vasco has changed compared to the team that lost to Juventude in the previous round. Therefore, with only a week left until the match against Gremio, Fernando Diniz has already started drafting his team. In the absence of Puma and Paulo Enrique, who is also on the Brazilian national team but is suspended, Choi Choi is expected to be appointed as the right-back position on an impromptu basis.
With the midfielder moving to right-back, Thiago Mendes is a candidate to start. The player has undergone intensive physical conditioning work and should be given a chance. His last and only start for Vasco came on August 20, in a 2-0 defeat against Juventude at the Alfredo Iaconi.
Thiago Mendes’ ownership is linked to Hugo Moura’s retreat into defense. The midfielder is expected to replace Cuesta and form a defensive duo with Roberto Renan. Lucas Oliveira is also an option, but he is less effective at the moment.
I’m getting a headache
The main question for Dinis lies in the attacking sector. In the absence of Andres Gomez, Beghetti appears to be a safer option. However, with the return of David, who was suspended for the previous race, the technical committee decided to analyze this possibility. The idea is to repeat the formation used in the defeat against Santos, leaving David and Ryan open on the flanks, with Nuno Moreira and Coutinho floating in the air and using them as a ‘false nine’.
The possibility of changing attack formations can be explained by the offensive production. After all, the team has scored just one goal in the last three games. There are six more training sessions left for Fernando Diniz to define Vasco’s line-up. Regardless of the team, the objective is the same. The losing streak ended at 3.
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