Flamengo in the Libertadores Semifinal: A Night of Emotions at the Maracanã

After Flamengo secured their spot in the Libertadores semifinal, players Rossi and Arrascaeta couldn’t hold back and went straight after criticism of the Maracanã pitch. Let’s get into it: the performance of the Rubro-Negro was a bit below what we expected in today’s match—we drew in 1 to 1, but we had already guaranteed victory in the first leg, with 2 against 0.

A Difficult Game

You know how it is—the match became complicated. The opposing team does have a reasonable level of quality, but we can’t let them come here and play however they want. We need to impose our style of play. And for that, we need a decent pitch! In recent games, the turf has been getting worse and worse. Yes, it’s becoming harder and harder to control the ball!

Arrascaeta said to ESPN:

"We know their team has quality, but we can’t allow them to come here and play the way it happened. We have to impose ourselves. But for that, we also need a good pitch. We’ve been suffering a lot in these last matches. The field is getting worse and worse."

Frustration With the Pitch

Despite the difficulties, the main goal was achieved: we’re once again among the four best teams in the Americas! But, come on, no need to say that the pitch is pretty complicated right now. You can tell, right? It’s unbelievable that we have to play in a situation like this. What bothers me most is that both penalty areas are full of mud! Rossi also voiced his outrage to ESPN:

"With the way we play, it’s unbelievable that we’re supposed to deal with a field like this. I don’t know who’s responsible, but it’s unacceptable. And there’s still the NFL game coming up, so I hope that after this match the pitch gets better."

So, what do you think about the state of the pitch? Do you agree that this makes a difference when it comes to the game? Leave your opinion in the comments!