Fellipe Bastos backs Diniz, urges Vasco players to step up | OneFootball

Commentator Fellipe Bastos defended Fernando Diniz's work and stated that Vasco players need to take greater responsibility at the start of the Brazilian Championship. During the "Tá na Área" program on SporTV, the former midfielder highlighted that the team has been creating chances but fails to decide the matches.

According to Bastos, the Cruz-Maltino generates offensive volume but lacks a player with finishing power, like Rayan performed last season.

— Everyone has their share of the blame. Diniz does too. Vasco concedes a lot of counterattacks, although yesterday they didn't concede as many. The team still has problems in transition. But there are things that Diniz can't do — he stated.

The commentator also emphasized the need for greater efficiency in finishing:

— There are 54 shots and one goal in the last two home games of the Brasileirão. Vasco needs 45 points. The fans remember this. The players need to know this. The team produces, you see there are shots, but you need to put the ball in the net. You can't sustain a job without having the ball in the net.

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Diniz instructs Vasco players against Bahia — Photo: Jorge Rodrigues/AGIF

Vasco has 54 shots and only one goal in two games at São Januário

The numbers mentioned by Fellipe Bastos are striking. Adding up the matches against Chapecoense and Bahia, both at São Januário, Vasco shot 54 times and scored only one goal — a performance that highlights the team's low offensive efficiency.

The lack of efficiency has directly impacted the campaign. The team has only one point in the first three rounds of the Brasileirão, with defeats to Mirassol and Bahia and a draw against Chapecoense.

Bastos also disagreed with the analysis based on the final stretch of last year's Brazilian Championship, when Vasco accumulated negative results.

— Taking the final stretch of last year's Brazilian Championship, I think, is wrong. Vasco already had 45 points, was a semifinalist in the Copa do Brasil. I think we are seeing results. There was Rayan, who was a player who put the ball in the net and solved things. Today Vasco is looking for this player. They signed Brenner, Spinelli... GB came into the game yesterday and seems to be leaving. These are things that happen within the club — he added.

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Nuno Moreira laments missed goal in Vasco vs. Bahia — Photo: André Durão

Vasco has only 12.1% success rate in the last 11 Brasileirão games

The phase of Cruz-Maltino in the Brazilian Championship is worrying. Considering the last 11 games in the competition, Vasco has only one win, one draw, and nine losses, with a 12.1% success rate.

The numbers highlight the team's difficulty in reacting in the national tournament and help explain the increased pressure on Fernando Diniz and the squad. The below-expected performance is not limited to results but also to the lack of defensive consistency and low offensive efficiency.

With only one point in the first three rounds of the Brasileirão 2026 — a defeat to Mirassol, a draw with Chapecoense, and now a loss to Bahia — the warning signal is on at São Januário.

Pressure increases on Fernando Diniz at São Januário

Despite Fellipe Bastos's public defense, the pressure on Fernando Diniz is growing. The coach was booed and called "dumb" in the last two Brazilian Championship games at São Januário.

The delicate moment increases the demand for immediate results. To ease the atmosphere, Vasco needs to turn their gameplay volume into goals — something that, so far, has been the team's main obstacle this season.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.