A month of Renato Gaúcho: Vasco improve in the league, flaws show | OneFootball

Coach Renato Gaúcho completed his first month at Vasco on Sunday. The manager began his third spell at the Rio club by injecting confidence into the squad. The team managed to climb out of the dreaded bottom spot in the Brazilian Championship. The early record stands at eight matches, with three wins, four draws, and one loss.

Hired to replace Fernando Diniz, he quickly put together a five-match unbeaten run. The team beat major rivals in the national tournament, such as Palmeiras, Fluminense, and Grêmio. The only setback came in the derby against Botafogo, losing 2-1 after giving up the lead at Colina.

+ Vasco has the third-best goal conversion rate in the second half of the Brasileirão

Tactical changes at Vasco

The most noticeable change came in the style of play. The coach abandoned the risky build-up from the back with center-backs spread wide. He kept the defenders deeper, simplified the full-backs’ roles, and added three defensive midfielders. Tchê Tchê and Hugo Moura earned starting spots. David took on the role of focal point in attack in all seven league matches.

The system gave the defensive midfielders a leading role in attack. Thiago Mendes became the top scorer of the new era with three goals. Barros scored twice, and Tchê Tchê added one goal. Full-back Cuiabano claimed a starting place and became the assist leader, with four key passes leading to goals. Goalkeeper Léo Jardim, center-backs Robert Renan and Saldivia, along with David and Tchê Tchê, played in every round of the Brazilian Championship. Nuno Moreira has made seven appearances in total.

Bitter draws and controversy on the continent

The squad’s current struggles have come away from home. Vasco have a chronic defensive problem and let wins slip in the closing minutes against Cruzeiro, Coritiba, and Remo. Their opponents equalized by repeatedly exploiting aerial balls in stoppage time. Those mistakes cost the club six points in the table, leaving them stuck in 12th place with only 13 points.

The coach also stirred headlines across South America. He pointed to shortcomings in Colombian Marino Hinestroza’s tactical adaptation. The response had major repercussions because the squad also includes three other Colombian players: Andrés Gómez, Carlos Cuesta, and Johan Rojas. His decision to stay in Rio with assistant coach Alexandre Mendes and leave Marcelo Salles in charge for the draw against Barracas Central led to the opening of disciplinary proceedings at Conmebol. The next match is on Tuesday against Audax Italiano.

Renato Gaúcho and Vasco players after the defeat to Botafogo — Photo: Jorge Rodrigues/AGIF

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