Arrascaeta unfazed by Rojo, says Flamengo ready for showdown | OneFootball

The 1-0 defeat to Fortaleza, this Saturday, may have frustrated Flamengo's plans in the Brasileirão, but it did not shake the team's confidence for the most important commitment of the year.

Midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta, one of the group's leaders, took responsibility for the poor performance but sent a direct message to Racing's provocateurs: the team is ready for the upcoming battle in Avellaneda.

When asked about the statements of defender Marcos Rojo, who "challenged" Flamengo to withstand the pressure in the cauldron of El Cilindro, Arrascaeta was calm and firm, showing that the team's focus is on the field, not on words.

"It's part of their team, they can say whatever they want and nothing will change for us," stated the Uruguayan, who emphasized the group's mental strength in decisive moments. "The fans who always follow Flamengo have complete confidence in this group, in this team. Always in adversity, we step up and have achieved many important things. So, we are prepared for whatever comes."

Despite the confidence for the Libertadores, the number 14 did not hide his frustration with the setback in the Brasileirão, acknowledging that the lost points could be costly in the title race.

"Certainly (these points could be missed). A very painful defeat, a battle, but we can't do anything about it now," lamented Arrascaeta, who made a self-criticism about the team's performance. "Unfortunately, in the first half we didn't play well, then we went after the result, but we couldn't achieve it."

The Uruguayan star also mentioned the difficult field conditions as a factor that hindered them but did not use it as an excuse, focusing on the team's improvement in the second half. "We corrected that in the second half, created opportunities, but couldn't turn the game around."

Now, the defeat to Fortaleza is in the past. Flamengo's focus is total and absolute on next Wednesday, when the team faces Racing in Argentina for the second leg of the Libertadores semifinal. With a 1-0 victory at Maracanã, the team needs just a draw to secure their spot in another continental final.

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