Filipe Luís explains De La Cruz’s omission in Flamengo v Juventude clash | OneFootball

What happened to De La Cruz, Flamengo's midfielder?

In Flamengo's 2-0 victory over Juventude, Flamengo's coach Filipe Luís chose not to use midfielder De La Cruz. After the match, the red-black commander stated that the absence of the Uruguayan on the field was due to special care for the athlete. Additionally, the coach made it clear that the competition for the position is intense.

— Regarding De La Cruz, it's special care due to the sequence of games ahead. I always hope to see his best version from now on. I know he had two weeks to train, the competition among them is very strong –, he declared, before concluding:

— Erick and Jorginho will also return in some time. We have a great performance from Allan, Everton who always comes in and is very reliable. The one who benefits is the coach. My choice for Allan today was strategic for the game plan -, Filipe Luís concluded in an interview on Sunday (14).

It's important to note that before the match, there was an expectation for De La Cruz to take Jorginho's spot, who is recovering from a thigh discomfort. However, unlike what happened against Grêmio, coach Filipe Luís placed Allan instead of the Italo-Brazilian.

HOW WAS THE FLAMENGO VS JUVENTUDE GAME?

Even with the changes, Flamengo performed well on the field. This is because the Red-Black managed to overcome Juventude 2-0 and, with that, break the victory taboo in Caxias do Sul. Finally, Mengão remains the isolated leader of the Brasileirão, with 50 points.

WHAT IS FLAMENGO'S NEXT GAME?

After defeating Juventude, Flamengo now faces Estudiantes (ARG), for the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Libertadores. The match kicks off at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) this Thursday (18), at Maracanã. Coluna do Fla, as usual, will show the details of the match on YouTube. Finally, ESPN (closed channel) and Disney+ (streaming) will broadcast the duel.

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