Flamengo in Libertadores: Jardim faces altitude again, how debut went | OneFootball

With less than two years in South American football, Leonardo Jardim will play his second match at altitude

Despite having been born in Venezuela, Leonardo Jardim is still a ‘newcomer’ in South American competitions. In a career built in Europe, the coach had only faced altitude once in his life, in 2025, when he managed Cruzeiro. Now, the coach will ‘go up the hill’ in Flamengo’s Libertadores debut against Cusco (PER), at 3,400 meters above sea level.

In the 2025 Copa Sudamericana, Leonardo Jardim’s Cruzeiro drew 1-1 with Mushuc Runa (ECU) in the city of Riobamba, Ecuador. The venue sits at 2,754 meters of altitude. In a recent interview, already with Flamengo, the coach recalled what that match was like.

— My feeling in that match was the speed of the ball. A lot of times, these teams play a much more direct game, with lots of duels. We have to keep the ball on the ground and try to play with our DNA. In the defensive phase, we need to stay alert. The situations they can create, like shots from outside the box and set pieces, we need to pay more attention because of the speed of the ball —, said Jardim last month.

IN SHORT, HOW DID THE MATCH GO?

The match between Cruzeiro and Mushuc Runa took place in the fourth round of the Sudamericana. The Belo Horizonte side had zero points at the time and fielded a reserve team in Ecuador. Even with a changed lineup, the Brazilians managed to avoid defeat.

SO WHAT WILL JARDIM’S LIBERTADORES DEBUT BE LIKE?

— This competition is not easy. There are matches at altitude, there are teams with direct football in their home environments that favor that kind of play. We have to make a structural adjustment for players who are prepared for this kind of battle instead of a Maracanã setting. There is no easy game in football, every match is difficult. What we have to do is make the match easy —, Jardim said on Sunday (05).

Therefore, Leonardo Jardim’s first-ever match in the Copa Libertadores kicks off at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time this Wednesday (08), at Estadio Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. So, of course, Coluna do Fla will bring all the information on the clash directly from Cusco.

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