Freytes on set-piece blunder and Bernal’s red card: “A mix-up”

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·23 February 2026

Freytes on set-piece blunder and Bernal’s red card: “A mix-up”

The victory of Fluminense over Vasco in the semifinals of the Campeonato Carioca was also marked by the expulsion of midfielder Facundo Bernal, still in the second half. After the match, defender Freytes commented on the incident and explained that there was a communication error in the execution of a set play.

According to the defender, the team had practiced different variations for set pieces, but there was confusion at the decisive moment, which ended up leading to the play that resulted in Bernal's red card.

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— Bernal's expulsion was caused by a misunderstanding on the set piece, whether the ball was for me or someone else. There is a play we practice where the ball comes to me. It was a different play, but there was confusion. At the last minute, Renê told me it was for me because he couldn't set up the play. We made a wrong decision, and this serves as a learning experience — he explained.

The incident had a significant impact on the course of the match, as the Tricolor had to play with one less player for a good part of the game. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the team managed to reorganize defensively and maintain the positive result.

The 1-0 victory secured Fluminense the advantage of a draw in the second leg of the semifinal. However, the episode served as a warning for adjustments, especially in set plays, a fundamental aspect that tends to be decisive in closely contested matches.

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