Jardim explains Paquetá call, admits poor display by Flamengo's No 20 | OneFootball

Lucas Paquetá struggled against Independiente del Valle (ECU)

Flamengo’s lineup for the match against Independiente del Valle (ECU) surprised some fans. After all, Leonardo Jardim chose Lucas Paquetá to orchestrate the team, leaving Arrascaeta on the bench. After the match, the coach explained what the idea was and admitted that the midfielder’s performance was below expectations.

— We all knew they (Del Valle) would come out more aggressively, so the idea was to play Paquetá because he is more physical, thinking about the duels around the edge of the box. It ended up not happening. Back in Portugal, there’s a saying we have: “you only know if melons are good after you cut them open.” I don’t know if it means the same thing here. He didn’t play up to his level. Thank God we have a squad where, when one player isn’t doing well, we have another who is up to the task —, said Leonardo Jardim.

— In the English Championship he often played out wide and as an attacking midfielder. But there he wasn’t playing for a team that tried to dictate the game, but rather for one that was reactive. I see him as a midfielder who can play in other positions. But his primary position is in midfield. I think he is a box-to-box midfielder, like Jorginho and Saúl. And I can use him as an attacking midfielder or out wide. But I like wingers who make diagonal runs, which is something different from Paquetá —, the coach added.

PAQUETÁ ON THE PITCH

Misplacing many passes and giving the ball away cheaply, Paquetá was even booed at the Maracanã. Six minutes into the second half, the midfielder caught a Del Valle player in the face with his arm and ran the risk of being sent off. However, to Flamengo’s relief, the referee only showed a yellow card.

Unhappy with the performance of the number 20, Leonardo Jardim took Paquetá off in the 14th minute of the second half and sent Arrascaeta onto the pitch. And the Uruguayan delivered. In the 39th minute, after a long ball from Rossi, the Uruguayan scored the goal that gave Mengão peace of mind to seal qualification with a 1-1 draw.

Now Flamengo will face Estudiantes (ARG) in the Copa Libertadores semifinals. The first match will take place in Argentina, with the return leg at the Maracanã, in ties scheduled for mid-October. On the other side of the bracket, Palmeiras and Fluminense are battling for the other place in the final. The title match will be played on November 28 in Montevideo, once again as a single-match final, as has been the case since 2019.

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