Leonardo Jardim defies plea on Joaquín Freitas: “I got that right”

In partnership with

Coluna do Fla

·14 September 2026

Leonardo Jardim defies plea on Joaquín Freitas: “I got that right”

What did Leonardo Jardim say about Joaquín Freitas' performance?

Joaquín Freitas played a decisive role in Flamengo’s 2-1 win over Corinthians at the Maracanã. Given the situation, coach Leonardo Jardim made a point of heaping praise on the young Argentine and also took the chance to joke about putting the 19-year-old on the field this Sunday (13).

Those who didn’t want him to come on were wrong, I got it right (laughs). I can get one right every now and then too, and getting one right is spectacular. We wanted more attacking creativity, we had a box player with BH, and we had a mobile forward in Freitas. We ended up having more attacking dominance, and that resulted in the creation of the second goal, he said, before concluding: Very satisfied because the team made it 2-1, very satisfied because the players who came on, one got the assist and the other got the finish. That shows our ability, what I’ve defended since day one, that we are not just 11. Flamengo’s squad is very large, it goes from the 11 to those who are in the stadium, in the community, those who are abroad, Jardim concluded.

WHAT HAPPENED TO JOAQUÍN FREITAS IN FLAMENGO VS CORINTHIANS?

Forward Joaquín Freitas started the match against Corinthians on the bench. However, with Flamengo needing a goal, coach Leonardo Jardim brought the Argentine on in place of Lucas Paquetá.

OneFootball Videos

After only a few minutes on the field, Joaquín took advantage of a pass from Jorginho near the byline on the left side and delivered a perfectly weighted cross for Bruno Henrique. Right after that, the No. 27 headed it into the net, leaving goalkeeper Hugo Souza with no chance.

WHAT DID JOAQUÍN FREITAS SAY AFTER FLAMENGO VS CORINTHIANS?

“My first match at the Maracanã and I was able to provide an assist. I’m very happy about that. I came here to contribute, and more than anything, I’m happy for the team’s win, which was deserved. The group has been helping me a lot since day one. They help me a lot with the city, with everything. I want to adapt as quickly as possible, and I’m very grateful to the group.”

HOW HAS JOAQUÍN FREITAS STARTED AT FLAMENGO?

Joaquín Freitas was one of Flamengo’s signings in this transfer window. Before standing out at the Maracanã, the Argentine got a few minutes in the match against Remo, in Belém do Pará. Against Independiente del Valle (ECU) in the Libertadores, however, the player did not come off the bench.

WHAT IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT MATCH?

With Joaquín Freitas available, Flamengo return to the field to face Del Valle in the second leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals. In short, the match kicks off at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) this Thursday (17) at the Maracanã. As usual, Coluna do Fla TV will cover every detail of the match on YouTube, as well as on its website and social media.

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