São Paulo regain momentum, win over Flamengo sparks turnaround | OneFootball

São Paulo did not have a gala night at Morumbis, but showed what the fans expected to see after a negative streak in the season: a change in attitude. Even after falling behind on the scoreboard, the Tricolor did not give up and fought back for a 2-1 comeback win last Wednesday, in the opening round of the Brazilian Championship, securing an important victory to ease the crisis, even if only momentarily.

Facing Flamengo's offensive power, coach Hernán Crespo bet on returning to a three-center-back system for the Brazilian Championship debut, with Luciano and Calleri as the attacking duo. São Paulo started by making many passing errors in midfield and losing some battles in that area. Early on, the Tricolor chose to let Flamengo have the ball, consolidate defensively, and try to break out on counterattacks.

São Paulo struggled to contain Flamengo's volume of play in the first 15 minutes, especially with attacks down the left side. The Tricolor's marking got confused by Cebolinha's movements, lacking clarity on who was mainly responsible for closing down the red-black striker. Also, with no alternatives to play out from the back, the home side found themselves pinned in their defensive half.

A possible alternative for São Paulo to be dangerous seemed to be long balls. In the first 20 minutes, Maik found at least two deep passes behind the opposing defense. Despite that, the Tricolor did not have any major dangerous chances, except for a shot by Luciano that went close to the goal. The fact is that, at least until the 30th minute, the home side held up well defensively, unlike what happened in recent matches.

If São Paulo did well on defense, it fell short in attack. Unable to string together many passes, Crespo's team created very few opportunities in the first half. There was no real connection between midfield and attack, no construction of offensive plays, and the team lost possession very quickly, unable to hold onto the ball. The Tricolor lacked a midfielder who could get closer to the forwards.

Desire and grit stand out

São Paulo returned for the second half with no changes from Crespo. The Tricolor maintained its good defensive posture, but after a well-worked play by Flamengo, conceded the first goal of the night. No one challenged Alex Sandro, who crossed into the box. With technical quality, Pedro chested the ball down and Plata finished, leaving the home side helpless.

But São Paulo did not give up and showed all the grit and desire that seemed to have been missing in recent games. In one of the team's few plays down the byline in the match, Enzo Díaz appeared on the left and crossed. Luciano showed great positioning and headed the ball into the net, igniting the crowd at Morumbis and giving new energy to the Tricolor.

The São Paulo that came out after the break returned even more combative, not shying away from any challenges. The squad seemed to understand the importance of the game and, even more, the need for a change in attitude, as demanded by new sporting director Rafinha last Tuesday. And it was precisely with this supportive atmosphere at Morumbis that the Tricolor sought the comeback. Marcos Antônio, who improved greatly in the second half, started the move for both goals.

At the end of the game, São Paulo once again showed a defensive consistency that had been missing this season and held on to a crucial result. More than the football displayed, the Tricolor felt relieved by the big win at their stadium. The crisis was pushed aside for a moment, and the club can allow itself to work in peace, at least for the next few days, already focusing on a new challenge: the derby against Santos in the Paulista.

Who knows, maybe the comeback against Flamengo could be the start of a turning point for São Paulo, both in terms of results and attitude.

Standings

With the result, São Paulo ended a three-game winless streak — one draw and two losses in that span. The Tricolor also started the Brazilian Championship with a win and earned their first three points, taking third place.

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