Vasco set priorities, Sunday’s line-up remains a mystery | OneFootball

Vasco da Gama heads into the final round of the Brazilian Championship with a sense of accomplishment regarding their stay in the top division, but with a strategic “headache” to solve. Mathematically safe from relegation, the club now faces a dilemma: go all out to secure a spot in the Copa Sudamericana or rest its key players ahead of the season-defining match in the Copa do Brasil.

+ Vasco gathers an almost complete squad at the training center, except for Jair and Adson

The math behind the international spot

The situation on the table is comfortable, but requires attention. Vasco sits in 12th place with 45 points and depends solely on itself to secure a continental passport. A simple draw against Atlético-MG at the Arena MRV is enough to guarantee the spot, as it would keep the Cruz-Maltino ahead of Galo itself in the tiebreaker criteria.

However, if they lose in Belo Horizonte, Fernando Diniz’s team will have to “root against” their rivals. Two out of three direct competitors (Santos, Ceará, and Fortaleza) would need to fail to win their matches against Cruzeiro, Palmeiras, and Botafogo, respectively. The coaching staff knows that fielding a weakened team could jeopardize this spot, which is important for the 2026 calendar and budget.

The physical wear of the Vasco squad and the “synthetic factor”

The main obstacle to fielding the starting lineup is the accumulated fatigue and the proximity of the semifinal against Fluminense. The Vasco squad is at its physical limit: eight players have already surpassed the 50-game mark this season, including pillars like Léo Jardim, Vegetti, and Coutinho.

In addition to muscle fatigue, the coaching staff is concerned about the synthetic turf at Arena MRV. The artificial surface changes the dynamics of the game and, historically, increases joint impact and post-game recovery time. Putting worn-out players on this type of pitch, just days before the most important match of the year at the Maracanã, is a risk that the Medical Department is evaluating very carefully.

The final decision on who will travel will only be made on Saturday, but the tendency is that physical preservation will take precedence in some specific cases.

Coutinho has played more than 50 games this season and the fatigue is inevitable – Photo: Lucas Figueiredo/Getty Images

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