Zubeldía hails John Kennedy, reviews Fluminense draw: “We played well”

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·7 May 2026

Zubeldía hails John Kennedy, reviews Fluminense draw: “We played well”

Coach Luis Zubeldía analyzed Fluminense's 1-1 draw with Independiente Rivadavia this Wednesday in the fourth round of the Libertadores. After falling behind on the scoreboard, Tricolor found the equalizer in stoppage time through a goal by John Kennedy, who came off the bench.

In the post-match press conference, Zubeldía praised the team's performance in Mendoza and said Fluminense played well despite the result.

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— Today's match was very evenly balanced. Independiente, with set pieces and plays down the flanks, creates scoring chances, but we played a good game. I liked what the team did, how they played. We're still alive and we have two home games left — the coach analyzed.

The Tricolor manager also once again highlighted John Kennedy's importance to the team, especially when coming on during matches. The forward scored just minutes after entering the field and secured an important point for Fluminense in the competition.

— It seems to me that John is a player who comes on very well, transforms the attack when the match is difficult. That's one of his main qualities. He always comes on well, and that adds value. It's hard to find players who come on well. The important thing is that he's scoring goals. He's an important player — he said.

With the draw, Fluminense reached two points and remains at the bottom of the group, but still depends only on itself to advance to the Libertadores round of 16. To qualify, Tricolor will need to beat Bolívar by three goals and defeat Deportivo La Guaira, both at the Maracanã.

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