Crisis at the back! Saldivia and Cuesta err, Renato snaps at Vasco | OneFootball

Vasco is facing a severe crisis of technical consistency in its defensive line due to the poor performances piled up by its starting center-backs in the latest rounds of the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Sudamericana. According to ge, coach Renato Gaúcho has been unable to define the ideal partner to play alongside Robert Renan, who has become the sector’s lone bright spot. Uruguayan Saldivia and Colombian Carlos Cuesta have alternated crucial mistakes and heavy defeats in Rio de Janeiro, turning Vasco’s penalty area into a vulnerable zone for opposing coaching staffs to exploit.

The defensive instability began to take on dramatic proportions after the setback against Corinthians at Neo Química Arena, where the Uruguayan made a positional mistake. On that occasion, the center-back left the necessary space for full-back Matheus Bidu’s precise finish, sealing the defeat and drawing harsh criticism from the fans. To make matters worse, the defender has racked up the bizarre mark of 3 own goals this season.

+ Punishment in Court! STJD suspends Cuesta for one match and fines Vasco

Carlos Cuesta’s frustrating return and the disaster in the South

The below-average performances of his direct competitor forced the coach to give the Colombian new opportunities in Vasco’s first team. However, the experienced center-back left an even worse impression by making a glaring mistake in timing on Carbonero’s goal during the 4-1 thrashing suffered against Internacional. To cap off the disastrous display at Beira-Rio, the player was sent off in the final minutes after launching a violent sliding tackle on striker Allex, receiving the worst rating from specialized critics this year.

The chance for international redemption came in midweek in Asunción, but the defender failed again in aerial marking in the 3-1 loss to Olimpia. Although he did find the net for the Brazilian side, the center-back lost almost every aerial individual duel against the Paraguayan strikers. The current expectation behind the scenes at the training center is that the coach will be forced to restore the Uruguayan to the starting lineup for this weekend’s match.

Saldivia in a match against Audax Italiano; the Uruguayan scored an own goal in the game – Photo: Dikran Sahagian/Vasco

Absolute priority on reinforcements in the July window at São Januário

Performance analysts extensively debated the physical and tactical fragility of the outfield players during the sports programs aired this morning in the capital of Rio de Janeiro state. Vasco currently has only young Lucas Freitas as an immediate bench option to try to stop the flow of goals threatening its domestic campaign. Faced with this scorched-earth scenario at the back, president Pedrinho and the executive committee have defined the signing of a right-footed center-back as the management’s top priority.

The coaching staff will intensify collective positioning drills before facing Red Bull Bragantino next Sunday, with the urgent need to pick up points at home. Vasco knows that stabilizing the performance of its center-back pairing is the first step toward avoiding the imminent risk of slipping closer to the relegation zone. The locker room will need to show strong mental toughness to withstand the pressure from the stands and ensure the necessary stability until the official opening of the transfer window.

Cuesta in a match against Olimpia – Photo: Christian Alvarenga/Getty Images

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