Vasco on a five-match winless run, the main reasons why | OneFootball

After a blistering start to the campaign, taking 10 points from a possible 12 in the opening rounds of the Brazilian Championship, Vasco have fallen into a dangerous downward spiral under coach Renato Gaúcho. The Giant of the Hill is currently enduring an uncomfortable run of five straight matches without a win this season. That recent stretch includes three painful setbacks in the national tournament, along with one frustrating draw and one defeat in the Copa Sudamericana.

The current poor run of results has set off alarm bells at São Januário. The team drew with Coritiba (1-1), lost to Botafogo (2-1), played out a goalless draw with Barracas Central, drew with Remo (1-1), and suffered a bitter comeback defeat to Audax Italiano (2-1).

With those results in the Brasileirão, Vasco have stalled in 13th place with 13 points, holding a dangerous margin of just three points over Cruzeiro, the first team in the relegation zone. On top of that, they sit bottom of Group G in the Sudamericana.

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Wayward finishing and defensive lapses punish Vasco

The first major factor helping to explain this instability is the team’s inefficiency in attack. Vasco continue to create a good volume of chances and reach the final third fairly often, but the team has been bizarrely wasteful when it comes to finishing.

In the derby against their black-and-white-clad rivals, midfielder Tchê Tchê squandered a crystal-clear chance from inside the box. Then, in the match in Belém, forward Rojas struck straight at goalkeeper Marcelo Rangel in a golden opportunity that would have all but secured the three points.

The defensive system has also shown chronic and worrying flaws, especially when dealing with aerial plays. Of the six goals conceded by the team in those last five matches, four came directly from crosses into the penalty area, including both open-play situations and set pieces.

The defense still has not fully managed to organize itself to deal with that threat, reviving an old defensive “Achilles’ heel” that has haunted the club since the tenure of former coach Fernando Diniz.

Travel fatigue forces full priority on the Brasileirão

The third pillar in understanding this sharp drop in performance inevitably comes down to the intense physical toll on Vasco’s first-team squad. Logistics have been a frequent talking point for Renato Gaúcho in his most recent interviews. The team had to face extremely long and exhausting trips at the start of the month, covering more than 6,000 kilometers in air travel between matches in Curitiba and Pará.

The accumulated fatigue forced the coaching staff to make drastic decisions to avoid an outbreak of muscle injuries in the squad. The manager made it clear that he will continue to rest his key players in the Sudamericana because the absolute priority this season is to avoid unpleasant surprises in the top flight.

Vasco are now focusing their energy on recovery and return to the pitch at 6:30 p.m. this Saturday, when they host the strong São Paulo side at São Januário in the 12th round of the Brasileirão.

Renato Gaúcho details the difficulties the club is facing this season – Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

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