Backroom split! Plan to rest starters divides Vasco, tensions rise | OneFootball

Coach Renato Gaúcho leads Vasco amid extreme internal and external pressure for the decisive clash against Barracas Central, valid for the final round of the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana. According to ge, the strategy adopted by the coaching staff of sending a reserve side for the previous match against Olimpia caused a split within the board. Several members of the club’s top brass believed the team should have fielded its strongest lineup in Paraguay, but the decision to rest the starters was backed by football director Admar Lopes.

The decision to focus attention on the Brazilian Championship ended up resulting in a 3-1 defeat to Olimpia at Defensores del Chaco, preventing the Vasco side from moving closer to sole possession of first place in Group G. With the international setback, the Rio de Janeiro team remained on 7 points in the standings, while the Paraguayan rival took over the top spot in the group with 10 points earned in the 2026 season. To advance directly to the round of 16 without having to play the playoffs against teams eliminated from the Copa Libertadores, Renato Gaúcho’s men need to win at São Januário and hope for a favorable goal combination in the Audax Italiano match.

+ Radical protest! Força Jovem calls on Vasco fans to boycott with “zero attendance” at São Januário

Disagreements and pressure in the locker room

The atmosphere of pressure exploded after the 3-0 loss to Red Bull Bragantino, showing that resting the starters did not prevent the physical dominance of the São Paulo side. The coach was heavily insulted by fans in the stands and had to take part in an emergency one-hour meeting in the locker room at Colina Histórica. Despite the strong climate of public dissatisfaction and rumors of a voluntary resignation, the manager guaranteed he will remain in charge for the team’s upcoming fixtures this season.

Even with daily protests led by Força Jovem do Vasco and calls for zero attendance tonight, the football department maintained its belief that the institution’s absolute priority should be the Brasileirão. Next weekend’s clash against Atlético-MG is seen by the coaching staff as a true final in the fight to push away the threat of relegation once and for all before the break for the World Cup. Because of this pragmatic planning, the coaching staff is considering fielding a mixed or mostly reserve team in this Wednesday’s international match.

The decision to rest players had the approval of the entire Vasco leadership – Photo: Reprodução Vasco TV

Absences and Vasco’s tactical mystery

In addition to the strain of the schedule, the coaching staff is facing serious problems in assembling the defensive line due to a complete lack of right-back options. Defender Puma Rodríguez is out, Paulo Henrique remains under the care of the Medical Department, and João Vitor is serving an automatic suspension. Also without Mutano, the manager tested an unprecedented tactical setup with three center-backs in an attempt to stop the defense’s aerial vulnerability.

The likely Vasco lineup for the match is: Léo Jardim; Víctor Cuesta, Lucas Freitas and Robert Renan (Walace Falcão); Tchê Tchê, Hugo Moura, Ramon Rique and Lucas Piton (Cuiabano); Nuno Moreira, Andrés Gómez and David (Brenner).

Despite the criticism, Tchê Tchê is expected to play – 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.