Towards eternal glory! Discover the reasons that led the Mais Tradicional on the path to eternity with the Copa Libertadores final
Botafogo can take the first of two giant steps towards a legendary team, this Saturday (30th), starting at 5pm, at the Monumental de Núñez, against Atlético-MG. Reaching the final of the Copa Libertadores and maintaining the lead in the Brasileirão for several rounds has been a task for very few teams over the years. The tendency is for the team competing for the title to take their foot off the accelerator in the local championship to focus on the continental tournament after the qualifiers. Glorioso dared to break with this paradigm. Now he must prove that he has the strength to aspire to a place in eternity. There’s only one way. Defeat the Rooster and bring the Eternal Glory to the museum in General Severian’s colonial palace. Subsequently, he settles into the life of the Brasileirão.
Glorioso, with the Libertadores, would begin to target the same pantheon as Pelé’s Santos and coach Jorge Jesus’ Flamengo. In 1962, Peixe became champion of the Libertadores and Taça Brasil. In 1963, they repeated the feat in the international tournament and won the Nacional in January 1964. Botafogo’s rival, Rubro-Negro, won both competitions in 2019. Who knows if, in 2024, it won’t be the Botafogo of Savarino, Almada and Luiz Henry?
“Responsibility for the title we bring and for it being Botafogo’s first final. We were chosen to be here. Nobody parachuted in. We will do our best, as in every match. The important thing is to get the result. We keep our feet firmly on the ground, with humility and sacrifice, let’s enjoy this moment to play a great game running for each other from the first to the last minute. My record is now in a decision for the Libertadores.
Large dogs
Making their debut in the Libertadores final, Botafogo did not reach the final Court of Núñez. From the knockout stage onwards he found only caves. In total, they faced three very traditional opponents who, between them, won 11 titles in international competition. Shirts that fold clotheslines. But coach Artur Jorge’s Alvinegro overcame Palmeiras (eighth), San Paolo (quarter-finals) and Peñarol (semi-final). Therefore, he created a shell to build the path to the cup.
“It’s a journey full of history. Palmeiras, São Paulo and Peñarol, if they were here, it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Three teams that could easily compete for the title. And we played against all odds. We have always been THE loser (loser). We knew how to accentuate some devaluations and take advantage of them. And we did it by being superior to these opponents in the entire series. At a certain point we suffered because we didn’t play alone. It’s normal. But we finished the series better than Palmeiras, Sao Paulo and Peñarol”, underlined the Braga coach.
Botafogo, the team that knows how to change the chip
Being on two fronts for months is not for everyone. And Botafogo understood the dynamics of both tournaments at the same time. In the Libertadores, for example, Glorioso has a success rate of 56.2%. In the Brasileirão, with this number, they would compete for sixth place with Sao Paulo. However, in the points race, he moved away from second place and regained the isolated lead. If we consider Liberta’s percentage low, Mais Tradicional responded by enchanting South America to the point that the world of football placed it among the favourites.
Life was smiling at Botafogo at the end of the season. After all, the team can win two tournaments in four days. Saturday, the Libertadores. And on Wednesday the Brasileirão. If Estrela Solitária scores against Internacional, in Beira-Rio, and Palmeiras loses against Cruzeiro, in Mineirão, Alvinegro will put an end to the leadership dispute with another cup.
Faithful to a style
Great teams have left legacies and had strong identities. This is the Glorioso of this season, the team that comes closest, finally, to the “Path of Botafogo”. The style created by the North American tycoon includes speed in all positions, protagonism in ball possession and pressure on the opponent, especially in the offensive field. Here’s how the team will face these last three challenges of the year. Without giving up any proposal.
“We cannot change our behavior. We know that the attrition is long, but we also know that the team has been able to resist. It has been able to be very consistent and have its own idea of playing against any opponent, regardless of the place. It is a credit to the players , for how they faced their opponents. We need the same attitude. These three matches can bring us two important titles, if there is tiredness the motivation will be even greater.” , determined the Minho coach.
Botafogo’s ambition
Although the mobilized fans invaded Buenos Aires and created an atmosphere unprecedented in the history of the Juventus club and also in the Argentine capital itself, Botafogo is not satisfied with participating in the final of this edition of the Copa Libertadores. Glorioso knows, therefore, that they still have a lot to lose in this decision. Gambling the decision is not synonymous with profit.
“Many say that we have already achieved a feat. It is a milestone for Botafogo to be final. But it is not enough for what we want. What remains in history is the name of the winners. Not who competed. We need the courage to take responsibility for winning this competition,” said Artur Jorge.
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Source: Terra
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