Internacional's Roger Machado Stays Focused on Libertadores After League Defeat to Flamengo

According to ge, Internacional fell 3-1 to Flamengo at Beira-Rio in the 20th round of the Brasileirao. Coach Roger Machado fielded an alternative lineup with an eye on Wednesday’s decisive Copa Libertadores clash against the same rival, a choice that drew criticism from supporters after the team conceded twice in the opening minutes.

At the post-match press conference, Machado acknowledged the impact of the loss. “Losing at home always leaves the players more disappointed. But we understand that with the match on Wednesday, in another competition… having experienced similar scenarios, like before the game against Nacional, it gave us different approaches for the decisive Libertadores match,” he explained.

He admitted the early goals left his team exposed. “Conceding twice in the first 10 or 12 minutes takes away much of the enthusiasm from everyone, including the crowd,” he said. Still, he defended his strategy, pointing to the bigger objective. “The idea was to take the team into Wednesday as rested as possible and to put players on the field to control Flamengo’s rhythm. Even with a defeat, we wanted to leave a scenario that was positive, with energy from the fans,” he justified.

When some starters entered in the second half, Machado saw improvement. “When we brought on the fresher players, the ones who are usually in the starting eleven, we managed to push into Flamengo’s half as well,” he noted.

The coach admitted the risks of his decision. “These are the risks you take so you have a better chance in the competition we’ve chosen as our top priority right now,” he remarked.

Despite the setback, he praised several individual performances and looked ahead with confidence. “We’ll make adjustments, we’ll go in with all the players rested. Confidence will be at its highest, no doubt about it. And we’re going to fight for that spot,” he concluded.