On July 17, the Roadrunner published an article discussing the Brasileirão, Brazil’s top-flight soccer league, as it reached its midpoint. The article highlighted the situation of all 20 teams in the league, with a special mention of Botafogo at the top of the table.
The “glorious” was demonstrating amazing football.
However, since July 27, things have taken a turn for the worse for Botafogo. In their last two games, one of which was a first-leg match for the Brazilian Cup and another valid for the 20th round of the Brazilian league, the team from Rio hasn’t been able to secure any positive results.
The respective matches were disastrous for Botafogo, with the league match ending in a shocking 3-0 loss to Cruzeiro, and the cup match resulting in a 1-1 tie at home against Bahia.
The fallout from these poor performances has been significant: Botafogo has lost the top spot in the league to rivals Flamengo and is in great danger of being eliminated from the Brazilian Cup, as the second leg will be played in Bahia’s stadium and Botafogo failed to secure a good result at home.
For a team that was dominating opponents just a week ago, these last two games serve as a warning sign of what could happen if the team from Rio doesn’t wake up.
If the issues faced by the “glorious” aren’t addressed promptly, Botafogo’s whole season might be at risk.
August is a very important month for Botafogo. For starters, Botafogo’s next game against Atlético Goianense is crucial.
Atlético-GO is considered a weak team, but winning an away game is always challenging.
As a result, the match will be tight, and a loss would be unacceptable to many fans.
The situation worsens after the Atlético-GO game, as Botafogo will face another difficult and crucial away match: the second leg of the Brazilian Cup.
The Brazilian Cup is a very prestigious tournament, and for Botafogo, elimination in the Round of 16 would be a shameful disappointment, especially for the many fans dreaming of the trophy.
After the knockout match against Bahia, Botafogo has yet another away match against Juventude.
Juventude isn’t a strong team, but as mentioned earlier, any away game is tough, especially considering the travel and rough game schedule.
Following Juventude, Botafogo will face what is probably the most important game of the year so far: the first leg of the Libertadores Round of 16 match against Palmeiras on July 14.
This match promises to be one of the most exciting games of the year for both teams.
To make matters worse, just three days after the match against Palmeiras, Botafogo will play against Flamengo, Brazil’s current leader and their city rival.
This match holds great importance for both teams as they are head-to-head in the title race, and the three points gained or lost on July 18 will significantly influence the season’s outcome.
Just a few days after the Flamengo game, on the 21st, Botafogo will face Palmeiras again for the second leg of the Libertadores quarterfinal.
This game is set to feel like a final for both teams.
And if you think the month will be over after this, you’d be surprised to find out you’re wrong because Botafogo still has two more games left in August, and they are both challenging.
On the 25th, Botafogo will play against Bahia, this time for the Brazilian league.
On the 31st, they will play against Fortaleza.
Both games promise to be competitive contests, and it’s hard to tell who will come out on top.
With one match being away against Bahia and one at home against Fortaleza, both will really put Botafogo to the test.
Now that we have laid out Botafogo’s entire month of August, you can begin to understand just how difficult the upcoming month promises to be.
It truly will be a make-or-break moment for the “alvinegro.”
Will the team from Rio de Janeiro be able to overcome the horrifically hard game schedule and secure good results in the many difficult games ahead of them? Only time will tell, but what we know for certain is that the difference between good and bad results now is the difference between celebrating and crying at the end of the year.
The moment for Botafogo is now, and failure to get their act together could jeopardize the whole season. The next matches are critical in determining whether Botafogo will bounce back or if this slump will continue, dashing their dreams of a trophy for the “glorious.”
