Today, July 17, 2024, Fluminense took on Criciúma in a critical game for the “Tricolor” as they fight to avoid relegation.
The game played at Criciúma’s Stadium Heriberto Hülse, ended in a 1-1 tie and marks Fluminense’s ninth straight game without a win and tenth without a clean sheet.
Today’s tie played out like most of Fluminense’s recent disappointments usually do, with the team from Rio having much more possession and creating a lot of scoring opportunities but struggling to capitalize on any of them.
The only upside from today’s game for the “Tricolor” is that they were able to equalize and avoid a loss, but the truth is if they had better used the many opportunities they had, they very well could’ve secured a win.
As it stands, Fluminense will continue to sit at the bottom of the league table with a shocking 8 points in 16 matches, and even with a win in their next game, it’s unlikely that they’ll be leaving the last spot.
For Criciúma, the point at home also wasn’t great, especially since it was against the team with the worst campaign so far this season.
Criciúma’s objective this season is nothing more than just to survive, and dropping points like they did today could be costly at the end of the season.
Today’s game was a very entertaining one.
Standout performances came from Criciúma’s goalkeeper Gustavo, midfielder Matheusinho, Fluminense’s midfielder Ganso, and super sub-Elias.
Gustavo is the reason Criciúma didn’t leave the game on a negative note; with 9 saves, he was without a doubt the man of the match.
Matheusinho’s performance speaks for itself.
Scoring Criciúma’s goal with a beautiful right-footed shot into the top left corner, he almost helped secure his team a victory.
For Fluminense, Ganso was a fundamental player.
Although he didn’t score, he completed an impressive 66 passes, and for that reason, it’s impossible to talk about Fluminense’s game today without mentioning him.
However, the most important player for Fluminense was Kauã Elias.
Scoring the point-blank range goal that tied it all up, Elias is the reason Fluminense is leaving the Heriberto Hülse Stadium with a point instead of 0.
Moving on from today’s disappointing result, Fluminense will now set their sights on their next game, which was set to be against Athletico-PR but as of today, July 11, has been postponed.
Criciúma, on the other hand, has their next appointment in São Paulo, on July 16, against Corinthians, a game which should be very exciting to watch since both teams are fighting against relegation.
As we turn our eyes back to Fluminense, it’s hard not to be astonished at just how competitive the Brazilian league is.
A league where the current continental champions of South America are currently last in the standings and in danger of relegation.
As the team from Rio continues their uphill battle to climb out of the relegation zone, there are a few things they need to address.
The team’s defensive vulnerability has been a persistent issue, and until they fix their solidity in the back, it’s hard to move forward. Today’s game marked 10 straight games without a clean sheet for the “Tricolor,” and when talking about the team currently in twentieth place in the league, that’s something that can’t be ignored.
Another issue that Fluminense needs to address urgently is its offensive inefficiency. Their struggle to score goals results in a struggle to win games, and today, a game where Fluminense had a total of 18 shots and only scored one, this problem was perfectly highlighted.
Time is running out.
Sixteen games have gone by, and it’s time for Fluminense to wake up.
The good news for the “Tricolor” is with the transfer window opening today, there’s always the possibility that new players will arrive.
So far, the only big transfer confirmed for their mid-season window is veteran defender Thiago Silva, who will be returning to his boyhood club after years of playing in Europe.
The former Brazilian international will come with a lot of weight on his shoulders.
Coming straight from the Premier League, it’s expected that Thiago will be the one to turn the tide around and save Fluminense from what would be a historic relegation since it’s very uncommon for a team to find success continentally and then be relegated the next season.
However special a player Thiago Silva is, his arrival alone cannot save Fluminense.
There are urgent problems the team needs to address, and with the tournament’s halfway mark getting closer, the pressure is on. Fluminense must wake up before it’s too late.
