December 12 – Following the highs of a league and Libertadores double, Botafogo had been shocked by Concacaf champions Pachuca 3-0 to exit the FIFA Continental Cup on the first hurdle.
Oussama Idrissi, Nelson Deossa and Salomon Rondon had been all on track within the second half for the Mexicans, who will play Al Ahly of Egypt within the semi-finals with the winner taking over European champions Actual Madrid within the ultimate on December 18 at Lusail Stadium in Doha.
Enjoying of their seventy fifth match in all competitions this 12 months, Botafogo had been exhausted even when supervisor Arthur Jorge rested a number of gamers. The workforce had travelled 20 hours to the Qatari capital and dominated the primary half however did not capitalise on their alternatives. Within the second half, the Brazilians unravelled and three substitutions from Jorge couldn’t forestall an early exit.
“To step on the pitch a little bit over 24 hours after arriving in a brand new nation following an extended journey, the jet-lag, along with the relentless calendar is irritating nevertheless it’s one thing we will’t management as a workforce. We didn’t play effectively and that’s a tough tablet to swallow,” mentioned Jorge at a information convention.
“I’m not going to attempt to make excuses for what we didn’t handle to do. Pachuca had been higher than us, they had been simpler, they took benefit of the possibilities that they had within the second half. However the info are that due to the scenario we had been going through, we couldn’t discipline the workforce we wish to in the present day.
“There’s nothing else to say concerning the context as a result of now we have to carry on to the outcome. The outcome wasn’t what we wished, however nothing erases what we’ve completed so effectively this season.”
The defeat was a comedown for the membership from Rio de Janeiro, who final weekend celebrated their first nationwide crown since 1995. The title accomplished a exceptional double within the area of week after Botafogo had clinched their maiden Copa Libertadores with a 3-1 win in opposition to Atletico Mineiro.
The outcome additionally raises questions on Brazilian golf equipment’ competitiveness on the worldwide stage.
Final December, then South American champions Fluminense had been swept apart by Manchester Metropolis within the ultimate of the Membership World Cup. Earlier in 2023, Flamengo crashed out within the semi-finals of the identical competitors. Brazil may have 4 representatives at subsequent 12 months’s 32-team Membership World Cup.
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