Fluminense making the Copa Libertadores final gave them leave on a poor Brasileirao start that has had them in nineteenth place for most of the season. But with their upset loss to Ecuador’s LDU Quito far behind, new reasons for Fluminense’s relegation battle need be used. There is no shortage of them, be it general performance, their busy schedule, or the Olympics. Even considering all the excuses, it remains a paradox that a club on the bring of being crowned best team in South America finds itself in a fight to avoid relegation to Brazil’s Serie B.
In explaining Flu’s problems, it’s best to avoid nuance at the start. They’re playing poorly, particularly in attack. Lead striker Washington (pictured, above) is a great story (overcoming serious health problems) and is a veteran presence, but he’s also been wildly in efficient and is not posing much of a threat to opponents despite leading the club with five goals. Combine this with a dip in domestic form and unavailability of star winger Thiago Neves and you have one of the worst attacks in the league, averaging about one goal per match.
The Neves (right) issue can not be understated. Last year’s Bola de Ouro winner has played in only five of the team’s fifteen matches, within which he’s scored only one goal. He and star center back Thiago Silva are in Beijing with the Brazil Olympic team, leaving the embattled Tricolor three more weeks without their two best players. With little contribution offensively coming beyond their forwards (only four goals from non-strikers), the team is highly reliant on Neves for their offense.
Neves, for his part, seems slightly less motivated than last year’s player who had just returned to Brazil from a failed stint in Japan. Motivated to reestablish his career and value, Neves had 12 goals in 33 league contests while leading Fluminense to a third place finish. He put himself on the radar of European clubs with that Bola de Ouro-winning performance and his four goals in two legs Copa final effort. But that Cope output dwarfs what Neves has been able to contribute for his club, a deficiency that’s reflected in the team’s place in the table.
The attention that Neves has garnered over the last season might have him ready to move on. You don’t have your name associated with the Arsenals and AS Romas or the world, the Londons and Romes, without looking a little beyond your current club. The Olympics will be another chance for the winger to capture big European clubs’ imaginations, and though he is not currently slated to start for Brazil, one good substitute’s contribution could be enough to convince a club to table an offer. If that happens, Fluminense might consider whether their chances of avoiding relegation would improve with the Neves distraction having moved on, his former teammates becoming less reliant on him in the process.
Thiago Silva (right) could also find his way to Europe. It would be a bad decision at this point, as he is relatively new to his center back position, and although he has the raw talent to play in Europe right now, he would stunt his development if he left now. There is a level of seasoning that he, as a center back, needs before he jumps the Atlantic and starts trying to read European attacks. Perhaps he won’t be a center back in Europe (with his atleticism, he can play anywhere on the pitch), but he would be selling himself short if he relegated himself to an unrefined, utility role at this point in his development.
While Flu could get just sort of £10 million for him, the club needs him to hold together their defence, an unexpected positive this season after the back line was picked apart by LDU. ilva, if he stays through the end of this season, could also make himself a good amount of money through continued improvement in his position, enabling his club to demand a higher fee and him to ask for a better salary. While Fluminense might want to move Neves and force some of the underperforming attackers to lift the level of their games, Silva is critical to Flu’s recovery from this horrible start.
The Copa Libertadores disappointment seems to have created a hangover that Fluminense has never been able to shake. Not taking the domestic schedule seriously at the Brasileirso’s onset, their loss to LDU gave them license to continue their uninspired play. There were signs of life two weeks ago, when Flu garners consecutive victories over Atletico Paranaense and (impressively) Vitoria, that the club ma have turned a corner. Shortly after Flu lost Neves and Silva to the Olympics, and momentum ceased last week with one point in two matches. Beijing has given the Tricolor a reason to carry on with their post-Copa malaze.
Neves and Silva will return in late August, at which point Fluminense should still be in a relegation position. The club will only need a small run to avoid relegation, though their stars will be on the end of a busy season which will have had them play the Libertadores, Olympics and their regular club schedule. Brazilian football can be a very arduous endeavor for players, some of whom will play eighty matches over a calendar year. Neves and Silva will be amongst the busiest.
Fluminense is both reliant on their stars and needs other players to step-up. Argentine Darío Conca (pictured) has only one goal in seven matches. He’s capable of more, particularly since he takes many of the team’s spots. Washington needs to be more efficient, as his goal rate belies the number of opportunities he gets. Dodo (four goals) must continue contributing, and another player from behind the strikers must provide more of a threat. The back line has been decent, with Flu only allowing 21 goals through the first 15 rounds. Goals is what the team needs, whether they come from Neves or not.
