🤔 Brenner fails to get going, and Vasco still lack a settled attack

The match against Corinthians represented Brenner’s first chance as a starter in the Brazilian Championship under Renato Gaúcho.

However, the forward delivered a quiet performance at Neo Química Arena, extending the coach’s biggest dilemma at Vasco: defining the ideal attacking trio.

The right wing has emerged as the biggest question mark for the coaching staff at the start of this spell, as reported by ge.

In nine rounds of the Brasileirão, Renato has already tested four different lineups in attack, but none of the chosen players has managed to establish himself as the ideal partner for Andrés Gómez and David.

The rotation in Vasco’s attack

So far, the distribution of opportunities in the front three has been as follows:

• Andrés Gómez, David and Nuno Moreira: 4 matches
• Andrés Gómez, David and Rojas: 3 matches
• Hinestroza, David and Nuno Moreira: 1 match (Hinestroza replaced Gómez, who was suspended, in the draw with Coritiba)
• Andrés Gómez, David and Brenner: 1 match

Among the available options to play on the right, only Adson has yet to start a match under Renato.

The forward has been used in the second half (he came on against Palmeiras, Fluminense, São Paulo and Corinthians).

At Neo Química Arena, he replaced Tchê Tchê and even gave the area more intensity, but not enough to create real danger for the opposing goal.

With the three-defensive-midfielder system adopted by Renato Gaúcho, the wingers have taken on even more responsibility and prominence.

The lack of a reliable starter on the right has created a chain effect that affects Vasco in both phases of the game.

In attack: a lopsided team
Without pace and presence on the right, Vasco concentrates its attacking moves almost exclusively down the left side.

The plays invariably go through Andrés Gómez and left-back Cuiabano, often with Thiago Mendes moving closer.

This dependence on just one side makes the team’s movements predictable and makes marking easier for the opposition.

In defense: a wide-open right side
To try to balance the team without the ball, Renato adjusted the tactical structure starting in the derby against Botafogo, assigning Tchê Tchê to cover the defensive right side (while the wingers tuck inside).

The problem is that the midfielder, besides showing less physical intensity for the role, tends to leave the area to get involved in play through the middle or on the left.

When Vasco loses the ball, a large space is left behind Tchê Tchê, something opponents have been identifying and exploiting.

The latest reflection of this vulnerability came in the clash in Itaquera: Matheus Bidu’s goal, which secured Corinthians’ victory, started precisely from a move built down the right side of Vasco’s defense.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.