Childhood is the period during which most nicknames are adopted. Fluminense FC, by contrast, were over a century old when they got a new one. A preposterous escape from relegation Alcatraz was indebted to them becoming ‘Time de Guerreiros’ (‘Team of Warriors’) in the late noughties.
It stuck. How could it not? Fluminense, time and time again, kept snatching success from the jaws of failure. They scored eight of their 14 knockout-phase goals in the 80th minute or later to conquer the 2023 Copa Libertadores and qualify for the first FIFA Club World Cup™.
Today, in the land of ‘The Rock’, their patented fighting spirit saved them again. Trailing Ulsan UD as the game entered its last third, Renato Gaucho’s team struck three times without reply to emerge 4-2 victors at MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey. Two of those goals were from substitutes – Nonato and Keno – with the other from centre-back Juan Freytes, who had never previously netted for the Tricolor Carioca.
“We were self-critical at half-time, because we believed we should have been ahead, like we should have been against Borussia,” explained Freytes. “Renato tweaked a couple of things at half-time. They stopped getting space behind our defence and everyone who came on gave it everything, they were extremely important from the moment they entered the pitch.
“We had to suffer a little, and not for the first time. We can’t make so many silly mistakes. I believe you learn from games like these.
“Overall, I think we fully deserved this result. I’m happy for the group, happy for the Fluminense family, and happy for myself. It was a very beautiful moment for me to score my first goal for the team.”
“Ulsan are not at the Club World Cup for nothing,” said Keno, who had a hand in one goal and scored another following his introduction. “They’re well organised, a quality team. We knew it would be a tough game. We went ahead and they turned it round. We came out for the second half more switched on and, thank God, we managed to come out with the victory.
“I’m happy with what I did and with the victory. On the substitutes’ bench, we have to stay alert because Renato always tells us that if he puts us on, it’s to change the game. He put me on to change the game. Thank God I managed to do that.”
Jhon Arias scored a superb free-kick and seized his second successive Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match award.
“It was a little frustrating to go in behind at the break,” said the Colombia playmaker. “Our heads weren’t on it in the first half. We knew how important the game was. At half-time, Renato talked a lot about us doing what we agreed to do. I think we failed to do that in the first half.
“We were poor in the first half, but we managed to fix it in the second. We went back to doing what we knew we could. We did what we needed to do, what we agreed had to be done [at half-time].
“We came out with a different attitude. I think the team improved in the second half, the team played well. We came out victorious, we came out top of the group. Now we’re looking to qualify against Mamelodi.”
“I’m happy, grateful that we managed to achieve a great result,” added goalkeeper Fabio. “We managed to reverse a deficit. Ulsan are a quality team. We very in a very tough situation, but through a lot dedication, commitment and respect, fighting on the pitch, honouring the Fluminense colours, we managed to get the victory.”
When the going gets tough, the Team of Warriors get going.
