After the draw against Corinthians, this Sunday (23), coach Zé Ricardo met with the press. In the conversation, he analyzed the recently finished match and spoke about the continuation of the Brasileirão.
Check out the main excerpts from the press conference:
Game Overview
After the first draw, we saw a slight improvement. Unfortunately, their team managed to score a second on a counterattack. It's always difficult to go into halftime with the last negative move, but I think we recovered our spirit well in the second half. We ended up exposing ourselves a bit; we needed the draw and the win. Their effort and dedication throughout the half were worth it. We have to keep fighting. It's become a little more difficult to catch Palmeiras, but we have an obligation, after this celebration from the fans, to fight until the end.
Check out the main excerpts from the press conference:
Game Overview
After the first draw, we saw a slight improvement. Unfortunately, their team managed to score a second on a counterattack. It's always difficult to go into halftime with the last negative move, but I think we recovered our spirit well in the second half. We ended up exposing ourselves a bit; we needed the draw and the win. Their effort and dedication throughout the half were worth it. We have to keep fighting. It's become a little more difficult to catch Palmeiras, but we have an obligation, after this celebration from the fans, to fight until the end.
Final stretch of the Brazilian Championship
We've been stressing that we have to think about each game, each round. Next round, we have to try to perform better than we did here, so we can go to Atlético-MG and get three points. These are tough games, and the level of competition always increases in the final stretch. That's why we have to rest and start preparing for the Atlético game on Tuesday.
Two goals from Guerrero
Paolo, as I've said a few times, is one of the most talented strikers in world football. Today, he was inspired. He helped us a lot. He did what we expect of him. He held the game well up front. When he had opportunities, he showed his competence.
Emerson's performance
Emerson surprised me. We expected him to hold out for the first half and part of the second. It turned out he held out until the end at his own pace. His experience always counts for a lot. He had opportunities at the end that could have sealed the victory. We were pleased with the performances of both Emerson and Guerrero.
Opponent goals
I don't think it was anxiety; we were playing in a different format, and perhaps this lack of familiarity gave Corinthians a chance. Fernandinho's introduction put us back into the team we were used to. We had a lot of desire, but a little lack of composure. Patience. Today wasn't what we expected. There are still games ahead, and we'll fight for every one. We won't give up.
Tactical variation with Emerson
We trained during the week to have two players up front, Emerson and Paolo. The intention was to bring in a player with Emerson's quality to support Guerrero. As I said, any structural change takes time. We wanted to create a situation that would unbalance their defense. I think Corinthians did well, which made things a little more difficult for us.
Mancuello's departure
Fernandinho came on for physical reasons, Mancuello took a blow to his rib and felt a lot of pain in the locker room. I was already thinking about making the substitution, but I brought it forward to half-time so that we could avoid problems with Mancuello.
Fernandinho came on for physical reasons, Mancuello took a blow to his rib and felt a lot of pain in the locker room. I was already thinking about making the substitution, but I brought it forward to half-time so that we could avoid problems with Mancuello.
Guerrero and Damião playing together
Damião's introduction was strategic. Since we desperately needed the win, the moment we called him in was a delicate one, with a light team up front behind Damião and gGuerrero. This could have exposed us. But we tried, making some good plays along the backline with Fernandinho, Emerson, and Pará. We filled the middle of the box to secure the victory.
Damião's introduction was strategic. Since we desperately needed the win, the moment we called him in was a delicate one, with a light team up front behind Damião and gGuerrero. This could have exposed us. But we tried, making some good plays along the backline with Fernandinho, Emerson, and Pará. We filled the middle of the box to secure the victory.
Next opponent: Atlético-MG
We'll have to develop a strategy and execute it well to beat Atlético-MG there. They're one of the best teams playing at home, and we need to know how to secure this victory there. It's a tough game; we've had very complicated matches, and we don't think differently. Saturday we have the potential to beat Atlético there, but we'll have to play a better game than today, with more focus so as not to end up conceding on specific plays. We have to believe until the end, as our arrival here was no different.