Dorival warns after Corinthians win, rues possible injury to Matheuzinho | OneFootball

Dorival Júnior valued Corinthians’ 1-0 victory over Athletico-PR this Wednesday at Ligga Arena, in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals. The coach praised the team’s performance but issued a warning ahead of the return match.

The coach approved of the three-center-back formation adopted by the team towards the end of the first half. He sees the result as important, but warns that the competition is “treacherous.”

“Many say that with three center-backs the team becomes defensive. On the contrary. We gained offensive power, pushed our marking higher, and found our goal. That was fundamental, important. We dropped off afterwards, mainly physically, largely due to our last match. We already expected to have some problems. Athletico came at us and we had the competence to neutralize most situations, except for a header saved by Hugo, which gave us the chance for an important result,” evaluated the coach.

“It’s just the first game. I know how treacherous this type of competition can be. We need to stay alert to any kind of situation,” he added.

On the other hand, the coach showed concern over a possible injury to Matheuzinho. The player left the field in the second half with pain in the back of his right thigh and, with no other options for the position, was replaced by the improvised Félix Torres. Dorival lamented the situation.

“It’s quite worrying. We’re practically losing a player every week. This has made things difficult, especially since we’ve found a way to play and the team is growing. It will be a huge loss if the injury is confirmed. But we have to look for solutions as we’ve done each round. It’s a shame, because this team could be in a different position in the Brasileirão if we had all players available,” he lamented.

With a transfer ban, Corinthians can’t even go to the market to strengthen the position. Dorival once again mentioned the need for signings, but said he will keep working with what he has in search of solutions.

“We have needs, we’re waiting for the problem [transfer ban] to be resolved. It’s complex, it’s not simple. We need it, everyone can see we need players for certain roles. I have to wait and keep working with what I have, valuing each one of them,” he concluded.

With the 1-0 win, Corinthians only need a draw in the return leg to advance to the next stage. A loss by one goal takes the match to penalties, while a defeat by two or more goals eliminates the team from São Paulo. The winner will face Cruzeiro or Atlético-MG in the semifinals.

The second meeting with Athletico-PR is scheduled for September 10, also at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at Neo Química Arena.

Before that, Corinthians have nothing less than a Derby ahead. Dorival Júnior’s team hosts Palmeiras this Sunday in Itaquera, for the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship. The classic will kick off at 6:30 p.m.

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