Calleri could match career goal drought v Remo, but has Dorival Jr's faith | OneFootball

Still São Paulo’s top scorer of the year, Calleri is going through one of the longest goal droughts of his career, having now gone ten straight matches without finding the net in the Tricolor shirt.

The No. 9’s last goal came in the 4-1 thrashing of Cruzeiro in the Brazilian Championship, back on April 4. Since then, he has piled up ten matches in which the ball simply refused to go in. The Argentine has missed clear-cut chances and even a penalty during this frustrating drought, which could become the longest of his football career.

Jonathan Calleri has already gone 11 consecutive matches without scoring: at the start of 2016, also playing for São Paulo, and between August 2016 and January 2017, when he was with West Ham in England.

Therefore, if he draws another blank for the Tricolor against Remo, in a Brasileirão clash scheduled for this Sunday night (31) at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Mangueirão, Calleri will equal his worst scoreless streak.

The striker’s spectacular start to the year gave fans false hope. Calleri scored seven goals in nine matches, totaling 11 overall in 2016, which keeps him as the team’s top scorer of the year alongside Luciano.

ROUGH PATCH DOES NOT SHAKE DORIVAL

Despite the drought, the São Paulo forward still has the full backing of coach Dorival Júnior, who, after the team’s last match — a 2-0 win over Boston River (URU) in the Copa Sudamericana — said he is not worried about the situation involving his top scorer.

“I don’t think there needs to be that kind of concern. If he keeps producing, keeps fighting, the goal will come naturally. The important thing is that he keeps contributing. If he keeps fighting the way he is, working the way he is, you can be sure the goals are close,” the coach said in the post-match press conference at Morumbi.

Calleri returned to the pitch this year after going through a difficult recovery from knee surgery, but he surprised people in his return for the Tricolor with goals and assists. This season, he has already played 29 matches for São Paulo, with 11 goals and three assists.

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