Corinthians focus on Copa do Brasil, draw reflects league form | OneFootball

By Thais Bueno

Already focused on the two Brazil Cup games, Corinthians achieved some important goals in the 1-1 draw against Juventude at Neo Química Arena last Sunday. However, the result left a bitter taste for the fans and illustrated what Timão's campaign was like in this edition of the Brazilian Championship.

Thinking about the semifinals, coach Dorival Júnior fielded a completely alternative lineup, with less used players such as Félix Torres, Charles (improvised on the right wing), Hugo, Talles Magno, and Romero. In goal, the coach also promoted the debut of Filho do Terrão Kauê.

Truth be told: there are few conclusions to be drawn from this match. The main one concerns the reserve lineup, which gave indications of the team that might start the match on Wednesday against Cruzeiro. André Luiz or Maycon should enter the midfield of the starting 11, while in defense, André Ramalho may take the position, as João Pedro Tchoca started on Sunday.

The fact is that Corinthians, despite the bitter result on Sunday, met the objectives set by the coaching staff. Dorival gave opportunities to players with less playing time, gave a chance to youth players again, and counted on the brilliance of Kayke and Kauê, and also promoted the return of Memphis Depay, giving the Dutchman game rhythm before the semifinals.

How was the game?

The match started quite contested in the midfield, with little ball movement and many clearances. Corinthians' reserves showed very little against an already relegated Juventude. With a not very creative midfield, Timão had to rely on long balls and stretched passes. In one of the few worked plays in the first 15 minutes, Hugo couldn't finish.

Despite this, Corinthians controlled the main actions of the game and ball possession. And it was at 22 minutes that, in a well-constructed play, Timão opened the scoring. Kayke passed to Hugo, who returned it forward. Filho do Terrão cleared Juventude's marking and invaded the penalty area, rolling it back. Martínez arrived hitting first and pulled a rocket out of the hat, scoring the team's first goal at the Arena.

After opening the score, the team slowed down and ended up committing dangerous fouls outside the area. However, Timão suffered little defensively, as Juventude posed no threat. In short, the first half for the Alvinegro served two purposes: to give indications of the lineup for Wednesday and to give rhythm to players who might be used against Cruzeiro.

Second half

In the second half, Dorival fielded two starters: Raniele and Matheuzinho replaced Carrillo and José Martínez, gaining rhythm for the Brazil Cup semifinals. With this, Charles moved from the right wing to play as a midfielder.

Corinthians created another great opportunity, which fell to Talles Magno. Igor Formiga faltered, and the Alvinegro striker stole the ball, facing Jandrei one-on-one, but seemed undecided between shooting at the goal or passing to Romero. The number 43 decided to shoot but mishit the ball and sent it wide.

At 16 minutes into the second half, Dorival brought on Memphis Depay, recovered from a bone edema in his left knee. The Dutchman had the opportunity to gain minutes with an eye on the Brazil Cup, which could be important for Corinthians in the semifinal games. Giving rhythm to the number 10 was another objective achieved by Timão against Juventude.

The Alvinegro took advantage of Juventude's defensive fragility and created other opportunities throughout the final stage, but faltered in what has been the team's Achilles' heel in the Brasileirão: effectiveness. As a result, in the final minutes, Timão was punished by Juventude, who found space in an aerial play and leveled the score. The home team even tried to react but couldn't secure the win.

The draw against Juventude meant that Corinthians finished in 13th place in the Brazilian Championship, with 47 points. Timão was surpassed in the standings even by Santos, who fought against relegation until the last round. Now, the Alvinegro team will need to forget the oscillation if they want to reach the Brazil Cup final.

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