Jardim rues loss with reserves, shifts focus to Copa do Brasil semi-final | OneFootball

"I think until the first goal, we were doing well. Then we conceded a goal from a set piece and the team lost its way. We conceded another goal in the second half. I told the players: it's not easy to change all 11 and expect them to perform. Many of these are important players for Cruzeiro and Brazilian football, that central column, at the start of the season, almost all starters. M. Henrique, Walace, João Marcelo, Jonathan, Gabriel, Eduardo... certainly a team without game dynamics. It's always difficult. But we couldn't do it any other way due to the responsibility we have against Corinthians. We had to manage 11, 12 players so that we can present ourselves on Wednesday in the best version. And we want to be competitive, our fans have already bought all the tickets, Mineirão will be full, and we will try to play a good game, with the clear objective of winning to gain an advantage. It's a big club on the other side, they've already won the Paulista championship, they have quality, it's a 50-50 game, two great teams."

"All these players are important at Cruzeiro, but one thing is tomorrow we might need to call on Walace, João, or any of the others, integrate them into the team, that's one thing; another thing is associating players who don't play at the same time. Because throughout the season, many were used, Jonathan played several games, Prates played, they all played in an integrated way. These players are always solutions and I think they have contracts, they are important elements, but we're not here to talk about the future, but about the present. The present is preparing for the Corinthians game."

"I think it's a championship where the favorites won. And then there were two outsiders, Mirassol, which I warned was a competent team, some people underestimated them. And then the other was Cruzeiro, which was on the list of teams expected to play from 10th place down, as you journalists said. We secured a podium place, the best position since 2014, and we managed to restore the pride of Cruzeiro fans. This is the path for Cruzeiro to continue at the highest level in the future."

"The conversations, as I've said, our president knows what will happen. He has full responsibility, and that's it. The rest is important to focus on what's left, which is the Copa do Brasil, a collective goal, to be 200% to overcome Corinthians."

"Sinisterra played 65 minutes in the last game, had a heavier load, Arroyo played a bit more today, was being preserved due to injury. They are two players who add quality to the left flank; the rest, in strategic terms, we usually advance with the team that has a history of competence throughout the season."

"They are boys we follow, their season has already stopped, restarted, and I'm not very close to the academy due to the break, also for strategic reasons. Some showed they are alternatives for the future, but they are still kids, we can't place the burden of responsibility on them."

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