Corinthians midfielder assesses draw with Santos in U20 Paulistão | OneFootball

On the afternoon of this Sunday (28), Corinthians visited Santos at Estádio Ulrico Mursa, in Baixada Santista, in a match valid for the third round of the qualifying stage of the 2026 Paulista Under-20 Championship, and ended up drawing 0-0. The result left the Corinthians side in fifth place in Group 1 with seven points — two wins and one draw — three goals scored and none conceded.

Right after the final whistle, midfielder Guilherme Pires, who was on the field for the full 90 minutes, gave an interview to Ulisses TV and analyzed the match, detailing Timãozinho’s strategy for the derby. In his response, he mentioned the poor condition of the pitch as the reason the team played on the counterattack.

Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel/Agência Corinthians

“Very happy with the match. Unfortunately, we didn’t come away with a positive result, but we gave our best and that’s what matters. He (William Batista) told us to clear the ball a lot, since the pitch was in very bad condition, so we could clear it and play on the counterattack to try to get the win. I think we weren’t able to finish many chances on goal, but we didn’t lack desire, we didn’t lack fight, and that’s what matters most,” he said.

Since arriving at Parque São Jorge at the beginning of 2025, Guilherme Pires has established himself as one of the standouts of the Under-20 team, mainly because of his ability to play in more than one position — full-back, midfielder, and forward. His positive performances have already earned him call-ups to train with the professional squad. In 55 matches for the category, he has scored one goal and provided five assists. His contract runs until December 2027.

Despite the draw, William Batista’s side is enjoying a good run this season, as they have now gone eight matches unbeaten, counting both the Brazilian and Paulista championships at this level. Overall, there have been five wins and three draws — 18 goals scored and nine conceded. The last defeat came on May 19, when they were beaten by Palmeiras 1-0 at Fazendinha in the national competition.

The Sons of Terrão will return to the pitch next Wednesday (1) at 3 p.m. (Brasília time) to face Juventude in the South Region, for the 19th and penultimate round of the first phase of the Brazilian Under-20 Championship. A draw or a win by any scoreline will send Timão through to the quarterfinals. Currently, Alvinegro sits in eighth place with 29 points — eight wins, five draws, and five defeats — 31 goals scored and 24 conceded. The first team outside the top eight is Flamengo, with 27 points.

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