Corinthians reach eighth Copa do Brasil final, seek 2022 redemption | OneFootball

The Corinthians have one last mission before the end of the season. Last Sunday, Timão defeated Cruzeiro on penalties 5-4, with the brilliance of goalkeeper Hugo Souza, securing a spot in the final of the Copa do Brasil. Now, the Corinthians team will face Vasco and aim for the title to try to crown a turbulent year.

This will be Corinthians' eighth Copa do Brasil final. In their 115-year history, Timão has won the trophy three times but is trying to balance their record in knockout tournament finals, as they have more runner-up finishes than titles.

Corinthians reached the Copa do Brasil final in the years 1995, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2022. The São Paulo club has three titles, won in 1995, 2002, and 2009. The first came against Grêmio. The second was against Brasiliense, while the third was won over Internacional.

In the other years, however, Corinthians ended up as runners-up. In 2001, they were defeated by Grêmio. Seven years later, in 2008, they lost to Sport. In 2018, they were runners-up to Cruzeiro, and more recently, in 2022, they were surpassed by Flamengo, coached by Dorival Júnior — the current Corinthians coach.

Now, the scenario of 2022 repeats itself. The São Paulo club will face a team from Rio in the final, and fate has it that the return match will be at Maracanã, the venue of the runner-up finish at the time. On that occasion, Timão lost to Flamengo on penalties, 6-5, after a 1-1 draw over 180 minutes.

Since 2022, the Corinthians squad has undergone a revamp. Notably, only two players who played in that final remain at the club: Yuri Alberto and Maycon. The forward was a starter, while the midfielder came on in the second half.

Now, Corinthians seeks to dispel the ghost of 2022 to win their fourth Copa do Brasil. However, the Corinthians team knows it won't be easy, as Vasco also aims to end a 14-year drought without lifting the competition's trophy. Vasco's only title was in 2011.

Corinthians Keeps Libertadores Dream Alive

By reaching the Copa do Brasil final, Corinthians also kept alive the dream of qualifying for the 2026 Copa Libertadores. The national tournament champion secures a direct spot in the group stage of the continental competition, something the team didn't achieve via the Brasileirão, as they finished in 13th place.

Additionally, Timão also earned a significant amount that could help with the club's financial crisis. The São Paulo team has already secured at least R$ 33 million for reaching the final of the competition. In total, Corinthians has collected R$ 53.6 million.

The Copa do Brasil champion is awarded around R$ 77.1 million, while the runner-up takes home an approximate amount of R$ 33 million.

Corinthians' Campaign Numbers

Corinthians' campaign in the current edition of the Copa do Brasil is quite positive. Timão has won seven of the eight matches played so far, with an 87.5% success rate, and has conceded only two goals. The São Paulo team has also scored ten times.

After a turbulent year in political and financial areas, Corinthians found their footing in the knockout tournament with ‘cup specialist’ Dorival Júnior and seeks to crown the season with a golden key. It is worth remembering that Timão has already won the Paulista Championship title against Palmeiras, their biggest rival.

Upcoming Corinthians Matches

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