Crespo praises São Paulo’s defence, values Copa Sul-Americana win | OneFootball

São Paulo won its second consecutive match in the Brazilian Championship after suffering through a streak of three defeats. This Sunday, the Tricolor ended Vasco’s good run and beat their rival 2-0 at São Januário, in the 31st round. Coach Hernán Crespo praised his team’s triumph on a difficult field and highlighted the “impeccable work” of São Paulo’s defense.

“It’s very hard to talk after a win because it seems like you’ve found the magic formula to start winning again, but I think it was a moment to believe, stay focused, and trust the players. Today, we faced a very tough team with a great coach like Fernando Diniz. I really enjoy watching his team play and it’s very difficult to play against them. They were in a positive period and we played with a lot of personality, on a tough field,” Crespo analyzed.

“São Paulo has shown many times that it plays with the ball and we had to learn to suffer. We suffered a lot, ran a lot, tried to score goals. Clearly, they had chances, we did too, but the spirit of knowing how to suffer as a group, understanding what the game required—which was to run, fight, battle, and try to play football. That was the only way I understood could pave the way to victory,” the coach continued.

Crespo sees “perfect” defensive work against Vasco

One of Vasco coach Fernando Diniz’s strongest weapons is the young striker Rayan, who has x goals this season. Crespo was asked about the strategy used to neutralize him. The Vasco striker had a great chance in the game but hit Rafael’s post.

“Very difficult. Playing against Vasco, which has players who are very skilled with the ball, others who are very fast, so we had to do an impeccable, perfect defensive job, and we did,” he analyzed.

In the last ten matches, the Tricolor has conceded 13 goals, keeping a clean sheet in only three of them—coincidentally, in the three wins of this streak. Now, the team has two wins and two matches without conceding a goal.

“We know that not all matches are the same. Playing away or at home also depends on the opponent. Playing away is never easy, especially against a team that plays very well with the ball, puts you under pressure all the time, and has constant rotation. We needed a lot of communication and willingness to run and fight. Many times, the opponent plays well, as was the case here. We needed a medical block, play there, attack, and try to do more. We had chances to score. It’s impossible to think you won’t suffer. We knew how to suffer. Knowing how to suffer is important,” he concluded.

São Paulo’s situation in the Brazilian Championship

With the win, São Paulo sits in eighth place in the league, with 44 points, three behind Fluminense in seventh, and four behind Botafogo, which closes out the G6. This year’s final between Palmeiras and Flamengo should grant one more spot through the national tournament, turning the G6 into a G7, if the champion remains among the top teams.

São Paulo’s next match

São Paulo vs Flamengo Competition: Brazilian Championship (32nd round) Date and time: November 5, 2025 (Wednesday), at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Vila Belmiro, in Santos (SP)

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