Diniz backs his style at Vasco: We can't quit over mistakes

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Papo na Colina

·30 January 2026

Diniz backs his style at Vasco: We can't quit over mistakes

Vasco started the Brazilian Championship with a loss away from home. On Thursday night, the Cruzmaltina team was defeated by Mirassol 2-1 at Maião, in a game marked by shifts in dominance and errors in ball distribution. Despite the negative result, coach Fernando Diniz made a point of defending the team's performance and, above all, the adopted style of play.

After the match, the coach was emphatic in stating that Vasco showed improvement compared to last season and that mistakes are part of the construction process starting from the defense.

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“We had many successes. If you look at how the team played last year and now, you'll see it's not the same team. The team improved in that aspect. We can't give up just because we made mistakes. If you never want to make mistakes, you can't play out from the back. Then you'll complain that the team only plays long balls. The team didn't play badly,” said Diniz.

The coach also highlighted that, in his view, the mistakes made in this debut are different from those previously presented and reinforced that the team suffered less precisely by maintaining the game plan.

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Cauan Barros – Mirassol vs Vasco — Photo: Vinicius Silva/AGIF

Game analysis and errors in ball distribution

On the field, Vasco started better and managed to open the scoring in the first half, with Coutinho, after good offensive movement and passing from the defensive field. However, with the advantage, the team lowered its lines and began to suffer more pressure from Mirassol, who equalized before the break with an own goal by Carlos Cuesta.

In the second half, the scenario remained. Vasco continued trying to play short, but faced difficulties against the opponent's high pressure. In a construction error, Mirassol took advantage to score the winning goal with Eduardo.

Even acknowledging the mistakes, Diniz reiterated that the team got more right than wrong during the match.

“The players got a lot right today. If we only count the mistakes, we'll remain stagnant. Let's take advantage of today's mistakes and evolve. Technical errors are part of the game,” he added.

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Eduardo celebrates goal scored against Vasco (Photo: Andrey Queiroz/RP FOTOPRESS)

Diniz supports stance, demands from players, and projects improvement

Still in the first half, after Mirassol's equalizing goal, Fernando Diniz called the attention of Nuno Moreira and Rojas on the sideline. The coach minimized any controversy and explained that demanding is part of his way of working.

“I'm tough, but I'm loving. The players endure the demands and improve because of them. Respect is making the guy produce what he can,” he said.

Regarding the squad, the coach commented on the situation of reinforcements Brenner and Marino Hinestroza, who were left out of the match due to bureaucratic issues, and stated that both will be evaluated daily to gain playing time.

Vasco returns to the field next Monday to face Madureira in the Carioca Championship. In the Brasileirão, the team faces Chapecoense on Thursday at São Januário, seeking recovery in the competition.

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