Dorival Jr hails Corinthians’ midfield and attitude in Paulistão win

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Central do Timão

·12 January 2026

Dorival Jr hails Corinthians’ midfield and attitude in Paulistão win

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

On the afternoon of this Saturday (11), Corinthians hosted Ponte Preta at the Neo Química Arena, in a match valid for the first round of the 2026 Campeonato Paulista, and ended up winning by a score of 3 x 0. The goals for the Alvinegro were scored by Gustavo Henrique, André, and André Ramalho – all of them in the second half.

After the match, coach Dorival Júnior gave a press conference to the journalists present in Itaquera and was asked about Corinthians’ midfield formation. At various moments during the game, Charles and André Carrillo alternated in the role of defensive midfielder, which created space in the central region of the Ponte Preta team, generating offensive volume, especially in the second half, when the team finished more often.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

“We had a more dynamic ball exit. Charles started to infiltrate more, seeking out the spaces that appeared, which caused the opposing midfielders to become distanced. We took good advantage of those moments, so much so that we had about 12 corners. This is due to the work on infiltration. We didn’t just stick close to the player with the ball, but above all, we focused on attacking the depth.“

“This approach gave us volume of play, creativity, and good plays down the flanks. It’s natural that, with this volume, we faced some difficulty finishing in the first half, something that was corrected in the second half, when the goal came naturally. From then on, the team gained balance and composure,” he began.

He later praised the team’s dominant posture throughout the 90 minutes, noting only a drop in performance at the end of the first half. The coach stated that, despite this slight dip, the team never stopped looking for the goal at any moment.

The Corinthians coach also mentioned the importance of the team’s full-backs (Matheus Bidu and Matheuzinho) in a tactical formation that favors play through the center of the field, without using fast wingers – one of the current squad’s shortcomings. Thus, giving more freedom to the full-backs ends up becoming an escape valve.

“The team remained well positioned throughout the 90 minutes, with the rare exception of a slight decline in the middle of the first half. I’m happy because, for a debut, the behaviors were respected and the team sought the goal at all times. It was a fundamental step for the start of our work.”

“The lack of natural wingers is due to the way the squad was built, favoring play through the middle. That’s why I try to exploit the sides of the field and the empty spaces through specific training. We vary our ball exit between four or three men to give freedom to the wing-backs, depending on the opponent’s posture — adjustments we make during the match itself and that have been well assimilated by the group”, he added.

He also highlighted that, in the final of the Copa do Brasil, against Vasco da Gama at Maracanã, Corinthians’ first goal came exactly from a switch of play by midfielder Raniele to the right side, where Matheuzinho was, who then assisted striker Yuri Alberto to open the scoring. In addition, he again emphasized the volume of play shown by the team against Ponte Preta.

“In the last match at Maracanã, for example, Yuri Alberto’s goal was born precisely from this dynamic. At the moment Matheuzinho found himself free after a switch of play, he crossed for Yuri to attack the space, control, and finish. This mechanism was perfected over the course of our work; we succeeded in some matches and less so in others, but overall, it was the highlight of our process since our arrival.”

“We played consistent and mature football today, imposing volume on the opponent, exactly as planned. We found an important path, but it’s just the victory in the opening match; we still have a lot to evolve going forward”, he stated.

Dorival Júnior also praised the refereeing of Daiane Muniz (SP), citing the way the professional let the match flow, making the game dynamic: “I’d like to highlight Daiane’s excellent performance today. She deserves congratulations for letting the game run, not stopping play for irrelevant fouls. This approach was applied to both sides, which eliminates any external justification for the result. I hope she maintains this standard; she’s a professional who can evolve and grow even more.”

“We had a much more dynamic spectacle than at other times with different refereeing profiles. I haven’t yet been able to assess whether the goals were correctly disallowed, but overall, she was very successful in her decisions. This conduct is fundamental for the modernization of Brazilian football and I believe this kind of approach should be repeated to raise the level of our competitions.”

The Corinthians coach answered about the play of Corinthians’ first goal, where the ball supposedly touched left-back Matheus Bidu after a header from Gustavo Henrique right after the corner kick taken by midfielder Vitinho on the left offensive side for Corinthians.

“At that moment there, he (Matheus Bidu) wasn’t going to get the ball at all. In any case, it’s important to highlight the work done on set pieces and the thorough study of opponents. The positioning of our main attackers in these plays has resulted in crucial goals, both last season and in this opening of the Campeonato Paulista. This is the result of constant training and analysis of movements according to the behavior of the rival defense.”

Finally, the Corinthians coach also took the opportunity to praise the performance of the team’s defensive sector. Since his arrival, the Alvinegro has been improving defensively, showing such evolution especially in knockout matches, where the team was crowned champion of the 2025 Copa do Brasil, conceding only three goals in 10 matches.

“Likewise, our defensive performance has been solid. We study our opponents a lot and have conceded very few goals from set pieces, which I consider a highlight of our work. There were several matches without conceding, and this factor was decisive for us to get through such a tough championship as 2025 with a certain tranquility, despite the shortcomings we faced during that period”, he concluded.

Now, after beating Ponte Preta in Itaquera, Corinthians remains focused on the Paulistão. Next Thursday (15), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), the Alvinegro faces Red Bull Bragantino at the Cícero de Souza Marques, for the second round of the state championship.

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