Dorival on XI changes: mentality key, Corinthians feeling fatigue

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Central do Timão

·18 December 2025

Dorival on XI changes: mentality key, Corinthians feeling fatigue

By Vinícios Cotrim | Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians only managed a draw against Vasco da Gama in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil final. With no advantage for the return match, scheduled for Maracanã, Dorival Júnior spoke about the team's emotional issues during the 90 minutes, recalling the clash against Cruzeiro in the semifinal.

“Look, we imagined this could happen in today's game. The emotional aspect was at its limit on Sunday. Vasco and Fluminense also had a game like this. However, our wear and tear was a bit different due to what happened during the match. We imagined it could happen. We took every possible precaution with all the players. Everything we could do to seek recovery, all evaluations, all conversations with all the athletes, was precisely to avoid a situation like this, where you lack the energy to perform at your best”, the coach began.

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Photo: Reproduction/Corinthians TV

Since the final stretch of the Brasileirão, Dorival Júnior has been commenting on the players' fatigue due to the sequence of games, something that became even more evident in these last Copa do Brasil matches.

“It's a bit of everything, these are decisions we are making as we finish the Brazilian championship, fighting for positions, improving positions in the league. After that, we had two crucial games against Cruzeiro, extremely exhausting, played two and a half days ago, with little or almost no recovery. We couldn't go to the field for a more relaxed training session. And suddenly, today's match with the level of difficulties we and Vasco faced”, Dorival commented on the fatigue.

For the first leg of the final, the technical staff decided to make changes to the starting lineup, removing Maycon and promoting Raniele to the starting position, who played throughout the 90 minutes.

“Well, first of all, Raniele has always been a starter for the team, I don't know why there's doubt about his presence or not, he was fine, he was in condition, he's a player who is a starter. Maycon played two consecutive 90-minute games and would have felt it a lot, running a very high risk, even of a possible injury if he started the match having to play perhaps more than 45 minutes.”, Dorival began.

The number 7 ended up coming in five minutes into the second half, along with Carrillo. “Because you try to adjust your team, changing pieces, changing the movements we are making. Then you go back, you see that it continues the same way, then you have to make a decision. My substitutions usually don't happen at halftime precisely because of that. Unlike what happened in the previous match. I was already determined that at halftime I would make those changes, precisely because of the behavior. I try to adjust the team by repositioning the players, if it doesn't happen, then I make a decision”, he explained.

The return match takes place on Sunday (21), starting at 6 pm (Brasília time). The ball will roll on the field of Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, the Maracanã.

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