Duda Sampaio on Corinthians loss, calm call and Cruzeiro tie | OneFootball

On the afternoon of last Saturday (22), Corinthians hosted Internacional at Estádio Alfredo Schürig, Fazendinha, for the 17th and final round of the first phase of the 2026 Brazilian Women’s Championship. Already qualified in advance for the knockout stage, the black-and-white side was aiming to finish the opening stage at the top of the table, but was beaten 3-1 and ended up in second place.

After the match, midfielder Duda Sampaio spoke to the press in the mixed zone at Fazendinha. Wearing the No. 27 shirt, she analyzed the problems Corinthians showed against Internacional, especially the lack of composure after conceding goals, and spoke about what needs to be corrected for the remainder of the competition.

Photo: Reproduction / Instagram: @dudasampaio10

With the end of the first phase, Corinthians will now face Cruzeiro in the knockout stage. The teams have already met in this edition of the Brazilian Championship, when the Minas Gerais club won 3-2. Asked about the new meeting, now in an elimination setting, Duda highlighted the familiarity between the teams and the need to use this Saturday’s defeat as a lesson.

“I believe that any match at this stage would be difficult. Cruzeiro especially, we know them very well. Since last year, we’ve had big matches and great moments in decisive stages too. I think now it’s about taking advantage of the time to rest. Today’s game also serves as a bit of a lesson. It was a match against a team that looked more for transition play and counterattacks. I think this is an important moment for us to prepare better to face Cruzeiro.”

Duda points to lack of composure in finishing

Despite the defeat, Corinthians managed to create chances against Internacional, but had difficulty turning them into goals. For Duda, work in training will be essential, but the team will also need to control its anxiety better when chances come.

“It’s important to train. There’s not much else you can do when you miss a goal — it’s important to train. I think that, during the game, it’s also a moment to be calmer when finishing. Since they had scored their second goal, we started trying to do things too quickly, and maybe that made us make a few mistakes. But I think it’s about staying calm. Now it will be 0-0 from the start. We need to go in with that composure, prepare for that moment, and when the opportunity comes, put it away.”

The midfielder also ruled out the Fazendinha pitch as one of the reasons for the below-par performance. Corinthians played at the stadium again and, according to Duda, found better conditions than in the previous match held there.

“I think today the pitch is good. We felt the difference completely compared to the last game we had here. So we can’t complain about the pitch. I think it was more a matter of chemistry and finishing, as I just said, besides us making a few mistakes against their transition play. I think that’s what happened today.”

Corinthians lost control after conceding goals

The start of the match was also addressed during the interview. Before falling behind on the scoreboard, Corinthians managed to get forward and create opportunities, but did not make the most of that favorable moment. In the No. 27’s view, the team cannot allow a conceded goal to change the way it behaves on the field.

“I think it’s composure, as I said before. In my view, we started by playing a great game, creating a lot of chances right from the start. So we can’t let that happen, let the goals make us change this way of playing. I think that happened, and now it’s about preparing for it, because we know that from here on out there will be big games. We may start behind and need to come back. So I think that’s something we need to prepare this week.”

Duda was also asked about Corinthians’ difficulty reacting in some matches when they start at a disadvantage. The player shared the responsibility with the whole group and stressed the importance of maintaining confidence even after wasting chances.

“I think it’s something collective, not one person or another who has to change. I think everyone needs to review this. We’ve always been like this, as you mentioned, but we’ve always won. So we can’t let the chances we failed to convert change that within us. I think it’s about staying calm and knowing that, if we missed one, next time we need to have the confidence to keep going.”

Duda assesses the first phase and the drop to second place

Corinthians spent much of the first phase among the top positions, but finished the 17 rounds in second place. Assessing the campaign, Duda acknowledged that the team showed inconsistency even while sitting at the top.

According to the midfielder, the playing model and preparation for the knockout stage have already been built throughout the season. From now on, the goal is to improve performances in training so that the team can show a different response in the elimination matches.

“I think it was a first phase in which we were quite inconsistent. Even while staying at the top of the table many times, we noticed that. It’s something that was worked on during this period so we could arrive now with this composure. I think the playing model and our preparation have been done, there’s nothing to change. It’s about improving more and more each day, especially in training now, so that when we step onto the field, we can do better and in a completely different way from what we’ve been doing.”

Duda also highlighted Corinthians’ recent history in knockout matchups and set winning the Brazilian Championship as the squad’s objective.

“As we’ve always said, Corinthians grow a lot in the knockout stage. So now it’s time to show that. I think we need to work during the week so everyone arrives focused on a single objective, which is for Corinthians to be champions, which is what we want so much. We can’t let these external things or the lack of goals make the difference. I think it’s important to have the mindset of wanting to be champions and making it happen.”

Frustration becomes a lesson for the knockout stage

Finally, the No. 27 spoke about the squad’s feelings after ending the first phase with a home defeat. Duda acknowledged the frustration with the result, especially because of the way Corinthians started the match, but reinforced that difficult moments need to serve as preparation for the decisive stage of the tournament.

“I think that when we lose, there’s a feeling of frustration. Especially speaking about today, we started the game very well and, when things didn’t come off, when the goals didn’t come, we ended up making things a little difficult for ourselves. But overall, I would say this: we need to have that composure to make things happen. As I said, Corinthians have always been like this, we have difficult moments. The important thing is not to let those moments only bring us down, but instead to take them as lessons, especially for the knockout stage.”

Now, Corinthians turn their full attention to the knockout stage of the Brazilian Women’s Championship. The opponent will be Cruzeiro, precisely one of the teams that managed to beat the Brabas during the first phase. The preparation period will be used by the coaching staff and the squad to correct the problems pointed out by Duda and seek a response in the fight for the national title.

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