Hugo on family struggles after Corinthians win: "I kept working" | OneFootball

Corinthians defeated Athletico-PR 1-0 on Wednesday night at the Ligga Arena in Curitiba, taking the lead in the quarterfinal clash of the Copa do Brasil. After the match, goalkeeper Hugo Souza, who helped secure the result with decisive saves, revealed a family tragedy and opened up emotionally.

“I’d like to get something off my chest. My wife was pregnant, and we ended up losing our babies. This really affected me, but I never let it show. I never stopped working, never stopped giving my best. Now I’ve been called up to the National Team and played this great match. I dedicate this victory to her—I’ll never let go of her hand,” said the goalkeeper in an interview with SporTV as he left the field.

“I’m very happy. We came here with the intention to win, and we deserve congratulations. I’m happy with my performance. Now we’ll go home and seal this qualification. I work to help the team whenever they need me, and today I was very happy. It’s a very important victory,” he added.

With the narrow victory, Corinthians only need a draw in the return leg to advance to the next round. A loss by one goal would take the match to penalties, while a defeat by two or more goals would eliminate the São Paulo side. The winner of the tie will face either Cruzeiro or Atlético-MG in the semifinals.

The second meeting between the teams is scheduled for September 10, also at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at Neo Química Arena.

Before that, Corinthians have nothing less than a Derby ahead. Dorival Júnior’s team will host Palmeiras this Sunday in Itaquera, for the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship. The classic kicks off at 6:30 p.m.

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