João Pedro Tchoca shines in 1-1 draw at Cruzeiro | OneFootball

Corinthians drew 1-1 at Cruzeiro in the fourth round of the Campeonato Brasileiro on Wednesday, and 22-year-old centre-back João Pedro Tchoca both scored and impressed defensively.

He completed 42 of 46 passes, 91% accuracy, made seven defensive actions, including three blocks, two clearances, one interception and one tackle, won four ground duels and two in the air, and was not dribbled past. According to Meu Timao, it was only his fourth appearance this season.

It was also his third outing since a proposed move to Torino fell through after further medical assessments highlighted a knee condition described as arthritis.

Tchoca joined Corinthians from Deportivo Brasil in 2019 for the under-17s, stepped up to the under-20s in 2021 and was registered for the 2022 Copinha under Diego Siston.

He became a regular the following year, stood out in the 2023 and 2024 Copinhas, lifting the latter as captain under Danilo, then moved into the senior squad before a loan to Ceará, where he was important in their 2024 promotion to Serie A.

Back in 2025, he was a starter during Ramón Díaz’s Libertadores qualifying rotation and started against Universidad Central of Venezuela, but a run of errors cost him his place before he regained minutes late in the Brasileirão under Dorival Júnior with André Ramalho absent. He has 36 senior appearances and two goals, and won the 2025 Campeonato Paulista and Copa do Brasil. Corinthians visit Novorizontino on Saturday at 20:30 at Estádio Doutor Jorge Ismael de Biasi in the Paulista semi-final.

Source: Meu Timao