Kaio César wants attack to improve, Libertadores tie 'biggest of year' | OneFootball

Corinthians were defeated at the Neo Química Arena on Sunday night (16). In the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship, the black-and-white side lost 2-1 to Cruzeiro, with Gustavo Henrique scoring Corinthians’ goal. After the match, Kaio César spoke about the team’s performance, acknowledged that the attacking unit needs to produce more, and looked ahead to the Libertadores showdown against Rosario Central.

The result dropped Timão to ninth place in the Brasileirão standings, leaving them on 32 points. After 23 rounds, they have eight wins, eight draws, and seven defeats, as well as 25 goals scored and 22 conceded.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca / Agência Corinthians

In the mixed zone, Kaio César was asked about the mistakes that have been leading to opponents’ goals. The forward, however, avoided placing the responsibility solely on the defensive system and highlighted the demands he and Pedro Raul have been putting on themselves regarding attacking production.

“We try everything to stop this kind of mistake from happening. But, particularly there, like I said, Pedro Raul and I have been pushing ourselves a lot. Because we can’t keep looking at the defense, we can’t keep looking at other parts of the team. We have to demand more from ourselves up front, because we need to deliver more goals, we need to deliver more assists.

We can’t go many games without doing that, because that’s our role. We’re two players for a huge club, so we have to deliver more. And now we have to keep our heads up, because on Thursday we have a very important match.”

Kaio César comments on Memphis situation

Another topic addressed in the mixed zone was Memphis Depay. Asked about the possibility of the Dutchman staying at Parque São Jorge, Kaio revealed that the squad is hoping for a positive outcome and highlighted the player’s importance in the dressing room. At the same time, he said the negotiations are the board’s responsibility.

“We’re really hoping it works out, because Memphis is a very important guy for us. He’s been very important. And having him there with us in the dressing room is very good, because he’s someone who brings a lot of experience, and we learn a lot. But that kind of thing isn’t up to us, it’s up to the board to sort it out. We have to stay focused on playing football.”

Besides the situation involving Memphis, Corinthians are also going through a period with absences in the squad due to physical issues. For Kaio César, everyone in the medical department is missed, but the group cannot use those absences as an excuse for the results.

“I think everyone who is injured is missed, everyone is very important. It’s very sad to have teammates injured, but that’s football. We can’t keep focusing too much on who is absent, we have to focus on who is available. Demand more, because we have to deliver more.”

Forward stresses accountability ahead of decisive match

With only a few days between the Brasileirão defeat and the continental fixture, Corinthians will have a short period to work before returning to the pitch. Kaio César acknowledged the lack of time to make deeper adjustments and mentioned video analysis as one of the ways to correct the problems shown.

“Now it’s about keeping our heads up and getting our minds right. We don’t have much time to train for Thursday’s match, but we can watch the videos and work that way, because we have to put in a better performance on Thursday, both me and Pedro Raul, so that we can come away with the win.”

The next challenge carried even more weight in the forward’s answers. After a 0-0 draw with Rosario Central in Argentina, Corinthians and the Argentine side will meet again on Thursday (20), this time in Itaquera. Kaio said Timão will need to take a different approach from the very first minutes and called the clash the most important match of the season so far.

“Thursday is a Libertadores match, a war. We can’t come into the game flat, we have to come in at full throttle, because if we come in flat on Thursday they’re going to swallow us up, that’s the truth. So we have to go in knowing it’s a Libertadores match, knowing it’s the most important match of the year for us so we can come away victorious.”

Starting lineup was chosen with the aim of taking all three points

Despite the proximity of the Libertadores tie, Fernando Diniz used most of his starters against Cruzeiro. Asked whether that decision increased the pressure on the players, Kaio César dismissed the idea and explained that the lineup used was related to the importance of the match for Corinthians’ ambitions in the Brazilian Championship.

“No, we really wanted to win the match. This issue of the starting team is because we really wanted to win. If we had won, we would have overtaken Cruzeiro and moved into fifth place. It was a very important match for us, but unfortunately we couldn’t leave here with the victory. Now it’s about getting our heads right, because Thursday, like I said, is a very important match.”

Lastly, the forward also assessed the condition of the Neo Química Arena pitch, which had been the target of complaints in recent weeks. In the black-and-white No. 7’s view, the field showed significant improvement against Cruzeiro.

“It did, it did, it did. The pitch is much better, today there’s nothing to complain about regarding the pitch. It improved a lot and I think that’s going to help a lot of people over the course of the season.”

Now Corinthians turn their full attention to the Libertadores. Timão host Rosario Central next Thursday (20), at 9:30 p.m., at the Neo Química Arena, in the second leg of the round of 16. Since the first meeting ended in a goalless draw, a win by any scoreline will send the black-and-white side into the quarterfinals.

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