Nascimento hails Corinthians U17s' maturity after Bahia comeback | OneFootball

Corinthians Under-17 earned another win in the Brazilian Championship for the category by defeating Bahia 4-2, coming from behind, on the afternoon of last Wednesday (5) at Fazendinha. The result kept the team in second place in the competition with 22 points and extended its run of consecutive victories to four, a mark the club had not reached since the transition between the 2022 and 2023 editions.

The black-and-white goals were scored by Ronaldo Henrique, Miguel Moscardo, Lucca Caramico and Tupã. After the match, coach Guilherme Nascimento analyzed the team’s performance, praised the players’ response after conceding the opening goal, and highlighted the squad’s maturity in controlling the emotional side of the game.

Photo: ©Rodrigo Gazzanel / Ag. Corinthians

For the coach, the scoreline does not fully reflect how balanced the match was, since Bahia created difficulties from the opening minutes.

“It was a difficult match. Maybe we look at the final result and see a 4-2. It was close to being 4-1, but we conceded a goal at the end and that changes the perception a little. Bahia are a very quality side and very well coached. They came with specific strategies for the game and managed to score early.”

Even after falling behind, Guilherme stressed that the group managed to stay calm and take control of the match again.

“Our group once again showed how mature it is. Even though it is an Under-17 squad, the players show a great deal of maturity. They managed to settle into the game, did not lose emotional control, and built the victory little by little.”

According to the coach, Corinthians began to control the action still in the first half, mainly through attacking pressure and set pieces.

“We regained control of the match and managed to impose our attacking game. With that, we started creating set-piece situations in the attacking half because of our volume of play and our presence near the opponent’s box. In one of those opportunities, we managed to equalize.”

At halftime, the coaching staff made adjustments that, in Guilherme’s view, were decisive in allowing the team to dominate the second half.

“At halftime we made some adjustments in every phase of the game. We improved our pressing a bit, adjusted our buildup, and managed to truly control the match. We pushed Bahia back, won the ball in the attacking half, and the goals came naturally. After that, we managed the game well and sealed the victory.”

Tupã’s return

Another topic addressed by the coach was the return of Tupã, who played again after a spell out through injury and scored one of the goals in the win from the penalty spot.

Guilherme explained that the forward went through a recovery process handled with caution and highlighted the player’s potential.

“Tupã is a special guy for us. He is a very hardworking kid, a really good person, and great to be around. He had a complicated ankle injury, and the club has always had very high expectations regarding his potential. That is why we were very careful with his return, respecting every step so that he could come back safely.”

The coach also said that competition for places in attack was important in keeping the team’s level up during the player’s absence.

“Today there is very healthy competition in the position. Moscardo had good games, Thiago also made the most of his opportunities, as did Jerry. Little by little, we are giving Tupã the minutes he needs. He is a player with a lot of strength, acceleration, depth, and a very high finishing ability.”

Late in the match, Tupã took the penalty even though he was not among the takers defined by the coaching staff. Guilherme revealed that the initiative came from his own teammates.

“He managed to contribute a lot to our game, gave more intensity to the attack, and was rewarded with the penalty. The decision to let him take it came from the group. He was not among the designated takers, but his own teammates made a point of giving him that opportunity so he could regain confidence. That says a lot about the collective spirit of our squad. And he did well with the kick.”

With the result, Corinthians reached 22 points, remained in second place in the Brazilian Under-17 Championship, and now have 31 goals scored and only eight conceded in the competition.

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