Vojvoda: Poor first half from Santos, I’m responsible | OneFootball

Santos coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda acknowledged that his team did not perform well in the first half of Monday’s match against Internacional at Beira-Rio, in the 35th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro.

After the 1-1 draw, the Argentine manager commented on the seven changes made to the team compared to the match against Mirassol, a fact pointed out by many fans as the reason for the team’s drop in performance against Inter.

“The first half was bad, I am responsible, I am the main person responsible, because I make the decisions. As for the seven changes, I was expecting that question. Three or four changes compared to the last match were necessary. Defender [Zé Ivaldo suspended], Neymar, physical wear of some players. So, we didn’t respond to what we had planned for the first half, which was bad,” said Vojvoda.

At halftime, the Argentine coach decided to bring on Guilherme, Barreal, and João Schmidt. And it was precisely the first two who were involved in the play that led to Santos’ equalizing goal. With the entry of these players, the team improved in the second half and played a much more balanced game against Inter.

“At halftime we were all upset, we fixed the team and that’s football. At that moment, I think the mental side plays a big part too, there are players who can give more and will give more. The players who came on in the second half were at a good level, but we felt the game in the first half because everything was out of sync. In the second half, we earned a point, we value that point, but the first half was a lesson for us,” he added.

Internacional’s dominance was so great in the first half that the 1-0 deficit at halftime was actually a cheap price for Santos. Given the circumstances of the first 45 minutes, the draw felt like a victory for Peixe in Porto Alegre.

“I wanted to win the game, but given how the game went, I expected something different, especially in the first half. I expected shots, a bit more possession, to win more duels, but that wasn’t on the field in the first half. We deserved a different score in the first half. That was extra motivation for halftime. Football gives us a new opportunity, now we have to respond. There were matches at home where we didn’t finish the game and ended up drawing. Now it was our turn. When the team is losing and playing badly, you’re playing against the opponent and against yourself. In that situation, the player’s objective is to avoid what we’re trying to avoid and he’s playing against his own mind too. I have a strong group. I feel that. You have to be strong to fight at the bottom, and we have to be strong, united, with the fans with us. When it’s time to boo, we’ll accept it. But what the team needs is to be united with the fans. We know we owe them, but at this moment the fans will be with us too,” Vojvoda concluded.

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