Vojvoda's arrival reignites battle for Santos' left-back spot

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Gazeta Esportiva.com

·9 September 2025

Vojvoda's arrival reignites battle for Santos' left-back spot

The hiring of Juan Pablo Vojvoda could reopen some position battles at Santos. On the left flank, Escobar has regained space and now threatens the starting spot of the young Souza.

The Argentine defender is an old acquaintance of the coach. They worked together at Fortaleza between 2023 and 2024. There were 22 matches, of which the player started 14 and contributed two assists.

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Escobar had been a substitute for Alvinegro Praiano under Cleber Xavier. Beloved by the fans, Souza was dominating the left-back position. With the change in the coaching staff, however, the Argentine returned to the starting eleven.

In the 2-0 loss to Bahia, with interim coach Matheus Bachi on the bench, Escobar was already a starter. The same happened in Vojvoda's debut, in the 0-0 draw with Fluminense.

With the new coach, therefore, the battle for the position is heating up again. Due to the FIFA date, the squad has only been training since September 1. The club will only play again on Sunday, against Atlético-MG, in the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship.

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Escobar vs Souza in 2025

Escobar 31 matches (25 as starter) 0 goals and 1 assist 7 yellow cards and 3 red cards
Souza 16 matches (13 as starter) 0 goals and 1 assist 2 yellow cards and 0 red cards

Upcoming Santos matches

Atlético-MG vs Santos (23rd round of the Brazilian Championship) Date and time: September 14 (Sunday), at 4:00 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Arena MRV, in Belo Horizonte (MG)
Santos vs São Paulo (24th round of the Brazilian Championship) Date and time: September 21 (Sunday), at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Vila Belmiro, in Santos (SP)