Yuri Alberto the villain as Corinthians lack cutting edge again | OneFootball

By Thais Bueno

Corinthians played a good game, but stumbled due to a lack of efficiency and a ‘villain’ night for Yuri Alberto in their 2-1 defeat to Flamengo last Sunday at the Neo Química Arena, in the 25th round of the Brazilian Championship. Opportunities were not lacking for Timão, who converted only one clear chance and ended up conceding the comeback in the final stretch of the match, to the disappointment of the loyal fans.

Corinthians started the match with two main changes in the starting lineup: the return of Gui Negão, back after suspension, and the inclusion of defender João Pedro Tchoca. The latter was necessary due to a physical problem with André Ramalho, announced shortly before the start of the game.

With this lineup, it was speculated that Corinthians would return to the 4-4-2 diamond system, which had been successful under former coach Ramón Díaz. In practice, however, what was seen was the maintenance of the 3-5-2, with Raniele dropping back as a third center-back and forming the defensive line alongside Tchoca and Gustavo Henrique, with Matheuzinho and Bidu as wing-backs.

Almost perfect first half

Flamengo started with possession, while Corinthians found the best offensive attempts on the right side of the attack, especially with switches of play. Timão also executed good transitions and put together a beautiful play at the 10th minute of the first half, which generated a great opportunity and, subsequently, a penalty for Timão.

The thing is, Yuri Alberto is not exactly a penalty specialist. The Corinthians striker had a golden chance not only to open the scoring at the Arena but also to end a four-month goal drought. The number 9, however, was careless: he attempted a chip shot, mishit the ball, and missed. It was indeed careless, especially given Corinthians’ need to win.

Flamengo let Bidon play freely, and Corinthians’ number 27 took advantage, recovering balls in midfield and creating clear chances for Timão. One example was the opportunity missed by Yuri Alberto, one-on-one, at the 24th minute. The number 9, in fact, had a terrible first half and missed all the clear chances he had—and there were quite a few.

Timão was smart and found many spaces by attacking the high defensive line of the Rio team with through balls, but failed in the main aspect: efficiency. Surprisingly, Corinthians were much better than Flamengo in the first half, but left a lot to be desired in terms of finishing.

Corinthians have an encouraging start to the second half, but lose intensity and concede the comeback

Right at the start of the second half, Yuri Alberto redeemed himself. The striker received the ball from Gui Negão and made a great individual play, dribbling past Léo Ortiz and winning the one-on-one with goalkeeper Rossi. League leaders Flamengo, in turn, could not fail to chase the result, especially to try to increase their lead over their rivals.

In pursuit of the goal, Flamengo grew into the game. In a well-worked move, the Rubro-Negro equalized. The Corinthians defense, which had been playing well, once again showed passivity in marking on the goal conceded. Carrascal and Arrascaeta were left free in the box, and the Uruguayan, with a precise finish, leveled the score. The Rio team improved, while Timão began to find it harder to create and also to defend.

It was natural that Corinthians could not maintain the intensity shown in the first half. Timão felt Flamengo’s goal and allowed their rivals to grow even more in the match. The Rubro-Negro brought on reinforcements from the bench, began to totally dominate the action, and, in the final stretch, turned the game around in Itaquera.

Final balance

The final feeling is one of frustration for Corinthians fans. It had been a long time since the loyal supporters had witnessed such attractive football from the team at the Neo Química Arena in the Brazilian Championship. Timão’s first half was very good, involving Flamengo in well-worked attacking moves. The football on display gave fans hope that the team might, who knows, come away with a win against Flamengo’s strong squad.

In the end, however, football is about goals. And Flamengo came out on top in that aspect last Sunday. Corinthians failed to take advantage of all the opportunities they created and left with the feeling that they could have, perhaps, achieved a better result against a strong Rubro-Negro side.

Standings

The result was terrible for Corinthians, who suffered their second consecutive defeat in the Brasileirão and remained in 12th place, with the same 29 points as at the start of the round. Timão still has seven points more than Juventude, who are just above the relegation zone.

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