Dorival turns to homegrown talent, earns respect at Corinthians | OneFootball

Coach Dorival Júnior is in high spirits at Corinthians. Previously under pressure, the coach managed to improve the team through homegrown solutions and gained support behind the scenes.

Dorival was on the brink due to consecutive setbacks and poor performances by the alvinegra team. However, he turned the situation around even amidst a series of difficulties.

The coach, for example, has been dealing with a more than tumultuous political environment at Parque São Jorge in recent months. He was hired by Augusto Melo but saw the former president ousted and Osmar Stabile take office.

Furthermore, Dorival suffered from significant absences. He had the GYM trio, consisting of Garro, Yuri Alberto, and Memphis Depay, only on two occasions – in both classics against Palmeiras, for the Copa do Brasil.

During this period, the team also faced losses in midfield, with injuries to André Carrillo and José Martínez.

(Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

Lack of reinforcements

Dorival also lost players. In a financial crisis, Corinthians negotiated Alex Santana and terminated with Igor Coronado, two athletes who, although not starters, usually came on in the second half of games.

On the other hand, the coach practically received no reinforcements. The alvinegra board, after much effort, managed to sign only forward Vitinho, who was a free agent.

Corinthians intended to strengthen the squad further, but was unable to register players due to a transfer ban, which has not yet been resolved. The club owes R$ 40 million to Santos Laguna for the acquisition of Félix Torres and has encountered resistance from the Mexicans to reach an agreement.

It is worth remembering that, at the time of his hiring, Dorival requested at least four players from the board. However, only one arrived.

Youth Academy as a Solution

With the medical department full and an already short squad in tatters, the coach turned to the youth academy. And in the young players, he found solutions for the team.

In attack, Romero, Talles Magno, and Héctor Hernández, natural substitutes for Memphis and Yuri Alberto, were overlooked in favor of the Terrão Kids Kayke and Gui Negão. The latter, by the way, scored three times in the last three matches.

Corinthians considered dismissing Dorival Júnior before the match against Cruzeiro, on July 23, in the Brasileirão. However, since then, the coach eliminated rival Palmeiras from the Copa do Brasil and proved his worth in Serie A, gaining the trust of the fans and the board.

The situation in the Brazilian Championship is still not calm, but at the moment, Timão occupies the 11th place in the table, with 25 points, six ahead of the relegation zone. In the Copa do Brasil, with a 1-0 victory in the first leg in Curitiba, the team is closer to qualifying for the semifinals against Athletico-PR.

Since his arrival at the end of April, Dorival has led Corinthians in 23 matches. In total, there have been ten wins, seven draws, and six losses – a 53% success rate.

Coming off two consecutive victories, both away from home, the coach now has the mission to lead the team in another Derby. The alvinegra team faces Palmeiras this Sunday, at 6:30 PM (Brasília time), at Neo Química Arena, for the 22nd round of the Brasileirão.

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