Gustavo Henrique: Corinthians fell short, Paulista exit a lesson | OneFootball

Corinthians said goodbye to the Campeonato Paulista on Saturday night, in the semifinals, after losing to Novorizontino 1-0 at Estádio Dr. Jorge Ismael de Biasi. Corinthians’ captain, Gustavo Henrique, lamented the elimination and attributed the defeat to the team's lack of inspiration in the creative sector.

“We knew they had a perfect campaign here, won every game. We knew we would have possession and they would play on the counterattack. We couldn't create, and when we did, we didn't finish. Let this be a lesson for the rest of the year. We need to learn from our mistakes,” he said in an interview with TNT.

Corinthians struggled against Novorizontino’s strong marking and, with their main players lacking inspiration, finished the match with only four shots on target. Given the below-par performance and Corinthians’ elimination, Gustavo Henrique apologized to the fans.

“Their team was very well organized, both in pressing and in a low block. We lacked a bit more creativity, we couldn’t break through their defense. Many times, they had a very high line and we couldn’t attack the space, which was the main factor to open up their team. It’s hard to talk right now. We just have to apologize to our fans, thank those who came and those who supported us from home, but now we have to keep working, we have many games ahead,” he analyzed.

Despite coach Dorival Júnior’s changes, Corinthians could not react after conceding the goal around the 28th minute and said farewell to the State Championship, missing the chance to defend their title in the final.

“Their team is very competitive at home, they close up the whole game and look for a single chance, and today was no different. We were solid defensively, but unfortunately, after a switch of play, they scored and we couldn't create any more chances. That’s football. Let this be a lesson to continue the year, which is very long. We still have a lot to achieve,” the defender concluded.

Now, Corinthians will have to pick up the pieces and refocus on the Brazilian Championship. The team will have just over a week of rest, as they return to the field only on March 11, when they face Coritiba at the Neo Química Arena.

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