Vojvoda praises youth talent, highlights blend with under-20s at Santos | OneFootball

Juan Pablo Vojvoda bet on the youth academy to avoid a defeat against Grêmio this Wednesday at Vila Belmiro, during the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship. Robinho Jr. came on in the second half, fired up the game, and started the play that led to Santos' equalizing goal.

In the 43rd minute, the young forward took a corner from the left and saw Zé Rafael hit the crossbar. On the rebound, Lautaro Díaz headed the ball into the empty net to seal the 1-1 draw.

After the match, Vojvoda highlighted his appreciation for the youth categories and explained the presence of Robinho Jr. and JP Chermont in an under-20 match last Friday.

“Young players have to play. Sometimes we can't find the right moment for them to play in the first team. It's not good for a young player to spend a month training without playing. So we give them the opportunity to play in the under-20s, like Chermont and Robinho did. They like the idea. But only when possible. It has to be well managed. They are young players. Santos has always had this potential. I'm happy with these young players and I have an obligation to help them,” he said.

Robinho Jr. and Chermont were starters in the 3-1 win over Corinthians in the round of 16 of the Paulista Under-20 Championship. Both were substituted during the second half. Vojvoda watched the derby in person, alongside his coaching staff.

Of the two, Robinho has been getting more chances with the senior team lately. He has featured in five matches, all coming off the bench.

Chermont has even more appearances (16), but hasn't played since May 4. In fact, he was not included in the squad for Wednesday's match against Grêmio.

Now, the pair await the coaching staff's decision to find out whether they will play for the under-20s on Saturday against EC São Bernardo in the quarterfinals of the Paulista Under-20, or travel to Fortaleza for the match against Ceará on Sunday, in the 27th round of the Brasileirão.

Standings Situation

With the draw against Grêmio, Santos remains close to the relegation zone. Juan Pablo Vojvoda's team is in 16th place with 28 points, five ahead of Juventude, who are the first team in the drop zone. However, the gap to the first team in the relegation zone could shrink if Vitória (18th, with 22 points) beats Ceará at home this Thursday.

Next Santos Match

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