Hugo Souza, Matheuzinho & André: Corinthians into Paulistão knockouts

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Central do Timão

·17 février 2026

Hugo Souza, Matheuzinho & André: Corinthians into Paulistão knockouts

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

On the night of last Sunday (15th), Corinthians went to ABC Paulista to face São Bernardo FC at the Primeiro de Maio Stadium, for the eighth and final round of the first phase of the 2026 Paulista Championship, and won by the minimum score. The Alvinegro's goal was scored by midfielder André in the middle of the second half. The victory secured Corinthians' qualification for the quarter-finals with the fifth-best campaign with 14 points (four wins, two draws, and two losses – 10 goals scored and six conceded).

A day after the triumph, Corinthians TV – the club's official YouTube channel – released the behind-the-scenes of the victory of the Parque São Jorge team. The video, just over 10 minutes long, begins by showing the arrival of the Corinthians squad and all the staff at the opponent's stadium, as well as the concentration of the athletes before they took to the field for warm-up.

Vidéos OneFootball

Photo: Reproduction/Corinthians TV

Before taking to the field, right-back Matheuzinho, who was brought off the bench at the end of the match, replacing Pedro Milans, emphasized the importance of not getting complacent and maintaining the team's solid level even after the recent three titles (Paulistão – 2025, Copa do Brasil – 2025, and Supercopa do Brasil – 2026), in a match against opponents considered less powerful.

“If we have the ambition to make Corinthians a protagonist in football, it's in these games that we need to prove it. We have to show ourselves that we are a winning team, not satisfied with just three titles on the club's resume. We need to want more. In games against smaller teams, we have to treat it as if it were a final, as if it were a classic. It has to be the same, identical. Every match with this jersey is a commitment, not just with us, but with the club, the institution, and the fans. This is not pressure. This is a privilege,” he said.

In addition to the words of the number 2, the Corinthians locker room featured motivational words from the market manager, Renan Bloise, midfielder Raniele, and coach Dorival Júnior. Later, after the final whistle, midfielder André Luiz, a Terrão native and scorer of the Alvinegro's goal, commented on the victory and expressed happiness for securing a spot in the quarter-finals.

“We were playing a good match, controlling the game. And we were missing that final third. A step adjustment. It was a precise finish, and I was happy, finishing well, scoring a goal. Very happy for the qualification, and now we need to come strong in the finals and defend our title,” he stated.

Finally, goalkeeper Hugo Souza, in the post-game circle with the squad in the locker room, spoke about the importance of the victory for the Parque São Jorge club. If the match had ended in a draw, the Parque São Jorge club would have been out of the knockout stage due to the combination of other results. The number 1 also asked the group to pray for forward Yuri Alberto, who came on in the second half and was substituted with a grade 2 muscle injury.

“We have no idea, but if we had drawn, we would have been out. This is the importance of facing every game with the same competence and in the same way we face a classic. We need to treat every match like this. Let's hope it's nothing serious with Yuri (Alberto). Now it's knockout time, a new championship begins. It's another competition, and we're going to chase our title again. This moment is deserved. We're only achieving this because the dedication has been great. We won't change this behavior. Get ready: Thursday is a very important game,” he commented.

Now, Corinthians is preparing to return to the field next Thursday (19th), at Ligga Arena, at 7:30 PM (Brasília time), in a postponed match from the second round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship. The Alvinegro will visit Athletico-PR.

Soon after, Corinthians will prepare for the quarter-finals of the Paulistão. As the current champion and the tournament's most successful team with 31 titles, the Alvinegro will face Portuguesa at 8:30 PM (Brasília time) next Sunday (22nd) at Canindé Stadium.

Check out the full behind-the-scenes on Corinthians TV below:

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