Jardim rues defensive errors, eyes Corinthians clash

In partnership with

Deus me Dibre

·20 novembre 2025

Jardim rues defensive errors, eyes Corinthians clash

Cruzeiro let slip, on the afternoon of this Thursday (20), a great opportunity to get closer to the teams fighting for the lead in the Brazilian Championship. In a lively and up-and-down match at Alfredo Jaconi, Raposa drew 3-3 with Juventude in the 34th round of Série A, reaching 65 points and remaining behind Flamengo (71) and Palmeiras (69).

In the press conference, Jardim took a more direct tone when analyzing the performance. The coach acknowledged that Cruzeiro started poorly on the field, with unusual mistakes from one of the most secure defensive systems in the championship. According to him, the team paid dearly for their poor initial posture, when they saw Juventude open a 2-0 lead still in the first half.

Vidéos OneFootball

“Regarding the match, I think we have to be fair. Many defensive mistakes, from one of the best defenses in the championship. We were poor. A 2-0 disadvantage, and we went after the result. We improved at the end of the first half and in the second half we were better. We created chances where we could have scored 2 or 3 more goals and ended up not finishing. The draw is a negative result, we were looking for the three points because we would have already secured a spot in the Libertadores group stage, which was the goal, and we ended up not doing it.”

Virtually qualified, but still seeking mathematical confirmation, the coach chose to set aside any discussion, such as the Copa do Brasil, and emphasized the importance of the next match, against Corinthians, the same opponent Raposa will face in the semifinals of the cup:

“Honestly, I'm not worried about the Copa do Brasil, because we don't have enough points yet to reach the Libertadores group stage. We need to go after three more points to put the team directly in the group stage. After that objective, we'll see, the teams ahead have a big margin, even if they slip up, then we'll think about that duel. But right now, the next three points are fundamental.”

The defensive problems were questioned to the coach, including mentioning right-back William, but Jardim chose not to single anyone out:

“When I say defensive line, I mean everyone. They were not good. I saw that I could refresh the full-backs and have more intensity down the flanks. We brought in another youngster in midfield to give more intensity. And we ended up playing a stronger last 20 minutes. I'm satisfied with the youngsters who came in, they are always solutions, they work every day and are waiting for their opportunity.”

The coach was also asked about his view of Brazilian football and recent debates involving refereeing, the calendar, among other points for improvement. Jardim adopted a discourse of evolution and emphasized that his criticisms aim to contribute to improvements, and avoided talking about his future at Cruzeiro.

“I'm someone who, when I draw attention to a situation, it's for progression. Our confederation has taken measures, fair play, valuing the pitches and other important issues. Evolution is part of life and we have to be open to improving. Professionalization of refereeing. I came to Brazil by choice, it's a country I love, I've worked with Brazilians for years and I wanted to experience this emotion. I'm here 100%, dedicated to Cruzeiro. As for next season, I've already been very clear, the important thing is for us to focus on what I said earlier: enough points for the team to go straight to the group stage. And after that, I, Jardim, the players, the directors, we'll think about the future. We can't skip goals with obstacles ahead to overcome.”

Jardim commented on the moment of three players in particular when asked: striker Sinisterra, who scored one of the goals in the match; Matheus Henrique, who started after returning from a rib injury; and Japa, who has been making the most of the chances given by the coaching staff.

“Sinisterra has had major physical problems in the last two years, but we know his quality. He's certainly not at the level we want yet, but it's no coincidence that with his playing time he's already among the best on the team. He will bring a lot of joy to Cruzeiro, maybe more in the future than in the present. As for Matheusinho, he had already been training for 15 days, in the last 10 with some contact with other players, but he wasn't doing well in the match and because of the yellow card he was substituted. And Japa is an interesting player for us, he shows resilience and is making the most of his opportunities, but for next year, the club has to manage the situation well.”

Finally, the coach played down the impact of the absences in the squad, stating that the slip-up was due to the below-expected performance of the players who were on the field: “I don't think they (the absences) had an impact. Those who played were the ones who didn't do well. Our defensive line is the most used in the league. Of course, if they were there, we could have had more solutions, but whoever plays for Cruzeiro has to have the quality to win at a high level against any opponent.”

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