Santos defence repeats Paulista feat to keep club in the top flight | OneFootball

The change in defensive posture by Santos was decisive for the club to remain in the top tier of the Brazilian Championship. After spending much of the year under criticism for a lack of consistency, the system finally clicked with Juan Pablo Vojvoda, especially in the final stretch, when Peixe was fighting to avoid the second relegation in its history.

In the last three matches of the Brasileirão, Santos did not concede any goals. Needing points, they defeated Sport, Juventude, and Cruzeiro by the same score — 3-0 — and displayed a solidity that hadn’t been seen in months. The last similar streak had occurred back in the group stage of the Paulistão, when, under Pedro Caixinha, the team beat Noroeste (3-0), Inter de Limeira (3-0), and Red Bull Bragantino (2-0) without being breached.

Between these two moments, however, the reality was quite different. The Santos defense wavered, lost its cohesion, and could not sustain a streak without being overcome by opponents. That’s why the wall built in the final chapters of the championship carried even more weight — it was there that Santos rediscovered a pattern that seemed lost and secured its place in Série A.

Credit also goes to Vojvoda, who finally found the ideal center-back pairing: Adonis Frías and Zé Ivaldo. In the last five matches, the two formed the defensive line in four games, and Santos won them all. The only match in which they didn’t play together was the 1-1 draw against Internacional at Beira-Rio.

When they were side by side, they showed great chemistry. In the derby against Palmeiras, for example, they were crucial in holding onto the 1-0 scoreline that marked the beginning of Santos’ surge in the Brasileirão. With the coastal team in the first division, the tendency is for the duo to remain together, starting with the Paulistão.

Upcoming Santos Matches

Santos vs Novorizontino (first round of the Paulistão) Date and time: to be determined Venue: Vila Belmiro, in Santos (SP)

Palmeiras vs Santos (second round of the Paulistão) Date and time: to be determined Venue: Allianz Parque, in São Paulo (SP)

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