Corinthians coach Emily Lima assesses Paola return, links dip to lack of minutes | OneFootball

Corinthians beat Taubaté 6-2 in midweek Paulista action at Fazendinha, a night that also saw Paola Garcia restored to the starting side. Head coach Emily Lima praised the midfielder’s effort and pointed to rust from limited minutes.

According to Meu Timao, Lima said Garcia has worked tirelessly and, based on internal tracking, covered 10 km against Taubaté, the match’s highest total distance, with the intensity and sprint data still to be assessed.

This was Garcia’s first start since 20 April, when Corinthians beat Juventude 1-0 in the Brasileirão at Parque Esportivo Montanha do Vinhedos. She then came off the bench in four games, against Grêmio, São Paulo, Red Bull Bragantino and Mirassol.

Her strongest run featured three successive starts, the 2-1 loss to Kansas City Current and the 8-0 win over América do México in the Teal Rising Cup, followed by the Juventude match.

Lima sought to temper expectations, stressing that errors are natural without a run of games and that inconsistency stems from lack of rhythm. She added that Garcia remains part of her plans and is in contention for Monday’s squad.

The Colombian arrived at the start of 2026 after shining for Deportivo Cali in the previous Libertadores, where she was named the club’s best performer as runners-up to Corinthians. She has played 10 times for the club, with eight wins, two defeats and one goal.

Corinthians ended the Paulista first phase third on 13 points and will meet Red Bull Bragantino in a two-legged play-in for a semi-final place in November. Next up is Cruzeiro away on Monday 31 August, the first leg of the Brasileirão quarter-finals at 19:15 at Arena Independência.

Source: Meu Timao

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