Diniz assesses Corinthians win, hails defence after 5th clean sheet | OneFootball

After Corinthians’ 1-0 win over Barra-SC on the night of last Tuesday (21), at Ressacada, in the first leg of the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil, coach Fernando Diniz gave a press conference and assessed the team’s performance, while also commenting on physical, tactical, and individual aspects of the squad.

At the start of his analysis, the coach highlighted the team’s competitive attitude and evaluated the performance in both halves of the match.

Photos: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

“The team showed a desire to fight and win the game, I think the team had that. In the match, I thought we played worse in the first half, but we made it 1-0. In the second half we improved tactically and technically as well, with a little more rhythm, more attacking moves, with dangerous shots and crosses. But I think the team, overall, did a good job. And considering the circumstances, it was a good match, with many changes. We had one training session with this team yesterday. I think they worked hard and it was a fair win. It’s a difficult opponent. A new team, one that is sometimes unknown on the national stage, but they are the current Santa Catarina state champions, having beaten Chapecoense in the final; they eliminated Volta Redonda and also América Mineiro, a team that is constantly around Série B and Série A. We approached our opponent with the utmost seriousness,” said the coach.

Next, Diniz acknowledged offensive difficulties, especially in the opening half, and pointed out areas of improvement seen after the break.

“I think the team played very poorly in the first half in terms of offensive play. The team was marking well, the team was well protected, and that is something we have to keep working on and improving. It’s not that it’s perfect, but with the run of games, and because it was a heavily changed team today, the defensive system worked very well. And the lack of finishing, I agree with that analysis, we created very little. There were practically no shots in the first half. But in the second half the team was better. I liked the second half. The attitude, not letting the other team play, and the field here is also different from ours. I think it improved. With just one day of training, and them being able to produce a second half like that, I liked it. The first half I thought was a bit below par in terms of offensive production,” he commented.

The coach also commented on the team’s defensive moment, as they reached five consecutive matches without conceding a goal this season.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of planning, it’s a matter of will, of desire, of working so that we can improve even more. The defensive system allowed some situations we didn’t need to allow. But it’s an important number and the team is very aware. I think the players are very dedicated defensively. The back four and the holding midfielder, the team as a whole. And it’s the way I like it, the way I understand football, that everyone has to contribute. And there has been great commitment here, starting today with Jesse and Pedro Raul, as it was with Yuri and Garro in the other games. And they know that this is important for the team, to have that consistency, to make life easier for our defenders and our goalkeeper,” he said.

During the press conference, Diniz was asked about striker Kayke’s situation, after he left the field still in the first half with knee pain.

“He came off and had some preliminary tests, but I think it’s far too early for us to say. When a player comes off with a knee sprain, we have to wait for the imaging tests so we don’t jump to conclusions either way. Everyone is really hoping that there’s nothing serious there,” he added.

The coach also explained the choice to use an alternative lineup, highlighting physical wear and tear and the need to preserve the players.

“I said after the game against Santa Fé that a player is not just ‘muscle and bone,’ but that is part of it too, bringing together all the components, the physiological data from our department, which is very active, and talking with the players, and especially my perception from the Vitória game, I thought it was very important for us to preserve the players. Basically, we played with a rotated side, and the only regular starter who played the whole game was Gustavo Henrique; today it would have been Kayke, and Matheuzinho, who hadn’t played against Vitória because of the red card, against Palmeiras. So it was a very mixed team, a team that was practically all changed, just one player.

I’d say in the end only one player had been playing regularly in that run, which was Gustavo Henrique. And I think it was the sum of all factors, physiological and biological factors and the perception I had of the players. And also the conversations with the other people at Corinthians. I’m an open person. I like to talk and put my decisions out there. I think it was the right call today to ease off so the players could recover well. And also because we have a squad to put together. The players are at a very similar level to those who have been playing. Sometimes continuity happens because, as the team keeps playing together, they develop another kind of chemistry and end up having a better chance of winning games. But the level is quite homogeneous and a high level,” he added.

In addition, Diniz analyzed the physical and technical progress of players such as Jesse Lingard and Zakaria Labyad, who have been earning more space.

“I think they are improving. It had been a long time since I had seen Jesse play. And I’m getting to know him up close now, he’s evolving, and Zakaria too. I’m liking what I’m seeing. And today I put on the field what I thought was best to put out there in that situation, and it wasn’t something premeditated, one coming in and another going out. I thought at that moment the game called for a change, and I think Jesse did well and Zakaria also made good use of it.”

“They have been working day by day. I’ve liked what I’ve seen. They are two players who operate technically at a very high level. And I’m evaluating them and the whole squad, and I will always try to put in the players who I think at that moment have the best chance of making Corinthians win. Both players are, gradually, more and more, delivering more in every way,” he added.

The support from the fans was also mentioned by the coach, especially because of their strong presence at Ressacada.

“I think it helps. The benefit is obvious, because Corinthians fans always help a lot. We are very grateful for the support of our fans here today. It’s very good to count on the support of our supporters and we know that, especially Corinthians fans, really do make a difference. So it was a very positive context for us.”

Finally, Diniz addressed the evolution of his playing style throughout his career and the adaptation to different strategies used by opponents.

“I followed that, and for me it was very important, that this evolution happened, because it makes you create new ways to play out from the back. That keeps increasing your repertoire. Very interesting question. And it will continue. People keep creating ways to press, but for me that stimulates creating ways to play through it. Always remembering that playing long balls will never be forbidden. This Corinthians team, at least for now, has a team that often goes long, knows how to play out from the back, but also knows how to use what is difficult. Sometimes you have players like Pedro Raul, like Yuri up front. So we’ll see here a team that knows what it is doing both playing short and long. And personally, my own repertoire keeps growing too. We have to keep expanding it. And I think this evolution is extremely good for the Brazilian style.”

In closing, the coach also emphasized the squad’s level of concentration and the importance of the right mentality in knockout competitions.

“I’d like to stress that the Corinthians team is a very aware team. The players are experienced players, players who know what it means to be at Corinthians. There was already internal talk among the players demanding that everyone stay switched on. And I reinforced that a lot. It’s a good team. They are the current Santa Catarina champions, Série D champions. They came in having already secured two eliminations. Volta Redonda is a traditional team in Rio de Janeiro today, and América Mineiro is even more traditional. And you know as well as I do that in the Copa do Brasil, every now and then, there’s a team from the national divisions eliminating a top-seeded, traditional team. So we approached the game with the utmost seriousness possible,” he concluded.

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