Diniz reveals what Vasco fans can expect in the Copa do Brasil semi-final | OneFootball

Vasco lost again at São Januário and was defeated 2-0 by Mirassol, a result that qualified the São Paulo team for the group stage of the Libertadores. After the match, Fernando Diniz gave a press conference and commented on performance, defensive errors, differences between the squads, and mainly on what the fans can expect in the Copa do Brasil semifinals.

“We didn't play a bad game”

Diniz began by evaluating the performance on the field and emphasized that, in his view, Vasco produced more than the opponent.

– Losing again at São Januário is something nobody likes, especially after the victory against Inter. But we didn't play a bad game. We played well against a very strong opponent, with very good statistics in the championship. We had volume, numbers in our favor, but we didn't convert. Mirassol had two chances and took advantage.

The coach stated that Vasco was “always close” to creating clear chances but stumbled on a lack of decisiveness.

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Fernando Diniz in Vasco vs. Mirassol, in the Brasileirão 2025 — Photo: André Durão

Defensive errors and key moment

For Diniz, the decisive moment of the match was Renato Marques' goal, scored at the 24th minute of the second half.

– We were closer to scoring than Mirassol. Their goal had nothing to do with stretching the game. It was wrong positioning. Paulo Henrique was too wide, unnecessarily. If the line had been as it should, it would have cut the cross. It was a circumstance of the game.

Comparison between squads

The coach rejected the idea that Mirassol played a superior match.

– I disagree that Mirassol played a great game. They had merit, they won, but it was one of their worst matches in the last rounds. Against Fluminense and Ceará, they played better. Today, with the two shots they had, they scored.

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Léo Jardim in Vasco vs. Mirassol, in the Brasileirão 2025 — Photo: André Durão

What to expect from the Copa do Brasil?

Asked why fans can believe in a different performance from Vasco in the Copa do Brasil semifinals, Diniz responded:

– Fans can have hope because, over these months, even with fluctuations, the team has evolved. It's not the same team as at the beginning. We had brilliant moments. We went through a bad streak, but we reacted against Inter with a convincing victory and today we played a good game again.

He emphasized that performance facilitates the adjustment process:

– When the team plays well, it's easier to correct. Maybe today we didn't have the same decisiveness as in the game against Inter. We didn't create such clear chances, we didn't capitalize on shots from outside or corners. But the team is competitive. This gives us the conditions to play a great game in the semifinal.

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