Dorival admits Dória errors soured game, but backs No 4 | OneFootball

Coach Dorival Júnior tried not to crucify center-back Dória after another disastrous performance for São Paulo, despite acknowledging that the player did indeed make a mistake on the Millionarios’ equalizing goal this Tuesday (19), at Morumbi, in the Copa Sudamericana.

If over the weekend the defender could indeed be singled out as the main man responsible for the loss to Fluminense, after handing two goals to the Rio side, on this night he gifted the ball to the Colombian opponent while trying to clear it upfield.

That was not all. In the 43rd minute of the second half, Dória also gave away a childish penalty that, had it not been missed, would have meant a comeback defeat right at Morumbi.

Because of all this, Dorival tried to play down the decision to start the No. 4 instead of Sabino, who this year has earned the status of an undisputed starter.

“You can’t punish the player for one mistake. You can’t put all the responsibility for what has been happening on him. Yes, there was a mistake, it happened, but the player naturally has to seek a recovery,” he said.

“You will only help him recover by giving him confidence so he can perform at his best. I have always thought that way about players; football is a team game, you don’t win through individuality. The choice was based on everything we had seen up to that point. We listened to a lot of people so we could make the initial decisions, but little by little now we are trying to shape things according to what we want and what we will need,” he added.

Regarding Dória’s mistakes, the coach stressed that they were indeed decisive in the final result of the match. And, just as in his introductory press conference, he highlighted that São Paulo’s main immediate objective is to restore the confidence not only of the center-back, but of the entire squad.

“A small mistake ends up creating an uncomfortable situation. We were not under that much pressure at any point in the match that it could generate such great discomfort. Quite the opposite. At the first mistake, it all blew up. That balance is something we naturally need to find. And we will only achieve it with a lot of work and total commitment. The team has already shown it has quality,” he said.

“I was a player for 20 years, and I know what a mistake in a match means. It stays in your head for a long time, unfortunately, but it happens. Any of us who have had a lapse during a game know that it is natural to need time to process all of that and turn the situation around,” he added.

The result delays São Paulo’s plans to secure qualification in the Copa Sudamericana as leaders of Group C, which would guarantee a direct place in the round of 16. With 9 points, they could lose top spot if O’Higgins beat Boston River in Uruguay this Wednesday (20).

With the draw, São Paulo made it seven straight matches without a win. On Saturday (23), at 5 p.m. Brasília time, they will try to bounce back in the Brazilian Championship against Botafogo at Morumbi. Their fate in the Sudamericana will be decided the following Tuesday (26), against Boston River, again at home.

“We need a positive result, and anxiety has been getting the better of reason because any tiny mistake ends up exploding in our goal. From what everyone has said, that is what has been happening in the matches,” said the coach.

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