Érika rues goals conceded, explains Corinthians defence under Emily Lima | OneFootball

After Corinthians’ draw against Santos in the Paulista Women’s Championship, center-back Érika spoke about the defensive moment the Brabas are going through and acknowledged the concern over the number of goals the team has conceded in recent matches. In an interview in the mixed zone at Fazendinha, the defender stressed that the defensive system depends on the team functioning collectively and explained the changes implemented by coach Emily Lima.

“When we talk about defense, we have to talk about the whole team, right? It’s a game of 10 on one side, 10 on the other, where we need to stay compact, we really need to understand how the other teams play, because we want to attack. That’s Corinthians, and we know that. And that ends up leaving the two center-backs a little more exposed, no matter who is playing there,” she began.

Photo: ©Rodrigo Gazzanel / Ag. Corinthians

The black-and-white shirt said that the attacking model adopted by the coaching staff ends up requiring greater attention from the players responsible for defensive cover, especially in transitions.

“And we attack a lot with both full-backs. While one is there, the other has to be crashing the box too. So for that, we have to leave a player there, what we call our little guard dog, a more fixed defensive midfielder to help us. Because on a counterattack, everyone is studying how Corinthians play,” she explained.

Érika also revealed the emotional impact she feels when conceding goals and said the team has been working to absorb the new system put in place by Emily Lima.

“Conceding goals, unfortunately, is part of it. I don’t like it. And I recently heard one of the players say—it was even a joke between us—she said: ‘Before, I was a forward and when we conceded, I didn’t feel it as much.’ Today I’m more there on the defensive line. And I feel it a lot when I concede a goal. Imagine us being there playing the whole time. Any goal, I feel it a lot. I carry it into the next game because I say: ‘we can’t concede like that, I can’t concede like that,’” she said.

Next, the defender reinforced that the squad is still seeking to adapt to the coach’s new style of play.

“And we’ve been studying it and we’ve been working on a different system with Emily—recovering, running back, waiting. And I think that, sometimes, we have to understand that a little better. Because I’m not happy about conceding goals either,” she said.

Even while acknowledging the defensive problems, Érika valued Corinthians’ attacking approach and highlighted the volume of chances created by the team.

“We always get a bit of a scolding that we need to shoot more, that we need to move more, get more players into the box. And I think that’s constant. Corinthians are like that. If you look at it, sometimes we lose a match, but we were the team that had the most shots on goal, the one that made the goalkeeper work the most,” she commented.

The center-back also pointed out the need for greater efficiency in finishing.

“She’s been saying that we have to get there, put a lot of players in the box and make the goalkeeper work. Like today, Tati made a few saves there, but we have to put it in the net. I think that’s what we need most: to be more efficient. Because we do get there,” she declared.

According to Érika, the attacking style adopted by the team also demands extra attention with defensive cover.

“With Emily, she said both full-backs have to crash the box. And then you look behind and there are only two center-backs left, a defensive midfielder there, and if the ball breaks loose, the other teams are already starting to understand that. And that creates the counterattack. So we have to understand that we need to stay compact there, stay alert, but also be more efficient,” she analyzed.

The defender also denied any internal problems within the squad and highlighted the group’s unity during this period of adaptation.

“Quite the opposite, I don’t see that, I haven’t noticed that. Normally, when we huddle up, it’s to talk about the match, about what happened in that moment, and very quickly too. Even because everyone’s emotions are running high, regardless of whether you win or lose. So she has to know how to deal with that situation. But we huddle up, say our prayer, and everything’s fine,” she said.

Still during the interview, Érika praised the squad’s depth and emphasized the importance of the rotation promoted by the coaching staff.

“She’s giving everyone the chance to play. That’s essential for our team. We have an extraordinary squad. You can see that. It’s one squad that is usually playing in the Paulista, another squad that is playing in the Brasileirão. But over the course of both competitions, we are extremely focused on winning,” she pointed out.

The black-and-white shirt reinforced that Corinthians take the field always looking for the win, regardless of the opponent.

“Man, it’s football. It’s incredible, because we focus a lot on every match. You can be sure of that. I know that, from the outside, you see it in a different way. But we, as players, step onto the field to win every time. Regardless of whether you consider it a derby or not,” she stressed.

“For us, every game is hugely important. We know the rivalries there, we know which teams they are. But even so, we go out there to get the three points every time. Every time. Unfortunately, we don’t always manage it,” she added.

Finally, Érika commented on the adaptation process to Emily Lima’s work and looked ahead to the team’s upcoming fixtures this season, including the clash against Palmeiras in the Copa do Brasil.

“Even with Emily coming in now, it’s a different profile, a completely different style of play, and we’re embracing everything, fully respecting the work, doing little by little what she wants. Sometimes we can’t do it there, but it’s analyzed later in training, in videos and in the matches,” she said.

“Now it’s the Copa do Brasil, an away match against Palmeiras. We still have the next game. And we’re going to work for that. Once again facing Palmeiras there, a tough game, we know that. A game decided by details, where they will be completely focused and we will be even more so. It’s going to be a really enjoyable game, you can be sure of that,” she concluded.

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