Vojvoda praises Santos' spirit despite loss, explains Gabigol benching | OneFootball

Despite the 1-0 defeat, coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda believes that Santos did not play a bad game against Palmeiras on Wednesday, in the second round of the Paulista Championship. The Argentine stated that the team showed some positive aspects in Barueri.

"We know we faced a classic and a good rival on their field. But, looking at the data, we created, had a good posture, and defended well. The goal we conceded wasn't a tactical error. It was a rebound that decided the game. The team finished with two good shots. A good posture from Santos," he analyzed.

"We had moments where we didn't find the fluidity we needed, but we had good moments. We need to have more of those good moments. It's an aspect to improve. Not all games are the same. Today we played against a tough rival, on a tough field. Today the team played well. We had shots, even more than them I think. But I also agree that they shot less and came away with the three points, which is what matters. We need to earn points," he expanded.

"There are positive and negative lessons. I talked about adding minutes, but we need to find more good moments throughout the games. The chances we create need to be more effective. The goal wasn't something very tactical. But we need to correct it. Football is decided in one ball and today it was like that," he concluded.

Gabigol on the Bench

Vojvoda also explained why Gabigol started the game on the bench. The forward only came on in the middle of the second half.

"We know he is a very important player for us, but I'm getting to know him. We have to manage the minutes. He played the full 90 in very high temperatures in the last game. I don't want to lose him to risks. He will be in the next game. We need goals and he can give us that," he said.

Standings Situation

Santos remains with three points and is currently in eighth place. The top eight qualify for the knockout stage. The bottom two will be relegated to Série A2.

Next Santos Game

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