William Batista hails Corinthians U20s' and players' growth | OneFootball

Corinthians secured a place in the round of 16 of the Paulista Under-20 Championship after beating XV de Jaú 2-0 last Friday (25) at Fazendinha. After qualifying, head coach William Batista assessed the team’s performance, highlighted the progress of Caraguá and other players in the age group, and praised the squad’s ability to combine sporting results with the development of players for professional football.

Timão came into the second leg with an advantage after winning the first match 3-2 at Estádio Zezinho Magalhães in Jaú. In the return match, Gui Amorim and Nicolas Araújo scored the goals that sealed Corinthians’ qualification.

Photo: ©Rodrigo Gazzanel / Ag. Corinthians

For William Batista, the team managed the match well even after going down to ten men. The coach also felt Corinthians had chances to build a bigger lead.

“It’s an important match for us. In the first game, we had many clear scoring chances. We could have been a little more efficient and had an even more comfortable result. I believe today the game was under control, even when we were a man down. XV de Jaú didn’t manage to create big chances or make Matheus pull off any very difficult saves. We could have scored one more goal, I think in the first half and even in the second half, despite being a man down. We had some chances,” William told Meu Timão.

Caraguá receives praise from William Batista

Beyond qualification, Caraguá’s individual performance was one of the points highlighted by the coach. The defensive midfielder was involved in both goals in the 2-0 win and has been taking on new roles within the team’s playing model.

William explained that the midfielder, who previously stayed more behind the ball, has now been encouraged to push forward and attack the opposition box. For the coach, the player’s dedication in training has been decisive in this progress.

“Caraguá is an extremely dedicated, hardworking and committed player and person. I think when an athlete with that profile manages to connect with the work, which depends a lot on the environment we have built as a coaching staff, the chances of improvement increase a lot. Caraguá is a clear example of that. He is a number 5 who used to stay more stuck behind the line of the ball and, just as I demand from the other midfielders, I have demanded a lot from him so that he gets into the box, gets closer to goal and increases our probability of scoring or providing an assist, as happened in today’s game,” he began.

The change is not limited to the defensive midfielder. According to William, the coaching staff also demands greater attacking involvement from the other midfielders. Pedro Thomas was another name mentioned by the coach while explaining the work being done.

“That also helps boost his individual numbers. If we improve the collective numbers, individual performance follows as a consequence. I’m very happy that Caraguá had those opportunities to get into the box. Pedro Thomas, arriving from deep, has also been reading that well. It’s been really nice. It’s a constant demand of mine with all of them: that they attack the opposition box. And anyone who watches our games can see that they really are getting into the box a lot,” he added.

Results and development go hand in hand

For William Batista, the team’s run in the state championship is also important because of the players’ individual development. The coach mentioned youngsters who have started to feature with the professional squad and others who have been gaining recognition within the age group itself.

Among the names mentioned were Iago Machado, Luizinho, Yago Melo and Matheus Corrêa. William also highlighted Joãozinho, Caraguá and Araújo while assessing the development shown by the group.

“We are happy because we have managed to align this season’s sporting results with the players’ individual development. We see Iago Machado with the first team, Luizinho and Yago Melo were also called up for matches, and Matheus (Corrêa) is always around there as well. There is also the appreciation of several other players, such as Joãozinho at left-back, Caraguá scoring goals, and Araújo himself, who has been scoring quite a lot now in the second half of the season,” he said.

The coach also linked the Under-20 team’s results to the squad’s regained confidence. In his view, the improvement in the football being played comes from the combination of performance, results and individual development.

“We realize that we are reaping the rewards of sporting results together with the boys’ development. We have worked hard so that, aesthetically, our football improves even more in this second half of the season. We had a very important challenge, which was to restore the players’ self-esteem. And to recover that confidence, you need to connect performance with results immediately. Individual development comes as a consequence, allowing us to play attractive football, but also to deliver the appreciation that our team and our players deserve,” he concluded.

The Paulista campaign is also valued

The two wins over XV de Jaú had an impact beyond qualification. William explained that points still count during the knockout stage and highlighted Corinthians’ position in the overall standings.

“The matches are balanced. It was important to win both games because the points still count in this knockout phase. We had the fourth-best campaign, and now we moved back up to third, with our rival drawing in the first leg of their knockout tie,” the coach explained.

The coach also celebrated the place in the round of 16, highlighted another goal by Gui Amorim, and called for greater discipline to prevent red cards from hurting the team in the next rounds.

“I’m happy with the qualification. I think we need to value qualification. Amorim scored again, he scored another beautiful goal today, so that’s really nice. And we also need a little more control so we don’t have players sent off, so that in the next rounds that doesn’t make a difference,” William said.

The defensive performance was also emphasized by the coach. According to William, Corinthians reached the round of 16 with the best defense and the third-best overall campaign in the Paulista Under-20, a scenario that allows Timão to play the next round at home.

“I believe it has been quite smooth. They have been thinking a lot about the Paulista, they are very focused on the Paulista. Their dedication has been really nice. I believe that’s also why we have the strong campaign we do, with the best defense, the third-best overall campaign in the competition, and the chance to decide the round of 16 at home,” he pointed out.

Focus on the state championship before the Copinha

Although the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior is on the horizon for the age group, William Batista stressed that the squad is focused on its current commitment. For the coach, the ability not to look ahead to preparing for the Copinha shows the players’ level of concentration on the Paulista.

“We have been thinking game by game. Even knowing that the Copinha is three months away, the focus is very much, in fact, on the Paulista. I admire the team when it can look at the present moment without looking ahead to something that is a little farther away. It means they are very focused, very concentrated on what our current moment is, which is trying to fight for the Paulista title,” William said.

In addition to the pursuit of the state title, the competition offers Corinthians another objective. As highlighted by the coach, finishing the Paulista among the top three guarantees a place in the age group’s Copa do Brasil in 2027.

“It is a competition that gives a place in the Copa do Brasil. We have the desire to take the team to the Copa do Brasil,” the coach assured.

Corinthians await round-of-16 opponent

Still without a defined opponent for the next stage, William preached respect regardless of who stands in Corinthians’ way. The coach used the tie against XV de Jaú itself as an example and also highlighted the youth of the Corinthians squad.

“We have to show a lot of respect, respect whichever opponent comes. We respected XV de Jaú a lot today. We knew it would be a difficult match, and it really was. It is a team that had physical strength, physical quality. I believe they had five or six final-year players,” the coach began.

“That is important for us because our team is also young, with many 2007-born players and some 2008-born players. There’s Pellegrin, born in 2006, and Matheus, born in 2006, only in the starting team. So we are happy. Now we will try to respect whoever comes in the next stage and wait to see who the opponent will be,” William concluded.

Corinthians therefore await the definition of their next opponent in the Paulista Under-20 Championship. The round-of-16 matches are scheduled to begin in early October.

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