Dorival admits poor Corinthians display, but warns: "All is not lost" | OneFootball

Dorival Júnior admitted that Corinthians did not perform well in the first match of the Copa do Brasil final, against Vasco. The coach said that the team struggled from the first to the last minute at Neo Química Arena, but warns that “not all is lost.”

“Vasco played well, there’s no doubt about that. The team really felt today’s match. We had difficulties from the first minute. We couldn’t find space with our passing game. It’s hard to even explain, considering the preparation we had. But I have to acknowledge that yes, we were unable to break free from what Vasco’s team had prepared,” analyzed the coach in a press conference.

“In the first half we expected a different reaction, but it didn’t happen. Not all is lost. Let’s stay calm, it’s a 180-minute game. There are still 90 minutes left at Maracanã,” he added.

Dorival assessed that Corinthians was trapped by Vasco’s well-organized marking. He believes the team lacked more dynamism to find spaces and reach the attack more incisively.

“They pushed their marking forward, managed to press us at times. We had an open corridor to exit and didn’t take advantage. Our passing was sluggish. Unmarked players weren’t receiving the ball. All of this made things more difficult and frustrated the team. Vasco played a more balanced game. Corinthians couldn’t accelerate. We missed that lively, dynamic play. That was really lacking,” he commented.

(Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

Emotional exhaustion

The Corinthians coach revealed that the team was emotionally exhausted after the semifinal against Cruzeiro, which was decided on penalties.

“We imagined this could happen today. The emotional strain was at its limit on Sunday. Vasco and Fluminense also played under those circumstances, but our exhaustion was a bit different, due to what happened in the match. We took care of all the players. Everything we could do for recovery—assessments, conversations—was done to avoid situations like this, with a lack of energy. It was clear that we struggled and many of them were not at their full capacity,” he stated.

“We ended up with two crucial matches, against Cruzeiro, extremely exhausting. Almost no time for recovery. We couldn’t get on the field. Suddenly, a match with this level of difficulty. It was a tight game, with few alternatives. Visually, it was ugly to watch,” he concluded.

Situation of the match-up

The result keeps everything open for the second leg of the final. The winner of the return match will take the Copa do Brasil title. If the aggregate score remains tied, the decision will go to penalties.

The decisive match is scheduled for this Sunday. Kick-off is at 6pm (Brasília time) at Maracanã Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro.

Next Corinthians match

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