Lucas Piccinato: Corinthians hold edge, eyes Arena semi-final clash | OneFootball

Last Saturday (22), Corinthians defeated São Paulo 2-1 at Arena Barueri in the first leg of the Women's Paulista Championship semifinal, gaining an advantage in the matchup. Both goals for the black and white team were scored by Jhonson. The return match will be on December 4, at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), at Neo Química Arena. The winner will face Palmeiras or Ferroviária in the final.

Right after the match ended, coach Lucas Piccinato held a press conference where he discussed the advantage built in the first half of the matchup, the team's behavior throughout the game, the adjustments made at halftime, and the series of decisions between the two clubs in 2025.

Photo: ©Rodrigo Gazzanel / Ag. Corinthians

Asked about the score in the first game, Piccinato assessed the situation but was cautious and said the matchup remains undecided.

“I think it's a relevant advantage, but an advantage that means nothing in the context of two teams that know each other well and have the full potential for any result to happen in the next match. Happy, obviously, for the advantage. It is, indeed, an advantage, no denying that, but if we start poorly in the next game and they score a goal, the advantage goes down the drain. It's about preparing well, using the period between games to adjust what can be adjusted, as we do very well, and arriving very strong at Neo Química to play a great second game,” declared the coach.

Lucas Piccinato also detailed what he observed on the field, especially when São Paulo equalized and started to attack more frequently.

“I think we were playing a well-controlled game in the first part, the first half. And, on a ball that São Paulo often seeks, which is the side switch, we dozed off and conceded the goal. São Paulo grew in the match and had a penalty possibility.”

“I think we locked ourselves well at halftime and managed to come back taking control of the match again with actions. But playing against them is like that. It's a chess game. One moment you're doing well, another you're not. One moment you're dominating the actions, another you're not. But, as a general context, I'm happy we came out with an important result to decide as the home team in the next match,” he added.

Regarding the final phase of the first half, the coach explained what he understood from that moment and talked about the penalty conceded and saved by Lelê.

“We relaxed at the end of the first half, which I didn't understand why. We were in control of the game and suddenly let the São Paulo team enter and get back into the game. The conversation was a demand not to let that happen. Lelê saved us at the end of the first half. We could have ended the half losing.”

The Bravas' commander also analyzed the second half of the Majestic classic: “I think everyone assimilated it very well. We came back much better in the second half. In a tough game like this, it's hard to create many opportunities, but I think we had a good volume. Now it's about taking this good result to Neo Química Arena and coming out of there qualified,” he said.

This semifinal marks the fourth knockout encounter between Corinthians and São Paulo in 2025. Piccinato attributed this recurrence to the solidity and structure of the projects developed by both clubs.

“I think it's a reflection of two projects that have been working very hard in the sport for some time and two teams that always reach the finals. It's a very tough opponent, very well trained, with great athletes, and it has been our big matchup of the season. We hope, of course, that this time we can, unlike in the Copa do Brasil, qualify for the final,” he analyzed.

During the press conference, Piccinato also commented on the change of the match, initially scheduled for December 3 and later moved to the 4th, a change motivated by the proximity to commitments of players called up for the FIFA Date. The coach assessed that the solution found did not fully meet what the technical staff wanted.

“It wasn't common sense, it was half sense. It was halfway to what we aimed for. We understand the whole context of the calendar, which isn't so much the fault of one side or the other, but a set of things we always get tangled up with at the end of the year on this same topic. We hope that on Monday, with the CBF event, the national calendar will be better disclosed and we can prepare better for the Federation's calendar. And that next year, we won't have this problem.”

Piccinato then explained how this impacts the physical condition of the called-up players: “Obviously, if the players play on the 2nd and the 4th, they won't be 100% and we'll have to understand who is in the best condition or not. But, for sure, it's better than the 3rd, because on the 3rd it would be impossible for them to play. So, it was a 'half sense'. Regardless, we need to play a better game there with whoever is fit to play. And to beat this São Paulo team, we'll have to play a great game to qualify.”

Regarding playing at Neo Química Arena in the return match, the coach considered the team's history at the stadium and spoke about the expectation of support from the fans for the Bravas.

“Our expectation is that the fans can attend. It's been a long time since our last game there; it was the final of the Brazilian Championship. It's a place where we have a very good record and have had excellent moments there. We hope that, once again, Neo Química will help us put on strong pressure. We know that just Neo Química won't help, we need to play a good game, better than here, so that we can qualify for the final.”

The black and white coach also justified the absence of goalkeeper Kemelli, removed from the list due to physical discomfort.

“She had discomfort during the week. She's been having discomfort for some time in her elbow, which bothers her at times. When there's a stronger impact, she ends up unable to have continuity during the week. She couldn't train, and that's why she was left out. We'll see, we'll reevaluate, we'll understand how it will be for this next match. But I'm happy that we have four good goalkeepers. Rillary is a great goalkeeper and, if needed, she would be ready to step in.”

In this first semifinal game, the team was able to count on forward Jaque again, who hadn't played since October 18, in the final of the Women's Libertadores. The player entered in the second half, replacing Vic Albuquerque. Piccinato also commented on the player's physical condition.

“There are so many days until the return match that I can't specify. Happy for her return, for her being able to return to activity. In the Libertadores, she played through sacrifice, with a broken foot, and we gave her time to consolidate the bone and now be 100% calm to play. And it's natural when a player spends so much time without playing, it's difficult to put her to play 90 minutes or give her a very high load, because she certainly wouldn't be able to endure. We'll evaluate what's best for the second match, whoever is in the best condition to play,” he concluded.

Corinthians will have the week free for training until the return match. The spot will be decided at Neo Química Arena on Thursday (4). The players called up by coach Arthur Elias returning from the FIFA Date are Lelê, Mariza, Thais Ferreira, Duda Sampaio, and Gabi Zanotti.

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