Matheus Pereira slams pitch, urges Corinthians to bounce back | OneFootball

Corinthians drew 0-0 with Chapecoense last Thursday night (19th), at Arena Condá, in the seventh round of the Brazilian Championship. After the match, midfielder Matheus Pereira gave an interview in the mixed zone and commented on the team's performance, as well as addressing the winless streak, fans' criticism, and the difficulties faced in the match.

The player began by talking about the synthetic turf, highlighting the impact this type of surface can have on performance and even the risk of injuries. Subsequently, Matheus Pereira commented on the phase Corinthians is going through and emphasized that the squad is primarily responsible for turning the situation around.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

"Man, it disrupts a lot, even the risk of injury, right. For us playing at a high level, it disrupts a lot. You can notice that in Europe there are no synthetic fields because it's bad, so I think this needs to change as soon as possible. We train all week on normal grass, so when we come to play on synthetic grass, it's a completely different adaptation. It's not an excuse, I think today we also lacked that final detail, especially in the last pass, we know the phase too, but it's not an excuse. But, obviously, yes, it disrupts a lot," said the number 23.

"Regarding the phase, the main ones bothered by the group's situation and without a win are us players. Of course, we want to win, we know the weight of the jersey we wear, so we are the most interested in getting back to winning. Sunday we have another final. Of course, we treat every game as a final, but we also know the size of the game, so we will go all out to get the three points," he continued.

The midfielder also spoke about the fans' demands after another negative result and stated that the pressure is natural given the club's greatness.

"The pressure we have is because of the jersey we wear. We know the weight of the jersey, we know the size of the club, we know where we are, so the fans' pressure is normal. We have to work, listen to the demands, and get back to winning," commented Matheus Pereira.

Still on the turf, the player detailed the differences between playing on natural and synthetic grass, reinforcing his opposition to the use of this type of field in Brazilian football and drawing a parallel with his experiences in Europe.

"The adaptation from natural grass to synthetic grass is totally different, everyone knows that. It's not an excuse for this, nor for our current moment, but it's a different adaptation. The ball hit, the change of direction, the risk of locking your foot and twisting your knee is huge too, so I think synthetic fields should end in Brazil," said the player.

Matheus Pereira also commented on the physical control of the squad throughout the season and highlighted the importance of the work done by the coaching staff and the physiology department. The midfielder spoke about physical monitoring and explained how the club's daily follow-up works to prevent problems throughout the season.

"We know we have many games during the season, there's the Brazilian Championship, the Libertadores, the Copa do Brasil, the Paulista that also ended, there are many consecutive games. Of course, everyone wants to play, but the physiology staff, the medical department, and the physical preparation control this load so we don't end up getting injured, avoiding injuries. We also have a good group, with great players who are fully capable of playing, and whoever comes in is ready," he commented.

"It's daily, almost every day. It's an image control that we do, so from this image, the physiology and physical preparation department has an idea of what needs to be dosed or not," continued Matheus Pereira.

The number 23 also analyzed the team's lack of offensive effectiveness and pointed out what needs to be adjusted to improve performance. Subsequently, he commented on the team's performance fluctuation throughout the matches and reinforced that the squad remains committed to seeking an immediate reaction.

"As I said, it's about concentrating a little more on the final pass. I think today wasn't an extremely bad game on our part, I think we created opportunities. It's about concentrating on the final pass, in the final third of the field to refine a little more and get it right," stated Matheus Pereira.

"All games are the same way, like a final, because we know the size of the club, the jersey we wear. Unfortunately, we won't play well in every game, because to play at a high level, you need rest. That's why Dorival rotates the team. We work a lot during the week. As I said, the main ones interested in getting back to winning are us players. We demand a lot from ourselves in the locker room. So it's about working more to get back to winning as soon as possible," he concluded.

After drawing with Chapecoense, Corinthians remains focused on the Brazilian Championship. At 8:30 PM this Sunday (22nd), the Alvinegro will host Flamengo at the Neo Química Arena for the eighth round of the national competition.

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