Corinthians midfielder rues loss, but says: “We’re still in it” | OneFootball

On the night of last Monday (18), Corinthians faced Cruzeiro at Arena do Jacaré in a match valid for the 11th round of the qualification stage of the 2026 Brazilian Women’s Championship, and ended up losing 3-2. The Brabas’ goals were scored by midfielder Andressa Alves and forward Jaqueline. Even with the defeat, Alvinegro remained at the top of the national competition with 25 points — eight wins, one draw, and two losses — with 27 goals scored and 12 conceded.

In second and third place, respectively, are Palmeiras and São Paulo, with 24 and 23 points. After the end of the match, 25-year-old midfielder Duda Sampaio gave an interview to SporTV and lamented the negative result. However, she pointed out that the team is still in the race for the overall lead.

Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel/Agência Corinthians

“I believe it wasn’t a good game from us. I think we could have been more intense in our decisions. We also created a lot of chances. In games like this, that makes a difference. It’s part of the process, part of learning. I’m sure this defeat will make us stronger. So when another match of this level comes, we’ll be well prepared. We just have to keep working. We know we’re still right there in the fight. I’m sure that from now on we’ll keep working quietly, always looking to improve with every game,” she said.

At Corinthians since 2023, after standing out for Internacional, Duda Sampaio quickly became one of the Brabas’ main players. In total, she has 28 goals and 25 assists in 118 matches wearing the Corinthians shirt (91 as a starter), with 84 wins, 22 draws, and 12 losses — a 77.4% success rate. In addition, she has won eight titles: the Brazilian Championship (2023, 2024, and 2025), the Paulistão (2023), the Conmebol Libertadores (2023, 2024, and 2025), and the Supercopa (2024).

After being beaten by Cruzeiro away from home in the Brazilian Women’s Championship, Corinthians now turns its attention to the Paulista Championship. Next Thursday (21), at 7:15 p.m. (Brasília time), Alvinegro will host Santos FC at Estádio Alfredo Schürig, Fazendinha, for the third round of the state competition.

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