Repertoire is a strong point, but Palmeiras always has the ball stopped – 03/19/2023 – PVC

The security of Palmeiras is the dead ball. Every time the goal takes too long to come out, as happened in the insistent 0-0 draw for 57 minutes at Allianz Parque, the impression is always that a free-kick or corner kick will open the scoring. Dudu knows this, the man who received the free kick taken by Raphael Veiga, deflected on the second stick, before reaching Murilo’s conclusion.

Of the 24 goals of the year, ten came from free kicks, penalties or corner kicks. This gives 41%.

Dudu was the most lucid player of an always dominant Palmeiras, but without great individual performances. In addition to him, Zé Rafael, the best on the field, for his tackles and organization from the defense field.

Abel’s tactical repertoire is a strong point, but it didn’t help break the two lines set up by Ituano coach Gilmar Dal Pozzo.

Dudu started well leaning against the sideline on the extreme left, with Bruno Tabata on the other side. It only lasted eight minutes, until Tabata’s thigh injury. Breno Lopes, his replacement, forced Dudu to switch ends.

Abel has always left both ends very open. He widens the field, against the closing defenses, whether with a line of five defenders, like São Bernardo in the quarterfinals, or with four, like in the semifinals.

Dudu became the best way for the danger plays, which followed. There were fourteen kicks in the first half, six forced saves by Jéfferson Paulino, the Ituano goalkeeper. At the end of the match, 22 submissions by Abel Ferreira’s team, who could have scored the second goal.

He won again by 1 x 0, the fourth triumph by the minimum score of eleven victories in 2023.

In the best of them, Dudu’s cross found Breno Lopes’ right foot, which hit the ball and Jéfferson Paulino saved it.

Palmeiras has had more creative matches than the two recent victories. He also offered many spaces against Bragantino, he suffered a silly goal from Ferroviária.

In tight moments, Abel knows he can rely on the dead ball and on a defense that is very difficult to beat. There are fifteen matches in the year, only eight goals conceded, three by Flamengo, two by Corinthians and one by Santos.

Someone may observe that in the classics the defense does not go unnoticed, except against São Paulo.

On the other hand, it has the least leaked defense of the championship that it is playing, it is already enough to reach its fourth consecutive final and seems capable of taking to the 25th state, its greatest hegemony in the state since the Parmalat period.

The semifinal was marked by yet another demonstration of dissatisfaction from the uniformed crowd with president Leila Pereira. At the opening whistle, the banner with the phrase: “Keep your promises.” If we’re talking about money for the samba school, it doesn’t make sense.

Also marked by the absence of defensive midfielder André Luís, player of Sampaio Corrêa, investigated by Goiás politics for the penalty shootout scandal in the last round of Série B of 2022.

Ituano did not miss their midfielder. José Aldo was one of the supporters of the defensive system. Palmeiras won for being the best team in the league.

But he knows that he will need to be even more competitive when the Libertadores group stage and the first rounds of the Brazilian Championship begin.

RESTART

São Paulo believed in the evolution of Rogério Ceni’s work from the improvement of the relationship with the cast, from a month ago. The idea collapsed with the crisis between the coach and striker Marcos Paulo. Will have again. Rogério can still understand that leadership is not done with knowledge alone.

THE FEAR

The Corinthian crisis exploded in another way, with invasion and fear. No one imposes himself through fear, not even a coach, much less a crowd. Corinthians needs to improve its squad and have a team capable of putting more pressure on the opponent. Renewal cannot be based on risk and fear.

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