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São Paulo seems to have finally found its ideal team for the season. After three big changes from Fernando Diniz throughout the season, Tricolor shows promising signs with the current line-up.
The team that defeated Flamengo 4-1 last Sunday, and that has been playing the best football since the return of football due to the pandemic, will be put to the test again this Wednesday, against Lanús, at 7.15pm. , in Morumbi, for the second leg of the South American Cup.
Fernando Diniz, from São Paulo – Photo: Staff Images / CONMEBOL
But to get to this “backbone” of the team, the coach went through moments of instability and a lot of pressure for his decision making.
At the beginning of the season, São Paulo was practically different compared to the current one. Before the new coronavirus pandemic, the team had one of its best moments in 2020. With Tchê Tchê as first midfielder, Daniel Alves as second and a rising attacking trio, Tricolor was considered one of the best in Paulistão.
Tiago Volpi, Juanfran, Bruno Alves, Arboleda and Reinaldo; Tchê Tchê, Daniel Alves and Igor Gomes; Antony, Vitor Bueno and Alexandre Pato.
– We had a team that played very well until the pandemic arrived, at certain moments of the Paulista Championship the results did not arrive, but the team played consistently well. When I went to see him, it seemed that we were going to have a great season with that team – said Fernando Diniz in an interview with “Bem, Amigos!”, Last Monday.
São Paulo posed before the pandemic – Photo: Marcos Ribolli
The return of soccer in Brazil, however, caused the team to change completely after the elimination of Mirassol in the quarterfinals of the Paulista Championship and the irregular start in the Brasileirão.
From that team that came to awaken the hope of the fans at the beginning of the year, Antony (sold to Ajax) and Alexandre Pato (contract terminated) arrived. It was the moment of the first great reformulation of Fernando Diniz.
On the fifth day of the Brazilian Championship, the coach modified the defensive system: Juanfran left (Igor Vinicius entered), Bruno Alves left (Leo entered) and Arboleda (Diego Costa) left. In the middle of the field, Gabriel Sara assumed the starting position. In attack, Pablo, Vitor Bueno and Luciano went on to score goals.
Team at the start of the Brasileirão:
Tiago Volpi, Igor Vinicius, Diego Costa, Léo and Reinaldo; Tchê Tchê, Daniel Alves and Gabriel Sara; Vitor Bueno, Pablo and Luciano.
The training got off to a promising start, with three wins in a row and a break for Fernando Diniz. However, the elimination in the group stage of the Libertadores and a sequence of ten consecutive goals fitted a reality shock in the squad and opened up squad problems.
Diego Costa playing for São Paulo – Photo: Rubens Chiri / saopaulofc.net
Under pressure again after unsatisfactory results and seven straight games without a win, Diniz was forced to switch again. That would probably be his last chance at the head of the club.
For the match against Atlético-GO, on Brasileirão matchday 14, he then reinforced the defensive system: he returned with Juanfran instead of Igor Vinicius, returned with Bruno Alves instead of Léo and placed Luan as the first midfielder instead of Tchê . Tchê. In the attack, he bet on the couple Brenner and Luciano.
The change of ends lasted only one game, since Juanfran was injured. Igor Vinicius returned, he was also injured after two starting matches, and Tchê Tchê took over.
Base team of the last games:
Tiago Volpi; Tchê Tchê (Igor Vinicius), Bruno Alves, Diego Costa and Reinaldo; Luan, Daniel Alves, Gabriel Sara and Igor Gomes; Brenner and Luciano.
Brenner, Igor Gomes, Diego Costa, Luan, Gabriel Sara and Fernando Diniz, in São Paulo – Photo: Rubens Chiri / saopaulofc.net
The current line-up has been giving results and, once again, giving survival to Fernando Diniz. With five boys revealed in the club’s base categories (Diego Costa, Luan, Gabriel Sara, Igor Gomes and Brenner), the team beat Palmeiras and Flamengo, qualified for the quarterfinals of the Brazil Cup and placed São Paulo with the best. use of the Brasileirão until now.
The defense was more solid on certain occasions (there were oscillations, mainly in the Copa do Brasil and Sul-Americana) and the couple Brenner and Luciano began to shine in the attack.
All the work and accomplishments thus far, however, may have part of your course committed on Wednesday night. After Lanús’ 3-2 defeat in Argentina, São Paulo needs victory to advance in the Copa Sudamericana and has what Diniz considers best for the match.
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To qualify, Tricolor can win by a goal difference (up to 2 to 1). If they win 3-2, the place will be decided on penalties. But if you win by 4 to 3, for example, you are eliminated by the away goal criterion.
Further deletion may cause Diniz to make other changes.
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