Little creativity, poor finishing, and scares marked the third phase of the competition for Timão against América-RN, from the Série D of the Brasileirão
Statistics can easily deceive the unsuspecting football fan. Anyone reading the numbers from Corinthians 2 x 1 América-RN in the third phase of the Copa do Brasil might think Coringão's performance was worthy of applause. It wasn't. Repeating the score from the first leg at Arena das Dunas should not be a point of pride for the club from Parque São Jorge. Carlos Miguel, standing in for Cássio in goal, was the best player on the field in Natal. The team conceded two goals to a club that plays in the fourth division of Brazilian football.
Corinthians had 67% possession in Itaquera. Twenty-eight shots compared to only six from the opponent. Four great saves by Renan Bragança, the Potiguar team’s goalkeeper, and nine Corinthians corners in 90 minutes. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? It wasn't. I can prove it because I narrated the game yesterday for Rádio Bandnews FM.
Antonio Oliveira’s team has a chronic problem with playmaking. It’s unclear whether it’s due to technical deficiencies or a lack of good ideas, but the team’s movements are very predictable. Their main playmaker, Rodrigo Garro, is often too far from his attacking teammates (Wesley, Yuri Alberto, and Romero). The team relies heavily on flashes of brilliance from Wesley and his dribbling on the left side. If he's not inspired, the team struggles to create significant plays. Out of Corinthians’ 28 shots against América in Itaquera, only six were on target. Thirteen were off target, and six were blocked by Mecão’s five-man defense. (See more at [Flashscore](https://www.flashscore.com.br/jogo/jwehodom/#/resumo-de-jogo/estatisticas-de-jogo/0)).
The goals by Corinthians, as has been the case in recent matches, came from opponent errors. Yesterday, the first goal resulted from a slip by defender Hygor Ribeiro, who lost the ball to Breno Bidon, who then assisted Yuri Alberto. The second goal came from a scramble in the area, where Cacá found himself alone and scored in the 46th minute of the second half. This is very little for a team of Corinthians' stature, with its budget and players. It’s important to note: this was against a team from the fourth division of Brazilian football.
In the first minute of the game, a lapse in the Alvinegra defense almost cost them, as Norberto found himself alone in Carlos Miguel's area. Had he not been a fullback by trade, América would have been up one-nil from the start. The goal that the visiting team scored in Itaquera also came from a defensive positioning error during a set piece. Felix Torres headed the ball to the edge of the box, but no one was there to clear the second ball. Wenderson stepped in and struck, beating Carlos Miguel to equalize the game.
These are chronic problems that Antonio Oliveira seems to pretend not to see. This is a team that has time to train but does not improve in both defensive and offensive moments. They show some strength in attacking set pieces but fail significantly in defensive aerial duels. The team needs to improve a lot, not only to keep advancing in the Copa do Brasil but also, and more importantly, to avoid relegation in the Brasileirão.
