After the 2-1 turn over Grêmio no Morumbis, coach made it clear that the team is only at the beginning of a decisive sequence in the season
After the 2-1 turn over Grêmio at Morumbis, the coach avoided exaggerated celebrations and made it clear that he is only at the beginning of a decisive sequence of the season. For him, the moment requires maximum concentration, as the next games, both in the Brasileirão and in Cups, will define the course of the team before the stop for the Club World Cup in June. With 12 points won in the Brazilian Championship, São Paulo is still far from the fight for the first positions, but the coach has reinforced the importance of maintaining performance and turning good performances into results away from home. “There are four finals. If not, everything that is being said about overcoming difficult times serves nothing,” he said. “We have to start winning as a visitor.”
São Paulo’s next mission will be for the Brazilian Cup, on Tuesday, against Nautical, in the distress. The team won the first game 2-1 and tries to confirm the place away from home. Following, the team faces Mirassol for Brasileirão and will still have important commitments for Libertadores, where it is already classified, but seeks the leadership of the group. Zubeldía avoided comments on cast injuries or limitations and preferred to reinforce the team’s competitive spirit. “We are at the ball and we have to dance. I don’t want to talk about injured, being short or broad … We have to be very focused on games before the break,” he said. According to him, São Paulo will have at least five commitments until the stop, and the goal is to add as many points as possible.
The coach also highlighted the unpredictability of the Brasileirão, where the table is tight and changes of position happen with each round. “The situation here is a lot of paste. In a while you are losing, it turns the game and is already ninth. It’s a marathon. So I always think of short goals: winning a game, then the next… I think it’s the best way,” he said. Despite the difficulties faced, Zubeldía was pleased with the team’s overall performance in the season so far.
São Paulo is classified to the Libertadores knockout, in the condition of seeking the leadership of the group, still alive in the Brazilian Cup and trying to approach the top of the Brasileirão. “We are competing. We could have more points, but what matters is that we follow well on all fronts,” he said. For the coach, the requirement in the Brazilian calendar is one of the largest on the continent, which he considers a constant challenge. “In Brazil there are 12, 14 teams that can quietly reach the quarterfinals or semifinals of Libertadores. Sometimes the competence in Brasileirão is greater than in many games of the continental competition itself,” he said. “This makes everything harder.”
Posted by Luisa Cardoso
*With information from Estadão Content
