Even though the hiring of Roger Machado and the departure of Hernán Crespo generated criticism, especially on social media, São Paulo fans were receptive to the new coach last Thursday (12), at Canindé. Tricolor Paulista beat Chapecoense 2-0, with goals from Luciano and Calleri.
Before the match, the coach’s name was chanted by the fans, right after the player-by-player applause. This gesture is traditional, especially in confrontations considered more decisive.
After the duel, Roger’s name was once again sung by the stands, especially by the organized fans. The technician reciprocated with a gesture of thanks with his hands.
“The contact with the fans was quick. In my generation I wasn’t able to play for São Paulo, they had a lot of left backs. But today being able to have my name sung by the fans makes me very happy. I need to maintain this quest to win over the fans. This will happen with a lot of work”, he said.
Even in this scenario of uncertainty, with a new job, the atmosphere at Canindé was supportive of the coach and players. At the end of the first half, some fans applauded, even with a 0-0 draw and little offensive inspiration.
In the second stage, the team responded after adjustments made by the technical committee. The team scored two goals, but created opportunities to beat Chape.
“I especially liked the second half. The first half was more truncated, exceptionally due to the condition of the pitch with the rain, it didn’t allow us to accelerate the passing. Playing with a diamond and two attackers, I have six players in the central corridor. To be fluid like that, I need to induce the opponent in the search for width. We had more search for width with the midfielders. We also used the attackers as support for the ball to stop on the sides of the field. In the first half we didn’t open the field with agility. In the second half it flowed better”, analyzed Roger.
With the triumph, São Paulo took over, with 13 points won, three more than rival Palmeiras, second placed. Tricolor Paulista’s next match will be against , on Sunday (15), in Bragança Paulista.
