Roger Machado, head coach of São Paulo, did not hold back in his criticism of his team’s performance following a 3-2 defeat to Corinthians.
In the post-match press conference, Machado repeatedly highlighted the errors that cost his side dearly. “What worried me were the moments we lost control of the game—when we gave the ball away to the opponent, failed to handle it properly, or made mistakes that, at this level, you simply cannot make. The 3-2 scoreline shows we didn’t deserve better luck because we made errors that the opposition knew how to exploit well,” he said.
The Tricolor coach also addressed the team’s significant drop in performance during the second half. Against Corinthians, São Paulo went into the break level at 1-1, but conceded two goals within the first 15 minutes of the second period. “We didn’t return with the same level of concentration we had in the first half. Today, within ten minutes of the second half, we handed two opportunities to Corinthians. These are points we must correct. We need to come back more focused so we don’t offer the opponent what they want,” Machado added.
Regarding squad matters, Machado spoke about the situations of Maik and Arboleda, both of whom are training separately from the group. “For Maik, it was a joint decision between the coaching staff and the board. Since I arrived, I’ve been talking to him about the need to improve in training, so he could reach the same level as other players in his position. As for Arboleda, that’s still a matter for the board. He was absent for a long time and is now in a reconditioning period. The time has not yet come for this to become a technical decision. Right now, it’s not my call,” the coach explained.