Paiva praises defense against Santos in the Copa do Brasil: “Contention”

Last Wednesday, the 17th, saints It is bahia did not come out of zero by the round of 16 of the Brazil Cup 2023. The first leg of the knockout competition ended in a goalless draw at Vila Belmiro. Although Tricolor didn’t win, coach Renato Paiva highlighted that keeping the dispute alive in the tournament was essential.

“It is obvious that when you enter with this team you are telling the opposing coach that you are going to be much more restrained in attack. There will be two players in front of the defense who can help the three defenders and also manage to pass forward when they win the ball, especially the Rezende get it”explained Paiva in relation to the assembly of the cast. “The strategy was to remove the space. Rezende and Acevedo They take up space like no one else.”

The trainer added: “What I wanted was for us to be with the ball. In the first part we went, in the second not so much. The idea was to be a more containment team and take the tie alive to Salvador. It was very important to neutralize the strengths of the opponent.”. The result was also decisive in breaking the sequence of two defeats; one of them, by the way, was for the saintsat the Brasileirãoby 3 to 0.

“In the same way that we were non-existent in the defeat against Santos (last Wednesday, the 10th), today we played a very competent match”Paiva explained. “It’s not a game that I like very much, it wasn’t a proposal game, possibly the fans like more forward, more vibrant football. It is a game that is not worth points, it is a tie that is divided into two games, we also knew, due to what happened here (in the Brasileirão), how Santos plays”.

Regarding the return game, at Arena Fonte Nova, the coach sent a specific message to the fans of the bahia: “Our fans win games, without a doubt. I ask that the players do not boo during the game, that they boo during the break, at the end of the game. There are new players here and that doesn’t help us. Let the players play, help them. Help us play and contain negative emotions.”

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