Railway technician praises Corinthians' hegemony and plans clash for the Women's Copa do Brasil
- By Mirella Ramos / Central do Timão Editorial
Corinthians already knows its next challenge in the 2026 Women's Copa do Brasil. In the round of 16, Brabas will face Ferroviária in a unique duel, scheduled for July 20th, at 8pm (Brasília time), at Arena Fonte Luminosa, in Araraquara. Before the eliminatory clash, however, the teams will also face off in the Campeonato Paulista, on July 17th, at 7pm (Brasília time), at Fazendinha.
In an interview with Lance!, Ferroviária coach, Léo Mendes, analyzed the current situation in Brazilian women's football, highlighted the hegemony built by Corinthians in recent years and stated that, despite the growth of other teams, the black and white club continues to be a reference in the sport.
Photo: ©Rodrigo Gazzanel / Ag. Corinthians
When commenting on the evolution of the national scenario, the coach stated that the difference between Corinthians and other competitors has decreased in recent years, although Timão continues to be the main force in Brazilian women's football.
"Before returning to Ferroviária, I followed from the outside and saw Corinthians winning practically everything: Brasileiro, Libertadores, Paulista. At times, they even gave up certain competitions because of the calendar, but they remained extremely dominant. I wondered when someone would be able to face this team. Today, I think that this gap has reduced a lot. Palmeiras has already won important titles, Ferroviária has also been reducing this difference and other teams have grown a lot. I remember as a fan of the last Championship Brazilian won by Ferroviária, when Luciana played a historic match. At that time, when Corinthians entered the field, the feeling was that they would win, unless something extraordinary happened.
Football allows this, but it was a very dominant team. Today, Corinthians continues to be a reference. It has a new coaching staff that has already managed to give the team an identity, very high-level athletes and a lot of decision-making capacity. For us, facing teams of this size is important because it measures our evolution. It is also an opportunity for younger players to experience big matches, gain experience and develop a competitive shell. Based on history, Corinthians is still the main team in Brazilian women's football. Palmeiras has already matched a lot in terms of investment, structure and squad, but we have a lot of respect for the trajectory built by Corinthians. At the same time, we want to conquer our space and become increasingly uncomfortable."
The retrospect of the confrontation reinforces the recent historical balance, but with Corinthians' broad advantage. In 41 matches played between the teams, Corinthians has 30 wins, ten draws and just one defeat. The Brabas scored 89 goals and conceded 23 in the period.
Ferroviária's only victory over Corinthians took place on August 24, 2022, in the Brazilian Championship. Even so, the Araraquara team also has a memorable memory against the black and white club: winning the 2019 Brasileirão Feminino. On that occasion, after two draws in the final games, Ferroviária won the penalty shootout at Fazendinha and took the national title.
Even recognizing the difficulty of the confrontation, Léo Mendes stated that the unique game format of the Copa do Brasil increases Ferroviária's possibilities and highlighted the importance of neutralizing Corinthians' strengths without giving up the team's identity.
"The Copa do Brasil is a very interesting competition precisely because it allows this type of confrontation. Of course, in the draw, you think you could face a different opponent, but it is also a championship that gives opportunities for teams from other divisions to grow, attract investment and strengthen the sport. Now we will have a unique game, and this completely changes the scenario. It is only 90 minutes. We need to believe that it can be our day, play a great match, neutralize Corinthians' main strengths and, at the same time, maintain our game identity."
Corinthians secured a place in the round of 16 after eliminating Palmeiras with a 1-0 victory at Allianz Parque, with a goal from Gabi Zanotti. Ferroviária advanced after beating UDA 8 x 0.
Before the decisive clash for the Copa do Brasil, the teams will face each other again for the Campeonato Paulista Feminino. The duel will be played at Fazendinha and will mark Brabas' official return to competition after the break for the World Cup. Currently, Ferroviária leads the State with nine points, while Corinthians appears in second place, with four.
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Source: Timao Central