“We need to apologize to the fans. It was a shame. A hard blow. We played with fear. Nobody wanted the ball. Today was a shame. We are a big team. We all have to have the dignity to recognize that this cannot happen.”
The declaration is Prickone of the most experienced players in the Palmeiras squad, still leaving the field. Head down, face haggard, speech short and direct. There wasn’t much more to say after a night that will go down in the club’s history — and not for the reasons that fans have become accustomed to celebrating in recent years.
Novorizontino 4, Palmeiras 0. Yes, that’s right. A merciless, unexpected rout, which is configured as the Palmeiras’ worst defeat in the Abel Ferreira eraalready in his sixth season at the helm of the team, precisely in the 400th match of the Portuguese coaching staff. It is also the biggest defeat suffered by Verdão in the last ten years. And, believe me, this is only the second defeat in 60 qualifying stage games of the Campeonato Paulista. The cruel curiosity: the other had also been for Novorizontino.
Defeat that takes down coach
If it hadn’t been the start of the season, if it hadn’t been for Abel’s Palmeiras — a coach with immense credit, a winning record and internal support —, the impact of this result could have been devastating. The context softens, but does not absolve. There are defeats that ask for understanding. Others require deep reflection. Novo Horizonte fits into the second category.
It is possible — and even reasonable — for the most fanatical fan to blame the results on the tests, the tight schedule, the typical January experiences… But what was seen on the field was more than a team in formation. It was a maladjusted, apathetic Palmeiras, far from its own characteristicsunrecognizable even for a squad that had started Paulistão with three wins in three games and no goals conceded.
Robson, the owner of the party
The game started off slow, with few clear chances and an excess of fouls. But when the match started, Novorizontino was surgical. In the 19th minute, Mayk took a corner and Robson, completely free, opened the scoring with a header. Palmeiras even tried to react, but the game didn’t flow. The night really belonged to the home team. At 41, Mayk advanced unopposed from the left, crossed into the area and Robson appeared again to make it 2-0.
The first half score faithfully reflected what was seen on the field: an intense, organized and hungry Novorizontino. And Palmeiras was passive, insecure, afraid of making mistakes — as Piquerez himself would later admit.
The second half, which could have been a reaction, brought embarrassment. Robson completed the hat-trick by taking advantage of another defensive failureand Hélio Borges closed the score at 4-0. A walk. A reality check. A result that does not allow for peripheral explanations. You can’t talk about the pitch, refereeing or lack of time to train. The score was fair and reflected what Palmeiras did not play.
This victory is the result of a lot of work. Compete, put your foot on the ball, suffocate and take advantage of opportunities calmly. Down to earth, we haven’t won anything yet. Robson, autor do hat-trick
For Palmeiras, the defeat needs to be treated as a turning point. A loud, uncomfortable alert, impossible to ignore. Are the boys at the base really ready to take on more responsibilities? Are the hired reinforcements sufficient? Do Abel’s tactical variations still find answers within the squad? Did the lack of titles last year affect the emotions of a group accustomed to winning?
SIGA THE FOOTBALL
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This is not about calling everything into question or ignoring the extent of the work carried out in recent years. But you also can’t normalize a 4-0 defeat and pretend nothing happened. Palmeiras is too big for that. Perhaps the greatest value of this night lies in the discomfort it causes. Because big teams also stumble. But they learn quickly. And, if it wants to continue being Abel’s Palmeiras, Verdão will need to transform the shame assumed by Piquerez in response — on the field. And fast.
