New choice in goal? Artur Jorge explains Otávio at Cruzeiro

New choice in goal? Artur Jorge explains Otávio at Cruzeiro

With starting goalkeeper Cássio sidelined by injury, Cruzeiro’s goal has become the center of attention and fan pressure.

His immediate replacement, Matheus Cunha, took over the position but has been going through an unstable spell and facing constant criticism.

Given that scenario, coach Artur Jorge promoted young goalkeeper Otávio, a product of the club’s academy, to the starting lineup in the 2-2 draw against Goiás in the Copa do Brasil.

Despite the change, the coach made it clear that the decision was specific to that match and does not mean a rotation system focused on different competitions. According to Artur Jorge, it was a matter of merit.

"Choosing Otávio had to do with this game. I don’t usually use players in certain competitions. That’s all: he earned an opportunity, and the opportunity was given," the coach explained.

The match against the team from Goiás marked only Otávio’s fourth appearance with the senior squad. Integrated into the first team last year, the 20-year-old goalkeeper had officially played only in this season’s Campeonato Mineiro, against Pouso Alegre, Tombense and Democrata-GV.

Protecting the young talent

Otávio had already been considered to take over the starting spot last weekend, in the important clash against Grêmio in the Brazilian Championship. However, the coaching staff chose to protect him.

As Matheus Cunha had been the target of boos and the team was fighting to get out of the relegation zone in the league, the club felt that throwing the 20-year-old into an extremely high-pressure environment could be harmful. The Copa do Brasil match therefore served as a testing ground and a defensive move by the coaching staff.

The competition remains open

After the match against Goiás, in which the youngster conceded two goals, the battle for the No. 1 shirt remains undecided for the next game. Cruzeiro returns to action this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) to face Remo in Belém.

Asked about who will start this weekend, Artur Jorge remained coy: "He played (against Goiás). Now we’ll see what the choice will be for the next game."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.