Arias defended Palmeiras after being asked whether the team had been underperforming offensively during the final stretch of the season. Following the 1-0 victory over Vasco at Nubank Parque, the Colombian attacking midfielder pointed to Palmeiras’ broader campaign to argue that the criticism was unfair.
“Clearly, sometimes we normalize many things here. But underperforming? Not at all,” Arias said. “The important thing was to reach this point of the year alive in every competition, fighting for every title. Palmeiras is currently the only team with that capacity.”
Palmeiras have already reached the Copa Libertadores final, where they will face Argentina’s Estudiantes. The team also leads its Copa do Brasil semifinal against Vasco and remains in contention for the Brazilian league title, three points behind leaders Flamengo with five matches remaining.
The first-leg victory means Palmeiras need only a draw in the return match to reach the Copa do Brasil final. The second game will be played next Sunday at 5 p.m. Brasília time at São Januário.
Arias said the team had achieved its main objective by securing an advantage in the opening match, while also recognizing Vasco’s performance. He added that Palmeiras created opportunities to score more goals, but lacked greater accuracy and composure in the finishing.
Sources: Globo Esporte.