Bola Rolando: Operário fell to eighth, but no ground was destroyed

The 2-2 draw with Ceará left a bitter taste in the supporters, mainly because the Operário Ferroviário opened two goals of advantage in the second half and had the victory in hands. But who looks only at the fall from fifth to eighth place may end up seeing a situation much worse than it really is.

There's no scorched earth.

The worker is still alive. Very alive.

With 48 points, the Phantom is in the same block as the teams that directly play the last spots of the G6 of the Series B. The difference between the competitors is small and, with eight rounds to go, any sequence of two wins can completely transform the classification.

The tie cannot hide the campaign

It is obvious that losing a 2-0 lead within Germano Krüger bothers. Ceará grew up at the end of the match, sought a draw and even threatened a turn.

It is also true that the Worker needs to correct his defensive system. The team is making goals, but also suffering too much. In such a balanced final straight, the balance of goals and the number of goals scored can end up directly in the definition of positions.

The good news is that the Luizinho Lopes coach will have to count on important pieces of the defense, just at the moment when the championship enters its most decisive phase.

Mathematics also favors a competitive campaign

The worker has 48 points and still has 24 points in dispute.

Keeping approximately the use presented during the competition, the Phantom would be able to add about 12 points in this final straight and reach 60.

And here is one of the big questions of this Series B: how many points will it take to finish in the top six?

There is a projection of approximately 62 points, but I believe that this line may be below that. The reason is simple: balance.

The clubs at the top do not have such different uses. There is no team running over the championship while the others are left behind.

This keeps the Worker in the dispute.

Four clubs for two places

The design of the final straight begins to become clearer.

Vila Nova, Fortaleza, Novorizontino and Juventude appear in a more comfortable situation at the top.

Just behind it appears the group that directly interests the supporter of the Worker: Criciúma, Atlético-GO, CRB and the Ghost itself.

In my reading, there are four clubs fighting especially for two vacancies.

And that changes the perspective a lot.

The Worker does not have to make an extraordinary campaign and begin to win absolutely every game. It needs to be more efficient than two or three direct opponents during the last eight rounds.

Is it hard?

Of course it is.

But it is not difficult just for the worker.

There is no reason for despair

The championship came at a time when every round brings about huge changes in the table. A win can mean three or four positions. A tie can knock a team down several places.

This is exactly what happened to the worker.

He went from fifth to eighth, but remained fully inserted in the same group that fights for the G6.

So perhaps the biggest mistake now is turning a frustrating tie into a crisis that doesn’t exist.

There are problems to correct, mainly defensively. There are points that can no longer escape inside the house. And you'll have to punctuate out.

But there is also a consistent 48-point campaign, an extremely balanced championship and eight rounds ahead.

The worker has lost positions.

He didn't lose the championship.

And the dispute over the G6 remains absolutely open.

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