Bola Rolando: Operário in free fall in Série B

The Operário Ferroviário reaches the final straight of the Serie B of the 2026 Brazilian Championship surrounded by doubts about its performance and its ability to react. While the Phantom tries to end the competition in a dignified way, Paranaense football already turns its attention to 2027, with the definition of the groups and the regulation of the next Paranaense Championship.

In the commentary on Wednesday (21), in the program Bola Rolando, of the BnT Portal, two issues deserve special attention: the extremely tight calendar of the State of 2027 and the worrying sequence of results of the Worker, who accumulates four defeats and a draw in the last five games.

The situation requires an analysis that goes beyond the numbers. The clubs’ planning, the need to reformulate the rosters and the lack of time for preparation can directly influence the performance of the teams in the next season.

Paranaense 2027 Championship starts in January and leaves clubs with no time to prepare

The 2027 Paranaense Championship will start on January 6, as defined in a meeting held on Tuesday (20), in Ponta Grossa, with representatives of the 12 participating clubs.

The competition will maintain the format used in 2026, the season in which the Operário Ferroviário won the state championship in a row, adding three Paranaense titles in its history.

Initially, the intention was to start the tournament on January 10. However, the need to accommodate all matches on the calendar forced the anticipation of the opening.

The problem is obvious: how to carry out a proper pre-season with so little time available?

Clubs that play in the Brazilian Championship Series A and B will have appointments until the end of the year. Considering the holiday period of the athletes, there will be an extremely short window for recruitment, tactical adjustments and physical preparation.

The Worker, who is seeking his third consecutive state title, will have to face this challenge while managing the consequences of a grueling national season.

The Paranaense Championship 2027

The draw held during the meeting defined the division of the teams.

Grupo A: Londrina, Paraná Clube, Athletico Paranaense, São Joseense, Maringá and Cianorte.

Group B: Coritiba, Operário Ferroviário, Azuriz, Cascavel, Foz do Iguaçu and Paranavaí.

In the first phase, the members of one group will face the six clubs of the other, in single matches. The top four of each key will advance to the knockout phase, while the last two of each group will play the matches that will define the relegated.

For the Worker, the draw establishes important matches as soon as the opening of the season, including opponents such as Londrina, Athletico Paranaense and Maringá.

The expectation is now for the disclosure of the table, which will determine the order of the clashes and the field commanders.

Worker reaches final straight of Serie B in worrying fall

If planning for 2027 requires attention, the current moment of the Phantom is even more worrisome.

With 48 points and four games remaining, the Worker presents one of the most negative performances of the second half of the Brazilian Serie B Championship.

In the last five games, there have been four losses and only one draw. A sequence that compromised the possibility of competing for higher positions and increased discontent with the team’s performance.

Coach Alberto Valentim faces the challenge of regaining the competitiveness of a roster that has shown limitations in decisive moments of the competition.

Although mathematical projections may still indicate remote possibilities of classification, the performance presented in the field does not offer sufficient grounds for optimism.

Mathematics must be separated from football.

A team that has won only one point in the last 15 games can hardly be considered a favorite to win all four remaining matches.

Athletic, Novorizontino, Sport e Ponte Preta: o caminho do Fantasma

The remaining calendar does not facilitate the alvinegra mission.

The first challenge will be in front of Athletic on Friday (23) at Ponta Grossa. Even playing in front of his fans, the Worker will need to present a different posture to overcome an opponent who, at this moment, arrives in more favorable conditions.

The Phantom will then face Novorizontino away from home. This is one of the most complicated confrontations of this final straight, especially for the offensive performance of the opponent, which counts on decisive players such as Romulo and Robson.

Then, the Worker will receive Sport, another opponent who maintains goals in the competition and has the conditions to impose difficulties on the team.

Finally, the last commitment will be against Ponte Preta, in Campinas. A confrontation that can bring together two teams pressured by the negative results accumulated in the final straight.

Given this scenario, I consider that the Worker will have enormous difficulties in conquering a positive sequence.

And I want to say: I hope I'm wrong.

It would be very nice to see the Ghost react, surprise the opponents and regain the confidence of his fans. But in the face of the recently presented football, there is no way to ignore the problems.

Londrina wins, but Serie B stay remains threatened

Another issue that caught attention was the victory of Londrina by 1 to 0 over Cuiabá, in the closing of the 34th round.

Despite the positive result, the situation of the London club remains extremely delicate in the fight against relegation.

The victory was celebrated, but the projections of permanence remain unfavorable. In the assessment presented in the Ball Rolling, the necessary recovery would depend not only on a virtually perfect sequence, but also on the stumbles of several direct competitors.

Mathematics can hold an open possibility. However, this does not mean that the reaction is likely.

This is precisely the point that deserves attention in Brazilian football: often, the calculations of classification feed expectations that do not find support in the performance of the teams.

The financial crisis also interferes with the final straight of the championship

The decisive line of the Serie B is not just about technical issues.

The financial situation of clubs such as Atlético-GO also came into discussion after demonstrations by athletes about salary delays and payment-related difficulties.

Problems of this nature can compromise the internal environment and directly interfere with the competitiveness of the casts, especially when the season approaches the end.

While some teams are still pursuing sporting goals, others are already starting reformulations and directing their attentions to next year’s planning.

This scenario helps to explain why the championship presents such irregular results and why preparation for 2027 will be especially complicated.

Worker needs to react before thinking of the Paranaense tri-championship

The worker already knows that he will have little time to organize the next season. He also knows that he will enter the Paranaense Championship with the responsibility of defending two consecutive titles.

However, before you think about the tri-championship, you need to find answers to the current problems.

The performance of the second round of the Series B lights a warning signal. The team lost consistency, failed to show results and reached the final rounds without transmitting confidence.

The crowd deserves a reaction.

The club has history, tradition and conditions to compete at a high level. But these qualities need to appear within the four lines, not just in speeches.

The Worker needs to show that he still has the strength to react. And if you can counteract the negative predictions in this final line, it will be excellent news for everyone who accompanies the Ghost.

Fortunately, in football, the analysis is not always confirmed. And nothing would be better than to see the Worker prove, on the field, that he can still surprise.

Watch the full analysis: