Bola Rolando: Operário pode chegar ao 5º lugar em duelo decisivo contra o Criciúma

Today is Tuesday, September 22, 2026, and it is Ghost Day in the Field! The Criciúma vs Operário match, valid for the 29th round of the Brazilian Serie B Championship, takes place this evening, at 7:30 pm, at the Heriberto Hülse Stadium, in Criciúma, Santa Catarina. After a postponement caused by the heavy rains that hit the city of Santa Catarina, the ball is scheduled to roll in a game that could change the situation of the Operário Ferroviário in the qualifying table.

The Phantom comes to the confrontation with 44 points and the possibility of reaching the fifth place. To do this, he must win the Criciúma, which adds 47 points. A win would put the Ponta Grossa team on the same score as the opponent, with the possibility of overtaking him in the tiebreaker criteria.

It is an important opportunity for the Worker to close the round closest to the group of the top four and keep alive the dispute for access to Série A.

Cuiabá beats the Nautical and touches the Worker

Before we talk specifically about the game tonight, we need to observe what happened on Monday (21), when Cuiabá received the Nautical in the Pantanal Arena and won 3 to 0.

The result led the Mato Grosso team to 43 points, just one behind the Operário Ferroviário, which has 44. The Nautical, in turn, remained with 38 points and missed an opportunity to approach the teams that compete for the first positions of the Serie B.

And look that the Nautical had let slip a victory practically directed against the Worker himself in the previous round.

At that time, the Pernambuco team won 3 to 1 when there were only a few minutes left to the end of the match. But the Phantom showed reaction power and managed to seek the draw by 3 to 3.

Now, in front of Cuiabá, Náutico again presented difficulties and suffered a defeat by three goals of difference.

The result leaves the Pernambucan team in a more complicated situation on the table. There are nine rounds left, and the Nautical will have to seek a reaction to improve their classification and move away from the teams that occupy the lower positions.

Cuiabá gained ground and began to directly compete with clubs such as Sport and Operário.

Worker can take the fifth place

This evening’s matchup gained even more importance after the results of the 29th round.

The Criciúma occupies the fifth position, with 47 points, while the Worker sums 44. If the Phantom wins away from home, it will reach the same 47 points as the opponent and can take fifth place.

This is exactly the scenario that interests the operarian fan.

The team led by Luizinho Lopes has been demonstrating reaction capacity and needs to take the opportunity to win against a direct opponent at the top of the table.

But it will not be a simple task.

Criciúma also needs the result. The team comes from a 4 to 0 defeat for Atletico-GO and seeks a recovery in front of their fans.

Therefore, we will have two teams with similar goals and a match in which the three points can make an important difference in the classification.

Rain delays breakdown and increases expectation

The game between Criciúma and Operário was initially scheduled for Monday (21), at 19:30. However, the heavy rains that hit the city of Santa Catarina caused flooding and led the City of Criciúma to decree an emergency situation.

The municipal administration also ordered the suspension of events with crowds of people, including the departure of the Serie B.

In this scenario, the Brazilian Football Confederation transferred the match to this Tuesday (22), keeping the time of 19:30, at the Heriberto Hülse Stadium.

The Worker remained in Criciúma, with the delegation installed in a hotel in the city, waiting for the moment to enter the field.

It is expected that the weather conditions will still interfere with the progress of the match. A wet lawn requires increased attention from players, especially in scoring, ball exit and individual disputes.

This is an aspect that the Phantom will need to manage during the 90 minutes.

Luizinho Lopes prepares Ghost for confrontation

For tonight’s start, the Luizinho Lopes coach must maintain the base of the team that faced the Nautical in the previous round.

The likely climbing of the Worker counts on Vagner; Mikael Doka, Cuenú, Joseph and Moraes Júnior; Vinícius Diniz, Boschilia and Indio; Ángel Torres, Caio Dantas and Maxwell.

The coach can still count on other alternatives during the match, depending on the conditions of the athletes and the needs of the match.

There is also the possibility that Pablo accompanied the delegation in Santa Catarina. The player is in the process of transitioning and, if he has playing conditions, may appear among the related ones.

However, your participation still depends on confirmation.

On the other hand, Criciúma, commanded by Eduardo Baptista, must use a formation with three defenders, seeking to strengthen their defensive system and explore the plays on the sides of the field.

The Santa Catarina team has players such as Airton, César Martins, Luciano Castán, Rodrigo, Marcelo Hermes, Fellipe Mateus and Waguininho.

The official escalations will be confirmed before the start of the match.

Tight calendar: Ghost returns to play on Saturday

Another point that deserves attention is the Series B calendar.

With the postponement of the confrontation against Criciúma, the Worker will have an even shorter interval of preparation for his next appointment.

The Ghost returns to the field on Saturday (26), at 4.30 pm, when he receives Ceará in Estádio Germano Krüger, in Ponta Grossa, for the 30th round of the Brazilian Championship.

Criciúma, in turn, has the classic against Avaí scheduled for Sunday (27), at 11 am, again at Heriberto Hülse Stadium.

Therefore, in addition to the importance of the three points, it will be essential for the Worker to manage the physical wear of the players.

We are entering a moment of the championship in which each round has a significant weight in the classification, and the Phantom needs to maintain regularity to continue competing in the first positions.

Criciúma x Operário: watch the BnT Esportes broadcast

And you, fan of the Worker, are our special guest to follow all the details of this important commitment of the Phantom!

The BnT Sports Journey begins at 18:30, one hour before the ball rolls, with information from the teams, climbs, analysis of the match and all the expectation for Criciúma x Operário.

The broadcast takes place on Portal BnT Online, on our social networks and also on Cescage FM 107.7 Radio.

The ball rolls at 7:30 p.m., and we will be together following every move of this confrontation that can put the Operário Ferroviário in fifth place of the Series B.

Watch the full analysis: