Santos faced another disappointing loss, marking their fourth consecutive defeat and dropping out of the G-4 race in the Série B. This time, Santos fell 1-0 to Operário-PR at the Germano Krüger stadium. Defender William Machado scored the only goal of the match on Friday night. Julio Furch appeared to score in the second half, but it was disallowed for offside after a VAR review. Prior to this loss, Santos was defeated by América-MG (2-1), Botafogo-SP (2-1), and Novorizontino (3-1).
As a result of this recent loss, Santos, who was leading the standings just days ago, now sits in sixth place with 15 points. The team is at risk of being overtaken by Sport, Ceará, Coritiba, Vila Nova, and Novorizontino. If certain results go against them, Santos could find themselves in 11th place by the end of the round. Despite their current position, Santos is only two points away from the promotion zone, but with other teams still to play, this gap could widen to five points.
On the other hand, Operário-PR has seen a significant rise in the standings, moving from eighth place to second place after their victory against Santos. The team coached by Rafael Guanaes now has 18 points, trailing behind league leaders América-MG on goal difference (6 to 2). Operário-PR will need other results to go their way and hope that Goiás, Mirassol, Avaí, Sport, and Ceará do not win their matches in order to secure a spot in the G-4.
This defeat for Santos has not only impacted their position in the standings but has also raised concerns among fans and analysts about the team’s performance and ability to compete at the top level. The pressure is mounting on the players and coaching staff to turn things around and get back on track in order to salvage their season and regain their momentum.
As Santos looks ahead to their next fixtures, they will need to address their defensive vulnerabilities and lack of attacking threat in order to secure positive results. The team will have to regroup, analyze their recent performances, and make the necessary adjustments in order to avoid further setbacks and climb back up the table. The upcoming matches will be crucial for Santos as they aim to get their season back on track and compete for a place in the promotion zone.