I think you don't really follow the brazilian championship, it's the only explanation for saying these things. Palmeiras and Corinthians have similar squad? You've got to be joking. Corinthians played Brasileirão's first 8 rounds with the reserves and made 4 points, the championship was already lost since the beginning, they had no interest after, but training for the club world cup. If Corinthians had started with their best team since the first round, it will be probably the champion, or the second place, since Fluminense has dropped just a few points. Everybody who follows the brazilian football can assure you that. A lot of different formations and players were used in order to find the best one, and not saying all the players lost to the national team, injuries and etc (and Tite coudn't do it, since he's gonna change the team for the final). About the brazilian press, you're right, they're a bunch of ignorant hournalists, who don't know what's going on outside Brazil, just like the english one, who only knows about Europe, that's normal (it shouldn't be).