By Philip Leite
Abel Ferreira recently said that Palmeiras is a working machine. It is difficult to doubt the veracity of this sentence when analyzing any Verdão game, of course: the stage is very, very good. But last Wednesday’s match against Fortaleza proved it: it’s very difficult to deny Alviverde’s competence.
The opponent? Difficult, very difficult. Fortaleza have had a long-standing job under Juan Pablo Vojvoda and, prior to the Alviverde match, had an impressive 13-match unbeaten run.
The context of the game? Important. It was not just any Serie A match in the Brazilian championship. It was the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil, an extremely important national knockout competition, not only for its sporting background, but also for its financial aspect.
Even so, ‘against the ropes’, Abel Ferreira’s Palmeiras works. He bets on his equipment and is not afraid of any type of rival. In this sequence of three consecutive games at Allianz Parque, it went like this against Grêmio and RB Bragantino, for example. The result was not at all favorable against Massa Bruta, but the offensive volume was.
And that is what the current Verdão carries. Against Leão do Pici, 3 to 0 built with tranquility. The advantage for the return duel, in Castelão, on May 31st? Huge.
But such an advantage occurred only because Abel’s team holds any kind of game. Press the pace when you want, pace the game when you want, decrease the intensity when you want. He scored 2-0 against Fortaleza in just 17 minutes of the game — Raphael Veiga and Bruno Tabata had already scored.
From then on, he controlled the stock. When Fortaleza arrived, Weverton didn’t get too scared. And when everything seemed to lead to a calm score, Richard Ríos — who came on in the second half — scored at the end of the match, extending Alviverde’s advantage by a lot.
There is no doubt that Palmeiras is a working machine. The question that must remain in the air is: who – or what – for this team of Abel Ferreira?
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
