Despite not playing well against Fortaleza, victory and Veiga’s goal regained Verdão’s confidence
The ‘word’ that best defines Palmeirense’s reaction after this Saturday’s match (22) is: Damn!. With the 3-1 win against Fortaleza, at the Allianz Parque, Palmeiras finally ended a run of five games without a win in the Brazilian championship, and what does that mean? It meant that regardless of the team’s performance, which was far from convincing, Abel Ferreira’s side still added three points in a ‘win or win’ moment.
Palmeiras who started the game was not the same as in the second half. Although he managed to open the scoring with a goal from Richard Ríos, who also had the good fortune of deflection, he failed to create and allowed the opponent to arrive with danger many times. Even with an efficient attack, which he scored three times, the big name in the game was Weverton. He made very important saves, especially in the final phase, being mainly responsible for avoiding what could become a more unpleasant scenario for Alviverde.
The loss of performance in the final phase and the subsequent dangerous counter-attacks by the opponent began to suggest another negative result, but it was at that moment that Palmeiras put an end to this bad sequence. Abel made some changes that had a positive impact on the team’s performance, such as the introduction of young Luis Guilherme, but the ‘salvation’ came with the very player who also needed to end the lack of goals: Raphael Veiga.
As fate would have it, Veiga’s last “victim” was Fortaleza, on May 17th. Since then, they have gone 12 games without scoring. A player who has always been of indisputable importance to the team going so long without scoring is definitely a sign that things aren’t going the way they should.
And it is precisely for this reason that the goal was essential not only for the number 23 to regain confidence, but also for the whole Palmeiras team, which has always had the star of Raphael Veiga to guarantee great results, both with his goals and with his assists, or even simply with his presence on the pitch.
As he himself said in the mixed zone after the game, ‘victory has regained confidence’, a word that has lately been forgotten in Palmeiras’ daily life. Of course, this Saturday’s performance is not enough for Palmeiras to finally convince them that they will resume a good phase and, consequently, good results, but it is a sign that even when things don’t seem to work out, there is a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’.
Between surveys of foreign clubs by players in the squad and protests by fans against the scoreboard, the result of this match could only be victory. Are the problems over? This is probably the dream of the Alviverde board of directors, but the truth is that many things still need to happen to minimize the turmoil. The requests for reinforcements will continue, but together with them, Palmeiras will also have to show that they want to win.
Abel Ferreira always says that the team has a victorious and champion mentality, and that’s what everyone expects in practice: a Palmeiras that wins and convinces, despite the regrets. The victory against Fortaleza brought Verdão up three places in the standings and, even with a performance still below and with many points to improve, it allowed Palmeirense to celebrate a triumph in Brasileirão after five rounds.
Source: Terra
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