Leão da Ilha’s access came only in the last match, against the champion Santos, and with Lucas Lima as protagonist
Since 2022, playing in the Second Division, the long-awaited entry into the national elite has occurred for Sport.
Named one of the favorites alongside Santos for the title, Sport fought for access to the entire championship, and there was a certain moment in the competition when the title seemed reality, but access was only confirmed in the last round.
First round
In the first 19 rounds, Sport finished in fifth place with 30 points, two less than Operário-PR, the top team in the G4, and four points behind Santos, who were leaders at the time.
Leão began the competition with an incredible four consecutive victories, the first setback only coming in the fifth round, a 1-0 defeat against Ituano. From that moment on the sport was divided between Serie B, Copa do Nordeste and Copa do Brazil. Leão had three consecutive defeats in the match against Ituano and ended up being eliminated from the cups. From the ninth round until the end of the first round, Sport drew five, won four and lost one. It has been an unstable phase for Leão da Ilha in Serie B.
After the home draw against América-MG in the 15th round, Sport fired Argentine coach Mariano Soso and was led by assistant César Lucena until the 19th round. Sport had announced Guto Ferreira for the continuation of the competition.
Second round
After the 3 x 2 victory against Amazonas in the first match back, Leão finally returned to G4. However, the team went on a three-game losing streak, culminating in Guto Ferreira’s early dismissal. In the 24th round, Sport won again after a series of poor results, again under the command of assistant César Lucena.
In the next match, Sport announced Pepa, former coach of Cruzeiro, and the Portuguese’s debut came with a 2-0 victory over Avaí away from home. The team played nine matches without losing, having recorded five wins and four draws since the new manager’s debut, and it was the period in which Sport fought point for point with Santos and Novorizontino. In the 32nd round, after the 3 x 1 victory over Botafogo-SP and with the defeats of Santos and Novorizontino, Sport took the lead with the same 56 points as Santos.
In the 36th round, after losing two matches and drawing in the group with Chapecoense, Sport finished in fifth place, with the same 60 points as Ceará, but without a chance of the title.
The long-awaited access arrived only in the last round, with emotion. The sport no longer depended on itself to gain entry, it had to beat champion Santos and hope that Novorizontino, Mirassol or Ceará lost. Leão da Ilha managed to beat Santos 2 to 1, with a brace from Lucas Lima – who belongs to the Sao Paulo team – and also saw Goiás’ victory over Novorizontino.
So much emotion on the island of Retiro
Since falling to Serie B, Sport had hit the posts in previous years. In 2022 and 2023, Leão da Ilha finished seventh, but last year the team was one point away from finishing. There was a lot of celebration and emotion among the players, committee and fans, who prepared a wonderful party for the team after confirmation of access.
The sport had ups and downs in the competition, but it grew at the right time, it was right to hire mister Pepa, it counted on Novorizontino’s stumble and achieved its seasonal goal. For 2025 it is time to think about continuing the work and looking for reinforcements in the team, given that next year’s Brasileirão promises to be the most competitive in recent years, thanks to Santos’ return to the elite and the financial power of the teams it fought this year.
Source: Terra
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