Rio Claro came from two victories, Palmeiras from two defeats: another game a la Ponte Preta, and coach Oswaldo wouldn’t have much peace and quiet, the pressure rising fast as always at Palmeiras. The solid 3-0 victory was needed, showing that Palmeiras – still far from ready – nevertheless have the capacity, as they always should, to dominate these smaller teams. A few hickups in defense again; Oswaldo must dedicate some extra attention here.
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Special mention to:
Alan Patrick – with plenty of personality, he has been pushing it hard game after game, but not always to success, starting to get on supporter’s nerves. Yesterday, he showed his capacity, assisting Cristaldo then Zé Roberto.
Cristaldo – for the first time positioned in the box as a true #9, the player’s killer instinct was highlighted: rapid movements, quick shots.
Zé Roberto – starting off on the left flank, later positioned in the middle, Zé Roberto scored his first goal in the Palmeiras jersey. At the age of 40 and 220 days, he is the oldest scorer in official games in the history of the club. May he break that record numerous times.
Rafael Marques – came in with not many minutes left but did what you’d expect from an attacking midfielder: set the place on fire. He pushed a counter-attack, called on his companions to move their positions forward, set up the piece and finished it all with a controlled strike, closing the scorecard for the night. Marques goes to the history books as the first player to have scored for Palmeiras at both the Palestra Italia and the Allianz Parque.
On Saturday, Palmeiras take on São Bento, away. Arouca is expected to make his debut. And possibly also Gabriel Jesus: the kid got a lucky break and was included in the squad for the Paulistão, as Cleiton Xavier’s papers did not meet the federation’s deadline for the first phase of the competition. I have a feeling Gabriel will make good use of the opportunity.
Scoppia che la vittoria è nostra!
ANYTHING PALMEIRAS 