Football Season Guide

After a disastrous first half of the campaign, Aves produced an amazing recovery after January, when Augusto Inácio was appointed. The experienced coach changed the team completely and his straightforward counter-attack approach saved Aves from relegation. Things are expected to be very different this time around. Goalkeeper Beunardeau and midfielder Falcão aside, the whole starting eleven and more used reserves are gone. It’s hard to build expectations when the likes of Vitor Gomes, Balde, Luquinhas, Galo and Ponck aren’t around anymore. Inácio’s approach may be hard to apply, even if he had an entire pre-season to prepare the team, this time around. Most players are debutants in Primeira Liga and therefore there’s a feeling of a big gamble surrounding the team. Afonso Figueiredo and Rúben Macedo are known and safe calls (the former was even already elected captain); Welinton Jr. has good references from Brazil and made already an impact in preseason matches. The other new singings are completely unknown in the country. If Inácio manages to maintain the team’s strategy and sharpness with the new players, Aves may be having a more stable season this time. The huge amount of new players makes it sound like a very hard task, though.