João Brandão: “It was a deserved win for the better side on the pitch” | OneFootball

The B team secured “a very important win, a Porto-style win and an FC Porto win” at home to GD Chaves, 3-0. In the aftermath of “a fair win for the best team on the pitch” against an opponent that was “very competent, with very experienced players and fighting for promotion” on matchday 28 of the “most competitive Second League ever,” João Brandão expressed the desire to “play the same way wherever we are, with the same courage, the same attitude and the same personality”: “Today we were exemplary from that point of view and we were a Porto-style team.”

Synergies at Olival

“It was very important. It was a Porto-style win and an FC Porto win. During the international break we held integrated training sessions with the first team, and today we had under-17, under-18 and under-19 players here as well. Today we faced a very competent team, with very experienced players, fighting for promotion, and my players were very brave because they clearly embraced the strategy of wanting to press the opponent. When we were high up the pitch, we had to bite at the ball carrier, take risks one-on-one at the back and in midfield, and then win the second ball. To do that, you need great competitive maturity and a very good understanding of the game, and they were outstanding in that moment. There were other moments when we had to bring the lines closer together and set up in a different structure than usual, because of the absences we had. I also want to say a word for Tiago (Silva), Luís (Gomes) and António (Ribeiro), players who were forced to play in different positions, either from the start or during the match, and who showed great character and were always fully available to do what the team needed. It was a fair win for the best team on the pitch.”

“I spoke about that in the preview and raised that challenge internally, because with the chances we were creating, we could not keep losing or drawing games and we could not have zero goals scored, as happened here against Oliveirense, while playing such productive attacking football and getting into the opponent’s box so many times, something that is so difficult in such a competitive Second League, the most competitive ever. It is important for us to turn our daily work into goals and results, something we have been doing for a long time now. This growth of the team is the result of the work they do every day, and it is also the result of the work of many people who are involved so they can achieve their dreams. The greatest victory of all for those who work here, in the academy and in the B team, is to see the players grow and reach a level of excellence that can open the doors to the first team.”

Unbeaten at home

“I also want to say a word to our fans, because today we really felt at home. In our last eight home games, we have seven wins and one draw. That says a lot about the stronghold we are building here at Olival and how comfortable it is to play in front of our fans. The challenge now is to face the next opponent and play the same way wherever we are, with the same courage, the same attitude and the same personality. That is the big challenge we have, and it is something that demands a lot from these players. It requires a lot of daily sacrifice in training and also on matchday. Today we were exemplary from that point of view and we were a Porto-style team.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.