Tiago Velho: “We want to keep this winning run going” | OneFootball

Tiago Velho, goalkeeper for FC Porto’s futsal team, previewed the home match against Miramar Império, scheduled for the third round of Serie A of the National Third Division Championship. After two wins and a tally of 21 goals scored and only three conceded, the Dragons want to extend their perfect start on their return to the Dragão Arena, with the goalkeeper assuring: “We want to keep this winning run going.”

Saturday’s match, at 3pm, broadcast on Porto Canal, brings the Porto side back to their home court and puts them up against an opponent that promises different kinds of difficulties. Tiago Velho does not hide his satisfaction with the path taken so far, but insists that confidence comes above all from work and that, at FC Porto, winning is the only option.

The perfect record in the first two rounds serves as motivation, never as an excuse to ease off. The goalkeeper described a demanding period, marked by the intensity and seriousness of the work.

“So far it has been very good. These have been months of very intense, very serious work, and it is always good to work off the back of wins. At FC Porto, it is the only option there is, to work off wins,” he said. “In pre-season we had one or two setbacks, but that is part of our growth. In the league we have already managed two wins and we have been working very hard to achieve a third consecutive victory, so that we can continue on our path.”

The message is unmistakable: victories validate the path, but they do not lessen the demands. It is with this combination of confidence and discipline that FC Porto is looking for a third straight win.

The 14-2 thrashing away to Boavista FC reinforced the strong start to the league campaign, although Tiago Velho refused to focus only on the size of the result. Even in such an emphatic win, there were aspects to correct.

“The result was positive and of course it gives some confidence, but more than that, confidence comes from the work we do every day, from the commitment we put into our preparation. The scoreline was heavy, but there are things we can improve,” he said. “We conceded two goals and we did not want that, but we always want to build on what we do well and improve what needs correcting. We want to keep this winning run going.”

The scoreline did not erase the self-criticism. The ambition is to preserve what has been working without ignoring the details that can bring the team closer to a more complete performance.

Next up is Miramar Império, a side the goalkeeper identifies as different from the previous opponents. The blend of experience and youth forces FC Porto to prepare for the match with particular attention.

“Miramar Império are a different team from those we have faced so far, both collectively and individually. It is a team with very experienced players and it also has young players. It blends experience and youth well, and we can expect an opponent that will cause us some difficulties,” he explained. “That tests us in a different way and we are preparing everything down to the smallest detail so that we can put in a good performance.”

There is, therefore, no sense of ease despite Porto’s strong start. The next test demands a different response and preparation capable of anticipating the problems the opponent may create.

The return to the Dragão Arena adds an emotional dimension to the challenge. Tiago Velho spoke as a player, but also as a Porto supporter used to experiencing the club from the stands of the arena and the stadium.

“Playing at home is always beautiful. Any Porto supporter likes being at home and most of us were already living the club intensely, in the arena and in the stadium. For us to be here as players and feel that is simply beautiful,” he stressed. “I invite the Porto supporters to come once again and give us the support they have always given us in home matches. That drives us to perform even better.”

More than just a setting, the Dragão Arena appears in the goalkeeper’s words as a force capable of lifting the team. His appeal to the fans closes the preview with the conviction that the support from the stands can help extend the winning run.

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