Vasco unveil new set-up: Thiago Mendes captain, David up front vs Palmeiras | OneFootball

Vasco takes the field this Thursday (12th) with the urgent mission of escaping the relegation zone of the Brazilian Championship. The team hosts Palmeiras on the pitch at São Januário, precisely at 7:30 pm, in a match that demands maximum attention and promises a packed stadium. The game marks the end of the fifth round of the national tournament and carries enormous weight for Vasco’s ambitions this season, since a simple victory would immediately lift the club out of the bottom spots on the table.

Coach Renato Gaúcho will make his official debut and has decided to make drastic changes to the starting lineup right from the start. The new manager shook up the locker room and handed the captain’s armband to Thiago Mendes, who will take on the technical and emotional leadership of the group on the field. The attacking line has also undergone major changes, with winger David being improvised and lined up as the reference center forward in an attempt to break through the São Paulo team’s defense.

+ Vasco’s coach compares the cauldron to Bombonera and calls for support: “We need to take advantage of this strength”

The new formation and Vasco’s official lineup

The current tactical approach completely breaks with the concepts left by former coach Fernando Diniz. The current coaching staff identified the urgent need to stop the defensive bleeding and set up a new formation using three defensive midfielders. The trio in midfield aims to protect the center backs, strengthen the defensive sector, and ensure the team can capitalize on ball recoveries to launch quick counterattacks with offensive efficiency.

The official lineup sent to the refereeing team features key names to execute this new strategy. Goalkeeper Léo Jardim starts the match protected by the defensive line formed by Paulo Henrique, Saldivia, Robert Renan, and Lucas Piton. The combative midfield includes Hugo Moura, captain Thiago Mendes, and Tchê Tchê. The fast attack relies on the plays of Nuno Moreira, Andrés Gómez, and now center forward David.

Photo: Reproduction X/Twitter Vasco

Broadcast options and the refereeing team

Fans who couldn’t get tickets for the Rio cauldron have several alternatives to follow the match live. The broadcaster Record will air the game on free-to-air TV, while the channel CazéTV will stream the match for free in digital format. Subscribers to the pay-per-view package can tune in to the exclusive Premiere channel.

For refereeing, the CBF has appointed an experienced team to oversee the match. Referee Sávio Pereira Sampaio (brother of Wilton Pereira Sampaio) will command the action on the field with the main whistle. Assistants Daniel Henrique da Silva Andrade and Naílton Júnior de Sousa Oliveira will work the sidelines to help with field calls and offsides. The responsibility for checking controversial plays in the VAR technology booth will be handled by video referee Diego Pombo Lopez.

Sávio Pereira Sampaio will be the main referee of the match – Photo: Pedro H. Tesch/AGIF

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