Written off, Vasco player silences doubters and becomes an option for Diniz

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Papo na Colina

·23 September 2025

Written off, Vasco player silences doubters and becomes an option for Diniz

The draw in the “Clássico dos Milhões” had an unlikely hero for Vasco: defender Lucas Oliveira. The player, who was “at the end of the line” and hadn’t played a full match in over seven months, was thrown into the fire after a teammate’s injury. Not only did he rise to the occasion, but he also delivered a solid performance and was the most praised player by coach Fernando Diniz.

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Solid performance against a powerful attack

The entrance of Lucas Oliveira in place of the injured Robert Renan, still in the first half, caused some apprehension. However, what followed was a confident defender who won duels against Bruno Henrique and Pedro, cleared crosses, and blocked shots. His performance was crucial for the defensive system’s security.

At the end of the match, the defender himself highlighted the strength of the squad:

“This shows the value of the squad, it shows that everyone is prepared. When needed, we’ll be ready to get the job done,” he said.

Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

Coach heaps praise and reveals long-standing admiration

In the press conference, Fernando Diniz strongly defended the player. According to the coach, Oliveira’s performance was the one that deserved the most recognition. He stated:

“The performance that should be most highlighted for me is Oliveira’s. A player who hadn’t played for a long time, was extremely questioned (…) marked Bruno Henrique, didn’t lose a single play, marked Pedro, didn’t lose a single play, played the entire second half with a yellow card and contributed a lot.”

Diniz also revealed that the quality of Vasco’s defender is no surprise to him.

“I knew Oliveira from Cruzeiro, I even tried to bring him to Fluminense,” confessed the coach, showing that Oliveira’s comeback could make him a valuable option for the remainder of the season.

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