Out of form at Vasco, Nuno Moreira misses out for the first time | OneFootball

Midfielder Nuno Moreira went through a completely unprecedented situation since joining Vasco. During the 1-1 draw against Remo last Saturday, the player was not used and remained on the bench for the full 90 minutes.

The fact surprised Vasco fans. It was the first time the Portuguese player did not take the field in an official match since his highly anticipated debut for the club, which took place in March last year.

+ Vasco focus on the Copa Sudamericana as Renato Gaúcho prepares a new rotation

Poor form and loss of space under the coach

The player has not been able to repeat his strong performances in 2026 and has lost a lot of standing with coach Renato Gaúcho. He started the manager’s first five matches but was dropped against Botafogo, coming on only in the second half of the 2-1 defeat. The midfielder started the match against Barracas Central at Florencio Sola Stadium, but delivered a quiet performance in Argentina alongside reserves and under-20 players.

The player himself has already publicly admitted his frustration with his current form, revealing sadness over his own performances. The numbers reflect this sharp drop in sporting output in brutal fashion. This season, he has made 18 appearances and scored just one goal.

New competition at Vasco

The current scenario contrasts with 2025, the highest-scoring season of his career with 20 goals in total. Signed in May from Casa Pia, of Portugal, he adapted quickly and shone under Fernando Diniz. Wearing the No. 17 shirt, he ended the year as the squad’s fourth-highest scorer, behind only Rayan, Vegetti and Coutinho. He scored 11 goals for Vasco and provided seven assists in 56 matches (54 of them as a starter).

His below-par performances in 2026 caused the foreign player to lose his unquestioned starting spot at the Gigante da Colina. The team gained new options at the start of the year with the arrivals of Rojas and Marino Hinestroza. Renato has been testing options in attack and chose Rojas to start the first team’s last two matches on the right flank.

Nuno Moreira celebrates his goal against Fluminense that paved the way for the historic comeback – Photo: Dikran Sahagian / Vasco da Gama

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