Puma reveals past up front and celebrates scoring for Vasco | OneFootball

Right-back Puma Rodríguez has taken on a completely unexpected offensive role in Vasco’s starting lineup this season. With an excellent return of four goals in 18 matches played, including 13 starts, the player has established himself as the squad’s top scorer. He was decisive again last weekend by scoring the crucial equalizer in the 2-1 comeback win over São Paulo in a match valid for the 12th round of the Brazilian Championship.

His excellent attacking form sparked curiosity in the press about the defender’s background in the sport. The Uruguayan player explained his ease in getting into the opposition box and finishing chances. He said his technical development in the youth ranks began in attack before he eventually dropped back to play in the defensive line:

+ Thrilling win lifts Vasco up the Brasileirão table

Vasco’s designated penalty taker and top scorer this season

In addition to his surprise attacking runs during open play, the player has taken on major responsibility with set pieces. Vasco lost its main penalty takers after the recent departures of center-forward Vegetti, midfielder Coutinho, and young forward Rayan. The coaching staff urgently needed to define a new official taker for high-pressure moments in matches.

The full-back calmly converted the penalty against the São Paulo side at São Januário stadium and revealed that the decision to take on the role came from a direct and honest conversation with coach Renato Gaúcho. The player said he practices penalties every day to maintain his strong conversion rate in competitions:

Puma Rodríguez celebrates his goal with his teammates – Photo: André Durão/ge

Recovery in the standings and confidence for the upcoming matches

The experienced defender also celebrated the great opportunity to help Vasco with direct contributions to positive results. He acknowledged that luck helped a little on the tight penalty kick last Saturday, but highly valued the hard-fought win earned by the group:

The crucial victory brought immediate relief for Vasco in the standings after a tough run of recent setbacks. The positive result moved the Rio club up to 10th place overall, now with 16 points. The next challenge set by the coaching staff in the Brasileirão will require the same intense dedication from the group to move further away from the relegation zone and push toward the top half of the table.

Pumita is enjoying a great moment at Colina – Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco da Gama

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