Team spirit and style make Mirassol the Brasileirão bogeyman | OneFootball

Mirassol has been haunting the big clubs in the country this season. Ranked sixth in the Brazilian Championship, the Lion has stacked up impressive victories against national football powerhouses and has become feared even while debuting in Serie A after securing promotion last year.

The most recent impressive result for the team from the interior of São Paulo was the 5-1 thrashing of Bahia, led by Rogério Ceni, who is in fourth place in the Brazilian Championship. There was also the 3-0 against Neymar's Santos, 2-0 against São Paulo, right at Morumbi, 2-1 against Corinthians, and 4-1 against Grêmio.

But, after all, what explains a club competing in the First Division for the first time having such a high-level performance?

The investment in infrastructure, with a super modern training center available, clearly influences this success, as it provides athletes with everything they need to perform well. But that's not all.

Environment

The environment formed at Mirassol is one of the team's differentiators. With a more modest budget, the club assembled a squad that does not include stars and, therefore, does not let vanity enter the locker room, a task reinforced by coach Rafael Guanaes and football director Paulinho.

“The environment we have here is the differentiator, the coexistence, the relationship we have not only among the players but with the staff, with all the club's employees. This is what makes the difference, our environment. And the respect everyone has for everyone, there is no greater or lesser, everyone is equal. This is the differentiator for our great results,” said Danielzinho, the team's captain.

The club also includes in the athletes' work schedule some mandatory meals to be taken at the training center. Thus, more than just training, the squad also strengthens bonds over breakfasts, lunches, or dinners throughout the week.

Mirassol's community sense goes far beyond the field. Internally, the management always seeks to prioritize hiring employees from the city of Mirassol and the region, valuing the roots created in the northwest of São Paulo. There are collaborators who have experienced the entire rise of the club, from Serie D to the elite of national football.

“What caught my attention were the people who work here, who have been here for a long time, know the place. This makes us feel at home too. Of course, we didn't know how it was going to be, we had no idea what we could achieve, but day by day we knew we could achieve something more,” commented goalkeeper Walter.

Game Identity

Alongside this squad profile is the team's game identity. Mirassol has been successful against teams considered bigger precisely by not giving up its style, regardless of the opponent or the stadium.

“The coach talks a lot about work, I think that's why we are getting the results. It's the day-to-day, daily demands, repetition, and not being afraid. Facing the game to make mistakes, but with success always being above. When we make a mistake in a play or a game situation, he doesn't criticize you for making the mistake, but for not trying. This is the main key to our work, dealing daily with players of character, with a great squad, with people who want to grow. So, it becomes a bit easier,” said Walter.

One of Mirassol's great characteristics is the play built from the defense, taking risks to keep possession, even with the opponent's pressure. In defense, the team has also adopted a bold strategy, seeking to regain possession as quickly as possible and as close as possible to the opponent's goal.

“What we do on the field is a reflection of the coach. [Rafael] Guanaes is a very courageous guy, and he encourages that in us, to have courage, not to be afraid, and then there are the tactical aspects as well. I think it's riskier to kick the ball away, which is a 50% chance of keeping possession, than to try to play out. It's daily work, it's not easy, but we have a whole staff that understood Guanaes' profile, the way he likes it, and everyone contributing forms this group we have,” analyzed Danielzinho.

“It's a lot of work, training, information, and study. Guanaes is a person who studies a lot, is obsessed with numbers, so that the team grows. Guanaes has a very large share in this,” completed the Mirassol captain.

Internally, the strongest example that courage and identity are non-negotiable for Mirassol, curiously, was in one of the team's three defeats in the Brazilian Championship. Despite the 2-1 setback, everyone at the club left proud of the match played against Flamengo, right at Maracanã, precisely for having competed on equal terms against the best squad in Brazil.

“I think the courage we are having is a differentiator. In the game against Flamengo, we went to Maracanã, pressured them, marked high, tried to impose ourselves. Courage is a determining factor, it's making the difference,” commented Danielzinho.

How far can Mirassol go?

Increasingly strong in the fight for a spot in the Libertadores and lining up victories, Mirassol still prioritizes staying in Serie A, something that is only a matter of time to be confirmed. Internally, the athletes may even talk about the dream of competing in the continental competition, but from the locker room door outwards, the discourse is much more modest.

“Our goal remains permanence. The sooner we can achieve the goal, the better, because we can aim for bigger things. Internally we can't talk much, but the only thing I have to say is that we are happy with what we are doing, we have our feet on the ground, we are alongside people of character, who think about the club 24 hours, but the goal is still permanence. Once we achieve the goal, we think about something more. But of course, we work to achieve great things,” said goalkeeper Walter.

According to many mathematicians, for a team to ensure permanence in Serie A, it needs to accumulate 45 points. Mirassol currently has 35. With an entire round ahead, undeniably the team's fight will be for a spot in a continental competition. It remains to be seen whether it will be the Libertadores or the South American.

“We are very grounded, the group understood this, and the very clear goal is permanence in Serie A. But with each game, you score points, and automatically the athlete starts to dream of other things, this is natural for humans. But, at all times, we preach humility to achieve the first goal, which is close but has not been reached yet. We know that football is dynamic and the second round is even more difficult. But we will continue with this mindset of confirming permanence and will seek other goals afterward. If there's an opening, we'll go for the three points, regardless of the team,” concluded Danielzinho.

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