Tiago Silva: Porto’s press v Braga rarely worked | OneFootball

Tiago Silva, a well-known FC Porto member, states that the substitution of Pablo Rosario for William Gomes in the 73rd minute was the decisive moment of Sunday’s FC Porto–Sp. Braga match, which the Dragons won, despite difficulties, 2-1. The introduction of the Dominican Republic international gave the blue and whites more “balance in midfield,” something the team had been unable to achieve, especially in the second half.

The commentator believes that, even at halftime, the Italian coach had tried to correct the flaws shown in the first 45 minutes. “Farioli tried to drop the lines back a bit, to win the ball from Sp. Braga in deeper areas, playing longer balls in order to take advantage of the space left behind the Braga midfielders,” the lawyer explains, acknowledging, however, that the team never stopped showing “difficulties in linking up play.”

For Tiago Silva, this limitation was already apparent from the start of the match. “FC Porto faced a very competent Sp. Braga with the ball, and the pressure they tried to apply when Sp. Braga was building out from the back, in the first half, rarely worked,” he emphasizes.

Despite reservations about Porto’s performance against the Warriors, Francesco Farioli receives praise from the member for the way he changed the team’s dynamics. “He ends up winning the game from the bench, by putting Gabri Veiga on the right and bringing on Pablo Rosario. That was the key moment of the match, as it allowed FC Porto to gain greater balance in midfield,” Silva says, in statements to the newspaper Record, adding that this match could serve as a serious warning.

“The lessons to take from this game are that you can also win by substituting forwards for midfielders, and that victories always start with how well you defend,” describes Tiago Silva, concluding: “FC Porto won’t always play well, nor will they always be overwhelming or dominant, but if they maintain the consistency and defensive balance they’ve been showing, they will always be closer to victory.”

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