Ferreira hails first career hat-trick, São Paulo unity after rout | OneFootball

Ferreira was the standout player for São Paulo in the 4-1 thrashing of Cruzeiro this Saturday, in the 10th round of the Brazilian Championship. Wearing the number 11 shirt and backed as a starter by coach Roger Machado, he scored the first hat-trick of his professional career with the jersey of his boyhood club, in front of more than 35,000 fans at Morumbis, and celebrated the achievement.

“Very emotional. Like I just said over there, living this as a player… I’ve always been a fan. Playing at Morumbis, scoring in this jersey, and today getting the first hat-trick of my career makes me very happy. I managed to score against a great team like Cruzeiro. I’m really happy, now it’s time to celebrate,” the forward said in an interview with Premiere.

Ferreira’s first goal came in the 15th minute of the first half, when he received the ball from Artur and slotted it past the goalkeeper. In the second half, he scored São Paulo’s third from a loose ball after a corner, and sealed the tricolor win in stoppage time with his trademark move: he drove forward, cut inside, and curled it in. That, in fact, was his favorite goal of the night.

“Man, no [I didn’t imagine it]. I always wanted it [laughs], but to imagine it would be as beautiful as it was today… Nothing but gratitude to God and to my teammates for their trust. This [ball] will be kept with great affection,” he celebrated.

Lastly, the forward also spoke about the importance of São Paulo’s big win, which ended a three-match winless run in the Brazilian Championship. He highlighted the group’s strength in the battle near the top of the table.

“It’s a very important result for us. We’re fighting near the top of the table. We know about the difficulties we faced at the end of last year and at the start of this year. But one thing I always stress is that this group has always been very united, regardless of the controversies that came out. This group has always been tight-knit, always helping one another. That’s this team’s strength,” the player concluded.

Full of confidence after the rout, Ferreira’s São Paulo return to action against Boston River-URU in the opening round of the Copa Sudamericana. Kickoff is this Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time at Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.

Standings situation

With the result, São Paulo won again after three rounds, having come from two defeats and a draw. The Tricolor from São Paulo also reached 20 points and reclaimed the Brasileirão lead, at least for now. To stay there, the team will be hoping for slip-ups from Fluminense, who visit Coritiba this Saturday, and Bahia, who host Palmeiras this Sunday.

São Paulo’s upcoming matches

Boston River-URU vs São Paulo (Copa Sudamericana, opening round) Date and time: 04/07 (Tuesday), 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Estadio Centenario, Montevideo (Uruguay)

Vitória vs São Paulo (11th round of the Brasileirão) Date and time: 04/11 (Saturday), 4:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Barradão, in Salvador (BA)

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