Sintrense dreaming at the Dragão: “We need to show our character” | OneFootball

Sintrense coach David Maside stated today that his team is heading to Estádio do Dragão to play “with the ambition to win,” although he admits that FC Porto is clearly the favorite in the fourth round of the Portuguese Cup.

“In theory, the club with fewer resources can beat the one with more. We’re going to do our usual work, strive for our best, and show what we’ve worked on during the week. But we know that, facing a team like FC Porto, the odds are lower on our side,” admitted the 39-year-old coach.

Despite the media attention surrounding the trip to the Dragão, Maside assured that the preparation was the same as any other week.“It’s different because of the atmosphere and the stage, but on the field we worked as if it were a league match. We have fewer resources, but we try to do things at the level of a II Liga team. There may be some anxiety, but we kept things normal.”

For the coach, the result is not the only focus: “I give priority to the values we’re going to convey. Attitude is fundamental. We want to show that we are capable of being at other levels, because there is a lot of talent here. We have to step in with personality.”

With a smile, he also revealed a wish: “I hope to exchange a few words with Farioli. You always learn something. Who knows, maybe I’ll say something to him that makes sense.”

Next to the coach, captain Romário acknowledged that set pieces could be an important weapon. “I believe I can be useful at that moment of the game. We know FC Porto’s strength at all times, but we have to be cohesive to take advantage of counterattacks and set pieces,” said the center-back, who confessed that if he could neutralize one Porto player, he would choose Samu.

A self-confessed FC Porto fan, Romário said he feels the emotion of the moment.“It’s a great opportunity to play at the Dragão. We all have to be at our best and defend as a unit. We’re going to give our all to keep our goal unbeaten,” he promised.

The FC Porto–Sintrense match will take place on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. at the Dragão, with Hélder Malheiro refereeing.

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