retired_manpk1

Dear Diary,

1 April 2007: Keeping the sheets clean

I hope that title doesn’t sound too rude! We’ve been playing very well recently, and not conceding goals is the platform we can use to build results.

Struggling Chapadinha came to visit as we continued our assault on the Closing Stage title. Coquinho was back from suspension, and he came into midfield in place of Rocha.

To say it was an easy game is a bit of an understatement. Rinaldo and Antônio Alex had us cruising at 2-0 after just 14 minutes of play, and we were just knocking the ball around, tiring the opposition out.

Of course, against such poor opposition, the fans want to see goals, and I stressed this at half time. Not only that though, it’ll help our goal difference should things come down to that. Midway through the second half Antônio Carlos Júnior headed in a third, and Everaldo made it four eight minutes later.

And we weren’t yet done as substitute Marciel hit a fifth deep into injury time.

Following that win, we travelled to Maranhão in good spirits, and we were unchanged for our most important game so far.

It was an attritional affair that threatened to boil over early on, but thankfully didn’t. Both sides had their chances, but it was Helinho who managed to find the net before half time to give us an important lead.

At the break, I discussed the need to make a fast start to the second half, and I got my wish as we went 3-0 up within ten minutes thanks to strikes from Antônio Alex and Araújo. With that, Maranhão virtually gave up, although they did finish with ten men after Paulo Rodrigues was sent off with ten minutes to play.

retired_manpk1

Dear Diary,

16 April 2007: Job Done

Matches against Moto Clube are always important, but especially so when you have the added pressure of ensuring a place in the final at stake. And that’s precisely what we had going into the home match; our penultimate game of the normal league campaign.

Vieira was available again at right back, and Agenor came into midfield at the expense of Coquinho. It turned out to be an inspired selection as the combative midfielder gave us the lead after half an hour of play. We had earlier been denied the services of Helinho after he was forced off the field of play with a nasty injury.

The game was a difficult one for us to keep full control of as Moto Clube created enough chances. And on the hour mark, Fábio Ricardo made one of them count with an equaliser.

WE didn’t play fantastically well by any stretch of the imagination, but we did enough, and at the end of the day it’s the result that count. 1-1 was how it finished, and we’re through to the final to face Maranhão.

Before that though we had to travel to Açailândia, a team that our Under-20s could probably beat. Diogo had picked up a slight injury, so the other Rinaldo in the squad deputised in goal. Barão was in for the injured Helinho in an otherwise unchanged lineup as we looked to get a bit of confidence ahead of the final.

And it was plain sailing from the off. Rinaldo, the striker, had us ahead early on, and Agenor made it 2-0 before the half hour mark had arrived.

Rinaldo then decided to be an idiot and get sent off, meaning he’ll miss at least the first leg of the final, perhaps both. But Barão put us 3-0 up before half time, before Marcelo levelled things up in terms of players on the pitch by receiving his marching orders for the home side.

It took us a long time to get the fourth; Araújo only getting it in the 72nd minute. Açailândia were then reduced to nine men when Silva was sent off, and we followed up with further strikes from Everaldo and Araújo to complete a 6-0 morale-boosting victory ahead of the final.

Closing Stage
<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | 1st | | Sampaio Corrêa | | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 4 | +22 | 19 | | 2nd | | Moto Clube | | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 6 | +14 | 14 | | 3rd | | Maranhão | | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 14 | | 4th | | Imperatriz | | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 14 | | 5th | | Comerciário (MA) | | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 12 | -5 | 7 | | 6th | | São Bento (MA) | | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 6 | | 7th | | Açailândia | | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 19 | -14 | 6 | | 8th | | Chapadinha | | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 21 | -20 | 0 | </pre>
Overall State Table
<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | 1st | | Sampaio Corrêa | | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 10 | +30 | 35 | | 2nd | | Maranhão | | 14 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 8 | +17 | 31 | | 3rd | | Moto Clube | | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 38 | 8 | +30 | 30 | | 4th | | Imperatriz | | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 27 | 11 | +16 | 25 | | 5th | | Comerciário (MA) | | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 21 | -8 | 16 | | 6th | | São Bento (MA) | | 14 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 14 | 35 | -21 | 10 | | 7th | R | Chapadinha | | 14 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 36 | -28 | 6 | | 8th | R | Açailândia | | 14 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 44 | -36 | 6 | </pre>

retired_manpk1

Dear Diary,

8 May 2007: Two out of two

Last year we had a tough final against Moto Clube. This season though we were up against another of our rivals, Maranhão, but they’re not as good a side, and it showed.

Diogo was fit enough to come back into goal for the first leg. Of course, both games were at the same stadium, but this was officially our “home” game. Araújo had picked up a loss, and so Marciel and José Everaldo were up front, with Rinaldo suspended.

The first half was a bit edgy, but come the second period, we started to turn the screw. Just before the hour mark we earned a penalty and Vieira put in away comfortably. Ten minutes later Antônio Alex made it 2-0, and we had a comfortable lead to take into the second leg.

Rinaldo was back from suspension for the second leg, and Rony came in on the right wing for the crocked Barão. With a 2-0 lead, it wasn’t a pretty match, but we did a professional enough job to keep Maranhão at bay.

Sixteen minutes from time though Antônio Alex put the result beyond doubt, and although Reginaldo equalised on the night for the home side, Marciel responded immediately to give us a 2-1 victory on the day and a 4-1 win on aggregate to give us our second consecutive Maranhão State Championship.