Arouca must respond pragmatically to the spaces granted by Benfica to “cause problems” in Friday’s game, which opens the 2022/23 edition of the I Soccer League, coach Armando Evangelista stressed this Thursday.
it’s not the beginning [de campeonato] what we would like We are in the process of renewing the squad compared to last season and another type of game could benefit us in that regard. Benfica is doing well, but it concedes spaces. We know that if we are focused, organized and pragmatic in taking advantage of these same spaces, we can cause problems”, projected the coach, at a press conference.
the arouquenses maintains technical stability for the second consecutive season in the I Leaguein contrast to the eagles, who made their official debut under the guidance of the German Roger Schmidt on Tuesday, when they thrashed the Danes from Midtjylland (4-1), in the first leg of the third round of access to the group stage of the League of Champions.
We are aware of who we are going to play against. This, in itself, already entails the difficulties that we all know. Now, if we analyze the market, the preseason and that first Benfica game, the difficulties will increase. Added to all this, the involvement with his fans, for what he has been doing, is another added problem, ”he warned.
Recognizing that Benfica “There are highly evolved processes for this phase of the season”Armando Evangelista prefers to “assimilate the processes and focus on team development” of Arouca, instead of “just wanting to dismantle or antagonize” the Lisbon people.
It is obvious that there is a plan for the match against Benfica, which, at this moment, has a very strong internal game and a width that is not easy to counteract. We will take strategies for that, but more focused on behaviors for what will be our season”, said the coach, who returned the Serra da Freita emblem to the highest level in 2020/21.
After finishing the 2021/22 campaign in 15th place, last automatic maintenance, achieving maintenance only in the 33rd and penultimate round, Arouca wants to “improve between 5% and 10% in all parameters”, pointing to a route “most downloaded”.
I feel that these two years in Arouca made me grow. I think the growth between coach and club was mutual. It is true that I finished a full season in the I League, although it was not that time that made me a coach. It helped me draw lessons. I often say that it’s great if we learn from the mistakes of others, but when that doesn’t happen, we have to learn from the mistakes we make, ”he confided.
Armando Evangelista is preparing for the match at Luz without the Croatian Nino Galovic, the Venezuelan Sema Velázquez and Pedro Moreira, all in different stages of recovery from injuries, while David Simão has been in doubt since the pre-season stage played in the Portuguese.
arouca added three wins, one draw and two losses in the 2022/23 qualifierswhich resulted in 12 entries and 16 exits, with highlights for ‘captain’ Thales and André Silva, the club’s top scorer in the last two seasons, with 10 goals each.
The goal of all Aroucas in this life is to always be on the move to add quality. We intend to do better and I say this with a certain ambition, because what we did in 2021/22 was difficult, but it ended successfully and had a special flavor”, concluded Armando Evangelista, who has 16 different nationalities in the squad.
Arouca begins the sixth participation in its history in the I League with a visit to Benfica, on Friday at 8:15 p.m., at Estádio da Luz, in Lisbon, in the opening match of the 89th edition of the competition, with refereeing by Manuel Mota, from the Braga Football Association.
Source: Observadora
