MKC
Garra! Força! Tradição!
Inspired by Millossobek's wonderful Master League Written Stories thread, I've decided to go ahead and make something similar, with my recent Konami Cup run, where I renamed it to Copa Sul-Minas, based on a regional tournament in Brazil from 2000, 2001 and 2002, and tried to win it with the club I support in real life, Coritiba F.C. from Curitiba-PR, or Coxa as the club's mostly known by people. I hope you all can find some enjoyment in this read.
We're in 2021 and the 2020 Brazilian football season has ended... and for Coritiba F.C. and it's fans, who call their dear club "Coxa" it couldn't have been worse, the club was relegated for the 6th time from the 1st division to the 2nd division, in the same year as their rivals, C. Athletico Paranaense, have won yet another Sudamericana and the gap between these previously close rivals widens within their state. A new administration has taken over after winning the late 2020 club's elections with ease, over 75% of votes... the fans had given them their trust, and they knew it was their moral duty to give something back to the fans one way or another, especially due to the rivals piling up major title after major title too.
Due to financial difficulties caused by previous administrations, the club can't sign player's who'll genuinely improve the squad, thankfully there are some decent enough players for a 2nd division, even then the club needed something to make sure things wouldn't be like 2020, and the answer was a foreign manager, for the 1st time in decades for the club... Gustavo Morínigo from Paraguay. It worked in 1998, so it could work again for them now.
After setting up the team in his favorite 4-2-3-1 formation, focusing on controlling possession and spaces on and off the ball through the pitch, it seems that Coxa's ready for the 2nd division, though an early exit in the Paraná state championship has gotten fans worried... in an attempt to give Coxa and its fans something to look forward to this year, besides promotion, knowing that a Brazilian Cup title is not viable, the club's president has gotten in touch with presidents from other southern clubs, including both city rivals C. Athletico Paranaense and Paraná Clube, alongside 3 of Minas Gerais main clubs, to bring back a regional cup from the early 2000's... the Copa Sul-Minas. In recent years, the Copa do Nordeste, all the way up in the north-east region of Brazil, has been a success, giving clubs there a lot of profit and fan engagement, so 12 clubs spanning from the Minas Gerais and the 3 southern states (Paraná, Santa Catarina & Rio Grande do Sul) have decided to go for it. It's a title chance for Coxa and its fans!
Of course, there have been attempts to bring it back in the past, most famously the 2016/2017 Primeira Liga, won by Fluminense F.C. and E.C. Londrina respectively, which was a revival of the Copa Sul-Minas, but expanded and was eventually taken over by Rio de Janeiro's clubs, unsatisfied with their local football federation. In the end, the Primeira Liga failed for a variety of reasons, so fans, clubs and streaming services were all skeptical of this new revival, however the smaller scale and higher focus on just being a regional, instead of a Brazilian League/Cup replacement, made it so the expectations were more appropriate by all. In the end 12 clubs decided to take part in it, 3 from each of the 4 states involved, just like in the 2000 and 2001 editions of the Copa Sul-Minas all of those years back... and for Coxa fans, the 2001 edition was special, the club reached the final against E.C. Cruzeiro and lost, in the same year as their main rivals won the Brazilian League, it was a chance for a consolation title in a way, but the fans didn't even get that... but history doesn't always repeat itself, and that's what Coxa's fans and administration are counting on... can they win it?
Group 1: Grêmio F.B.P.A. (RS); E.C. Cruzeiro (MG); C. Athletico Paranaense (PR); A. Chapecoense de F. (SC).
Group 2: S.C. Internacional (RS); C. Atlético Mineiro (MG); Coritiba F.C. (PR); Avaí F.C. (SC).
Group 3: E.C. Juventude (RS); América F.C. (MG); Paraná Clube (PR); Figueirense F.C. (SC).
One major obstacle the competition had was the Brazilian football calendar by CBF, and the COMNEBOL calendar aswell, there were just not enough days to play football as it was, with matches having few days between one another, which drained clubs and players of their stamina, so the main solution was to have the cup be very spaced out, and without the Home & Away setup used in 2000 and 2001, there'd be single matches, just like a World Cup. As usual, Coxa released a 3rd kit, this to make a tribute to the Mata Atlântica, essentially the south's Amazon, there's little of it left, but Coxa's helping however it can now by raising money through the shirt and spreading awareness... this is the shirt that'll be worn in the Copa Sul-Minas.
In the 1st fixture Coxa and its fans wouldn't have it easy, they'd have to face Avaí F.C. away, a traditional club from Santa Catarina, often being a dolphin club between the 1st division and 2nd division, but always picking up a fight and not giving up easily, especially in front of their fans. It was time for the Mata Atlântica kit to debut, and for Morínigo's team to make him proud and put in practice everything they've been training. It was a similar ideal to F.C. Barcelona in Spain, take the ball and pass the ball, play simple football, make it look easy even though it isn't... of course Coxa isn't F.C. Barcelona, especially not after relegation, but some players weren't bad despite last year's result, and they could play beautifully.
Morínigo's ideal 11 consisted of: Wilson; Natanael, Rhodolfo, Sabino & G. Biro; M. Sales, H. Moura, Rafinha, M. Sarrafiore & Robson; I. Jesus.
Of course the captain was Wilson, a hero for fans, who's been making spectacular saves every week since 2015.
All FKs near the box would be taken on by Robson, who was fantastic at them, and PKs by Sabino, who's controversial in his PK runs... but scores.
In the 1st half it already became clear to Coxa fans that Morínigo's training had been paying off, as the team was playing exactly how the manager from Paraguay had hoped for, keeping the ball and making short passes to open up the opponent, but also not being shy of making longer passes through the ground or through the air. A lot of possession, passing and movement defined Coxa's 1st half, there was something missing though... oh, a goal! It seems that the most crucial part of football was still a problem for Coxa and its players, perhaps lacking confidence due to the poor results in last year's 1st division and this year's Paraná state championship... this is a team with no confidence, with a loser's spirit to them, and that wouldn't change for real, they'd never truly believe in the chance of a title, until something happened to prove that this year was different, that these men were different from who they were before... but the opposing GK wouldn't allow this match to be it. After so many shots and good chances created in a variety of ways... it seemed that the ball wouldn't go in no matter what, and fans were already starting to lose hope, afterall, this was supposed to be the easiest opponent in the group, if they can't win here, what hope is there? A goal came along to make it 1x0 though, and that's how it ended.
At the end of the day Coxa was 2nd place, behind C. Atlético Mineiro on goal difference, with Avaí F.C. in 3rd and S.C. Internacional in 4th, Coxa's next opponents, who'd surely be going for 3 points to avoid getting knocked out early. In group 3 E.C. Juventude was on top, with América F.C. being last, with Figueirense F.C. and Paraná Clube drawing. In group 1 the main surprise was C. Athletico Paranaense, Coxa's rivals, being last for once...
It wasn't the most convincing victory, especially as every other match aftet this one would be against a tougher opponent, but Morínigo was happy to see his team adopting his style and putting it in practice, they were listening, that's the conclusion he took from this match, and it they were truly listening, then there as hope for greater heights! S.C. Internacional was next, much tougher, but this time it would be at home, the Couto Pereira.
S.C. Internacional is a huge club in Brazil, FIFA CWC champion in 2006 over Ronaldinho's F.C. Barcelona, 2010 Copa Libertadores champions aswell, not to mention the 3 league titles, one of them an invincibles campaign, in 1979, and a national cup title aswell... well, to sum it up, they're a big deal, and they always loved mentioning that they were champions of "everything" over the years... but not the Copa Sul-Minas, they wouldn't back down.
It was the 1st, and only time Coxa would play at the Couto Pereira in this edition of the Copa Sul-Minas, so the fans made sure to fill up the stadium on a nice and sunny day in Curitiba-PR, a city known for gray skies was watching their players covered in sun light, appropriate considering the fans' hopes and expectations for this team and managed to give them some of their lost pride back, after too many years of humiliation. And the players did respond to these hopes, Coxa started the match playing lots of passes in the ground and in the air, slow when needed and quick when needed, but kept missing chance after chance, overwhelming fans on both sides, filling them with frustration... but for different reasons, obviously. Would they score?
No. S.C. Internacional struck 1st, in their only shot through the whole match... Avaí F.C. had a terrific chance to make it 1x1, but missed, this was a completely different team from Avaí F.C. though, this was a team filled with continental history, they don't miss chances like those when they come, so the result wasn't a surprise. Despite this devastating blow, Coxa kept creating chances, though with a lot more anxiety than before, rushing more and failing more as a result, with the GK keeping everything out of their goal and defenders doing their best to keep the 1x0 advantage... and that's how it ended, in front of their fans, while playing genuinely well and exactly as a Morínigo team should, Coxa lost, and now the future didn't look as bright as the sun that was shining down on this team earlier today, perhaps the sun was shining down on S.C. Internacional and fans were mislead? It's something we'll never know for sure, what we do know is that now, thank to C. Atlético Mineiro going to 6 points, and S.C. Internacional going to 4, probably winning against Avaí F.C. in the last fixture and going to 7 points, Coxa has to win against the strongest and richest club in the group...
Now the club didn't have their home stadium, their fans, and had to win against their toughest opponents yet... what could possibly go wrong? Well, lots, and that was clear as soon as the 1st half began, while Coxa managed to make plays and generate opportunities, there was a key thing missing... a shot! Not a single shot in the 1st half, while the opponents were shooting, they were being dangerous and seemed a lot closer to the 1x0 than Coxa, in the 1985 Brazilian League SF Coxa won by 1x0 on aggregate and went to the final, to win their only league title to date, in a year that seemed like C. Atlético Mineiro, the Galo, would finally win it for the 2nd time, Coxa managed to frustrate Galo back then, but it didn't seem like that'd be the case here... until M. Sarrafiore passed to I. Jesus in the box and was tackled without the ball, penalty! Sabino went to the penalty spot, he had a lot of fans criticizing his penalty kicks, mostly how he runs up to the ball, and recent misses... would he redeem himself? Yes, he would... 1x0 for Coxa! Now it was a matter of deciding wheter the club would try to hold onto the 1x0 or go for more, as the opponent might open up while pushing for their own goal... Morínigo told his players to keep pushing too, the end result was a 3x0 for Coxa and the 1st place in the group, against all odds.
In 1985 many considered the 2x1 victory against Santos F.C. to be the famous key turning match, the one that makes everyone start to truly believe the team can go all the way, and now that the unexpected victory against a superior Galo came, just like in the 1985 SF, the key has been turned, and the fans filled with disbelief were starting to belief again, this is what Morínigo was hired to do... and he delivered. Coxa would play in the SF again.
Other teams that went through we group rivals C. Atlético Mineiro, with S.C. Internacional falling behind them on goal difference. In group 1 Grêmio F.B.P.A. and E.C. Cruzeiro went through, with local Coxa rivals, the successful C. Athletico Paranaense being dead last. In group 3, Coxa's other city rivals, Paraná Clube were 1st, and E.C. Juventude went through just behind them. Coxa was the 2nd best overall team, so they'd go straight to the SFs. In the phase before the SFs, E.C. Juventude defeated E.C. Cruzeiro by 4x1, an unexpected result, and as a reward they'd now face Coxa to decide who's the thoughest green/white club from the south! C. Atlético Mineiro beat Coxa's rivals Paraná Clube by 1x0 and would taken on Grêmio F.B.P.A in the SF.
E.C. Juventude wouldn't be a simple opponent, despite looking weaker than the previous ones on paper, and going through as 2nd in the weakest group... they took down E.C. Cruzeiro, which was 2nd in the strongest group. Also, the club hadn't won a major title since the 1999 Brazilian Cup against the traditional Botafogo F.R. on the Maracanã... their colors weren't their only thing in common, Coxa's major glory was the 1985 Brazilian League, won against Bangu A.C. in the Maracanã aswell, Brazil's football temple. Of course Coxa has won other titles since then, mostly state championships, to be more specific almost 40 of them, also a couple of 2nd division titles... but the fans needed something to be truly proud of, and this could be it.
In the 1st half things seemed like they wouldn't be easy, but it didn't take long for I. Jesus to get in front goal, he still hadn't scored in this competition, which is always shameful for a striker, and the youth academy wonder wanted to leave his mark... the GK came out, for most players this would lead to them being anxious, over thinking and making a mistake... but for a striker? At that point you're just asking for a goal. 1x0 early on. After that point Coxa kept dominating, but of course things were still tense, it was a SF still. After a FK from the opponent the youth academy GK, Arthur, taking Wilson's place due to poor physical condition for this match, caught the ball and quickly threw it to Rhodolfo. Coxa's mostly a team that wants to have the ball, but Morínigo's teams are versatyle and know how to explore a deadly counter attack, just like Coxa often did in 1985, in the same formation, with the same philosophy. Once again I. Jesus was on a run, against the GK, and yet again he won that duel... 2x0 in the 1st half. In the 2nd half Coxa mostly kept the ball and didn't rush, knowing time was on their side, the result is that this was one of the team's slowest and weakest displays... still, the final was ahead now, and this could be a final that'd be on fans' mind for decades to come, they had to win this...
In 2011 and 2012 Coxa lost the Brazilian Cup final, twice in a row, and both times at home, in the Couto Pereira. In 2001 Coxa lost the Copa Sul-Minas final against E.C. Cruzeiro, in the same year losing the Brazilian Cup SF and Copa dos Campeões SF, with their rivals C. Athletico Paranaense winning the Brazilian League for the 1st time in that very same year... it was time to stop losing finals, it was time to do it just like in 1985 once more.
Only a single thing stood in Coxa's way to glory, probably the biggest and most traditional club in the entire Copa Sul-Minas, the same opponent who has stood in Coxa's way plenty of times in othher knockout competitions like the Brazilian Cup and even the Sudamericana... the champions of the 1983, 1995 and 2017 Copa Libertadores, 1983 CWC champions, 5x Brazilian Cup champions, 2x Brazilian League champions, the famous immortals: Grêmio F.B.P.A.
Morínigo went for the same team as in the rest of the 2021 Copa Sul-Minas, following the famous Brazilian saying, that a team that's winning doesn't move, there's no reason to change a winning formula if it's working and you're winning... sadly, Natanael wasn't fit for the match, with Jonathan in his place for the final, but at least Wilson came back, the captain's looking into his 1st major silverware as a Coxa player, after 7 years trying...
It was time for the match the fans had been waiting for, that the recently elected administration had been waiting for, that the players had been waiting for, that Morínigo had been waiting for... that Coritiba F.C. had been waiting for, the institution, treated so poorly by amateur presidents over the years, it was finally on the right track, nobody expected to reach a final like this so soon, but Morínigo's work had worked out quite well.
As this was a single match, having it take place in Curitiba-PR wouldn't be fair with Grêmio F.B.P.A. and having it take place in Porto Alegre-RS also wouldn't be fair to Coxa, so the match was scheduled to be played in Santos-SP, at the Vila Belmiro, where Pelé used to do wonders beyond this world a match at a time... the Vila Belmiro. As the players walked through the tunnels, into the pitch, and the sound of the stands became louder, the fans of both clubs marking their presence... the players set their eyes on what they've been fighting for this whole time, the cup. It was impossible for both of them to take the cup home, though both clubs and both sets of fans deserved it... football is cruel, but someone would be 2nd place, and Coxa had to make sure history didn't repeat itself, those players had to make sure that 2011 and 2012 didn't repeat themselves, it was a chance for the club to win a major title against a major club, broadcast to the whole country, 10 years later since the traumatic 2011 defeat, they were given another chance.
Coxa struck 1st, quite early on, with a good chance from Rafinha, but he was denied by the GK, trying to set out a clear message that if Coxa wanted to go through him... they'd have to do better than that. Coxa was clearly nervous, making more mistakes than usual, knowing each mistake could be a death sentence, but just under the 20min mark the Grêmio F.B.P.A. defenders made a mistake, due to the pressure Coxa's attackers were putting in them, as instructed by Morínigo, the ball fell to M. Sarrafiore's feet, he controled the ball, looked at the GK, at the net, and struck! As the Coxa fans in the stadium, and the ones in front of their TVs gasped in disbelief... 1x0 for Coxa! However, could Coxa keep this up? It seemed like they could, the goal clearly gave the players a boost in confidence, less mistakes and more chances created were the result, possession was overwhelming, defending was tight... and in the 45min, stoppage time, Jonathan, the Natanael substitute, takes the throw in, towards Rafinha, passes to M. Sarrafiore, back to Rafinha, back to Jonathan... a perfect cross, perfect in every sense of the word, Robson just had to head it in, and he did, it was 2x0. at that point it seemed like Coxa would finally do it, and in a classic Morínigo quick counter, the 3x0 came along, again scored by Robson, to settle this title...
In the end Coxa didn't have the top goal scorer, that was Keno from C. Atlético Mineiro with 4 goals... and Coxa's player with the most assists drew at the top with another Galo player, Hyoran... but Coxa had what everyone there truly wanted, and what the fans had longed for since 1985... the cup! As some fans cried in the stands and in their homes, the feeling was of joy, but most of all relief, since their club was finally in good hands...
Wilson, the captain, and GK who saved Coxa so many times before, finally had won a major title with the club, and he lifted the cup with joy, with a feeling that his duty had been accomplished, he'd later go back to his youth club, Figueirense F.C. in Florianópolis-SC, for family reasons, but his deed was done and he had nothing to regret. Morínigo would stay in the club to polish those rough young gems in the squad, looking into hiring more players to make them even more competitive, perhaps the Brazilian Cup that Coxa fans were so obsessed with could come in later years with him taking charge of these players? We don't know, what we do know is that, for the 1st time in ages, Coxa fans got some of their lost self esteem back again.
P.S. Thank you all for reading it this far, it's my 1st time writing something like this, since it seemed like a fun idea, in the end it really was, I had fun playing and I also had fun writing these chronicles, recording the videos, editing and posting them... all of that good stuff, I'm grateful for Millossobek and his thread as it served as inspiration for me to find something really fun to do and that I can read and look back on with a smile on my face, so cheers, everyone!
We're in 2021 and the 2020 Brazilian football season has ended... and for Coritiba F.C. and it's fans, who call their dear club "Coxa" it couldn't have been worse, the club was relegated for the 6th time from the 1st division to the 2nd division, in the same year as their rivals, C. Athletico Paranaense, have won yet another Sudamericana and the gap between these previously close rivals widens within their state. A new administration has taken over after winning the late 2020 club's elections with ease, over 75% of votes... the fans had given them their trust, and they knew it was their moral duty to give something back to the fans one way or another, especially due to the rivals piling up major title after major title too.
Due to financial difficulties caused by previous administrations, the club can't sign player's who'll genuinely improve the squad, thankfully there are some decent enough players for a 2nd division, even then the club needed something to make sure things wouldn't be like 2020, and the answer was a foreign manager, for the 1st time in decades for the club... Gustavo Morínigo from Paraguay. It worked in 1998, so it could work again for them now.
After setting up the team in his favorite 4-2-3-1 formation, focusing on controlling possession and spaces on and off the ball through the pitch, it seems that Coxa's ready for the 2nd division, though an early exit in the Paraná state championship has gotten fans worried... in an attempt to give Coxa and its fans something to look forward to this year, besides promotion, knowing that a Brazilian Cup title is not viable, the club's president has gotten in touch with presidents from other southern clubs, including both city rivals C. Athletico Paranaense and Paraná Clube, alongside 3 of Minas Gerais main clubs, to bring back a regional cup from the early 2000's... the Copa Sul-Minas. In recent years, the Copa do Nordeste, all the way up in the north-east region of Brazil, has been a success, giving clubs there a lot of profit and fan engagement, so 12 clubs spanning from the Minas Gerais and the 3 southern states (Paraná, Santa Catarina & Rio Grande do Sul) have decided to go for it. It's a title chance for Coxa and its fans!
Of course, there have been attempts to bring it back in the past, most famously the 2016/2017 Primeira Liga, won by Fluminense F.C. and E.C. Londrina respectively, which was a revival of the Copa Sul-Minas, but expanded and was eventually taken over by Rio de Janeiro's clubs, unsatisfied with their local football federation. In the end, the Primeira Liga failed for a variety of reasons, so fans, clubs and streaming services were all skeptical of this new revival, however the smaller scale and higher focus on just being a regional, instead of a Brazilian League/Cup replacement, made it so the expectations were more appropriate by all. In the end 12 clubs decided to take part in it, 3 from each of the 4 states involved, just like in the 2000 and 2001 editions of the Copa Sul-Minas all of those years back... and for Coxa fans, the 2001 edition was special, the club reached the final against E.C. Cruzeiro and lost, in the same year as their main rivals won the Brazilian League, it was a chance for a consolation title in a way, but the fans didn't even get that... but history doesn't always repeat itself, and that's what Coxa's fans and administration are counting on... can they win it?
Group 1: Grêmio F.B.P.A. (RS); E.C. Cruzeiro (MG); C. Athletico Paranaense (PR); A. Chapecoense de F. (SC).
Group 2: S.C. Internacional (RS); C. Atlético Mineiro (MG); Coritiba F.C. (PR); Avaí F.C. (SC).
Group 3: E.C. Juventude (RS); América F.C. (MG); Paraná Clube (PR); Figueirense F.C. (SC).
One major obstacle the competition had was the Brazilian football calendar by CBF, and the COMNEBOL calendar aswell, there were just not enough days to play football as it was, with matches having few days between one another, which drained clubs and players of their stamina, so the main solution was to have the cup be very spaced out, and without the Home & Away setup used in 2000 and 2001, there'd be single matches, just like a World Cup. As usual, Coxa released a 3rd kit, this to make a tribute to the Mata Atlântica, essentially the south's Amazon, there's little of it left, but Coxa's helping however it can now by raising money through the shirt and spreading awareness... this is the shirt that'll be worn in the Copa Sul-Minas.
In the 1st fixture Coxa and its fans wouldn't have it easy, they'd have to face Avaí F.C. away, a traditional club from Santa Catarina, often being a dolphin club between the 1st division and 2nd division, but always picking up a fight and not giving up easily, especially in front of their fans. It was time for the Mata Atlântica kit to debut, and for Morínigo's team to make him proud and put in practice everything they've been training. It was a similar ideal to F.C. Barcelona in Spain, take the ball and pass the ball, play simple football, make it look easy even though it isn't... of course Coxa isn't F.C. Barcelona, especially not after relegation, but some players weren't bad despite last year's result, and they could play beautifully.
Morínigo's ideal 11 consisted of: Wilson; Natanael, Rhodolfo, Sabino & G. Biro; M. Sales, H. Moura, Rafinha, M. Sarrafiore & Robson; I. Jesus.
Of course the captain was Wilson, a hero for fans, who's been making spectacular saves every week since 2015.
All FKs near the box would be taken on by Robson, who was fantastic at them, and PKs by Sabino, who's controversial in his PK runs... but scores.
In the 1st half it already became clear to Coxa fans that Morínigo's training had been paying off, as the team was playing exactly how the manager from Paraguay had hoped for, keeping the ball and making short passes to open up the opponent, but also not being shy of making longer passes through the ground or through the air. A lot of possession, passing and movement defined Coxa's 1st half, there was something missing though... oh, a goal! It seems that the most crucial part of football was still a problem for Coxa and its players, perhaps lacking confidence due to the poor results in last year's 1st division and this year's Paraná state championship... this is a team with no confidence, with a loser's spirit to them, and that wouldn't change for real, they'd never truly believe in the chance of a title, until something happened to prove that this year was different, that these men were different from who they were before... but the opposing GK wouldn't allow this match to be it. After so many shots and good chances created in a variety of ways... it seemed that the ball wouldn't go in no matter what, and fans were already starting to lose hope, afterall, this was supposed to be the easiest opponent in the group, if they can't win here, what hope is there? A goal came along to make it 1x0 though, and that's how it ended.
At the end of the day Coxa was 2nd place, behind C. Atlético Mineiro on goal difference, with Avaí F.C. in 3rd and S.C. Internacional in 4th, Coxa's next opponents, who'd surely be going for 3 points to avoid getting knocked out early. In group 3 E.C. Juventude was on top, with América F.C. being last, with Figueirense F.C. and Paraná Clube drawing. In group 1 the main surprise was C. Athletico Paranaense, Coxa's rivals, being last for once...
It wasn't the most convincing victory, especially as every other match aftet this one would be against a tougher opponent, but Morínigo was happy to see his team adopting his style and putting it in practice, they were listening, that's the conclusion he took from this match, and it they were truly listening, then there as hope for greater heights! S.C. Internacional was next, much tougher, but this time it would be at home, the Couto Pereira.
S.C. Internacional is a huge club in Brazil, FIFA CWC champion in 2006 over Ronaldinho's F.C. Barcelona, 2010 Copa Libertadores champions aswell, not to mention the 3 league titles, one of them an invincibles campaign, in 1979, and a national cup title aswell... well, to sum it up, they're a big deal, and they always loved mentioning that they were champions of "everything" over the years... but not the Copa Sul-Minas, they wouldn't back down.
It was the 1st, and only time Coxa would play at the Couto Pereira in this edition of the Copa Sul-Minas, so the fans made sure to fill up the stadium on a nice and sunny day in Curitiba-PR, a city known for gray skies was watching their players covered in sun light, appropriate considering the fans' hopes and expectations for this team and managed to give them some of their lost pride back, after too many years of humiliation. And the players did respond to these hopes, Coxa started the match playing lots of passes in the ground and in the air, slow when needed and quick when needed, but kept missing chance after chance, overwhelming fans on both sides, filling them with frustration... but for different reasons, obviously. Would they score?
No. S.C. Internacional struck 1st, in their only shot through the whole match... Avaí F.C. had a terrific chance to make it 1x1, but missed, this was a completely different team from Avaí F.C. though, this was a team filled with continental history, they don't miss chances like those when they come, so the result wasn't a surprise. Despite this devastating blow, Coxa kept creating chances, though with a lot more anxiety than before, rushing more and failing more as a result, with the GK keeping everything out of their goal and defenders doing their best to keep the 1x0 advantage... and that's how it ended, in front of their fans, while playing genuinely well and exactly as a Morínigo team should, Coxa lost, and now the future didn't look as bright as the sun that was shining down on this team earlier today, perhaps the sun was shining down on S.C. Internacional and fans were mislead? It's something we'll never know for sure, what we do know is that now, thank to C. Atlético Mineiro going to 6 points, and S.C. Internacional going to 4, probably winning against Avaí F.C. in the last fixture and going to 7 points, Coxa has to win against the strongest and richest club in the group...
Now the club didn't have their home stadium, their fans, and had to win against their toughest opponents yet... what could possibly go wrong? Well, lots, and that was clear as soon as the 1st half began, while Coxa managed to make plays and generate opportunities, there was a key thing missing... a shot! Not a single shot in the 1st half, while the opponents were shooting, they were being dangerous and seemed a lot closer to the 1x0 than Coxa, in the 1985 Brazilian League SF Coxa won by 1x0 on aggregate and went to the final, to win their only league title to date, in a year that seemed like C. Atlético Mineiro, the Galo, would finally win it for the 2nd time, Coxa managed to frustrate Galo back then, but it didn't seem like that'd be the case here... until M. Sarrafiore passed to I. Jesus in the box and was tackled without the ball, penalty! Sabino went to the penalty spot, he had a lot of fans criticizing his penalty kicks, mostly how he runs up to the ball, and recent misses... would he redeem himself? Yes, he would... 1x0 for Coxa! Now it was a matter of deciding wheter the club would try to hold onto the 1x0 or go for more, as the opponent might open up while pushing for their own goal... Morínigo told his players to keep pushing too, the end result was a 3x0 for Coxa and the 1st place in the group, against all odds.
In 1985 many considered the 2x1 victory against Santos F.C. to be the famous key turning match, the one that makes everyone start to truly believe the team can go all the way, and now that the unexpected victory against a superior Galo came, just like in the 1985 SF, the key has been turned, and the fans filled with disbelief were starting to belief again, this is what Morínigo was hired to do... and he delivered. Coxa would play in the SF again.
Other teams that went through we group rivals C. Atlético Mineiro, with S.C. Internacional falling behind them on goal difference. In group 1 Grêmio F.B.P.A. and E.C. Cruzeiro went through, with local Coxa rivals, the successful C. Athletico Paranaense being dead last. In group 3, Coxa's other city rivals, Paraná Clube were 1st, and E.C. Juventude went through just behind them. Coxa was the 2nd best overall team, so they'd go straight to the SFs. In the phase before the SFs, E.C. Juventude defeated E.C. Cruzeiro by 4x1, an unexpected result, and as a reward they'd now face Coxa to decide who's the thoughest green/white club from the south! C. Atlético Mineiro beat Coxa's rivals Paraná Clube by 1x0 and would taken on Grêmio F.B.P.A in the SF.
E.C. Juventude wouldn't be a simple opponent, despite looking weaker than the previous ones on paper, and going through as 2nd in the weakest group... they took down E.C. Cruzeiro, which was 2nd in the strongest group. Also, the club hadn't won a major title since the 1999 Brazilian Cup against the traditional Botafogo F.R. on the Maracanã... their colors weren't their only thing in common, Coxa's major glory was the 1985 Brazilian League, won against Bangu A.C. in the Maracanã aswell, Brazil's football temple. Of course Coxa has won other titles since then, mostly state championships, to be more specific almost 40 of them, also a couple of 2nd division titles... but the fans needed something to be truly proud of, and this could be it.
In the 1st half things seemed like they wouldn't be easy, but it didn't take long for I. Jesus to get in front goal, he still hadn't scored in this competition, which is always shameful for a striker, and the youth academy wonder wanted to leave his mark... the GK came out, for most players this would lead to them being anxious, over thinking and making a mistake... but for a striker? At that point you're just asking for a goal. 1x0 early on. After that point Coxa kept dominating, but of course things were still tense, it was a SF still. After a FK from the opponent the youth academy GK, Arthur, taking Wilson's place due to poor physical condition for this match, caught the ball and quickly threw it to Rhodolfo. Coxa's mostly a team that wants to have the ball, but Morínigo's teams are versatyle and know how to explore a deadly counter attack, just like Coxa often did in 1985, in the same formation, with the same philosophy. Once again I. Jesus was on a run, against the GK, and yet again he won that duel... 2x0 in the 1st half. In the 2nd half Coxa mostly kept the ball and didn't rush, knowing time was on their side, the result is that this was one of the team's slowest and weakest displays... still, the final was ahead now, and this could be a final that'd be on fans' mind for decades to come, they had to win this...
In 2011 and 2012 Coxa lost the Brazilian Cup final, twice in a row, and both times at home, in the Couto Pereira. In 2001 Coxa lost the Copa Sul-Minas final against E.C. Cruzeiro, in the same year losing the Brazilian Cup SF and Copa dos Campeões SF, with their rivals C. Athletico Paranaense winning the Brazilian League for the 1st time in that very same year... it was time to stop losing finals, it was time to do it just like in 1985 once more.
Only a single thing stood in Coxa's way to glory, probably the biggest and most traditional club in the entire Copa Sul-Minas, the same opponent who has stood in Coxa's way plenty of times in othher knockout competitions like the Brazilian Cup and even the Sudamericana... the champions of the 1983, 1995 and 2017 Copa Libertadores, 1983 CWC champions, 5x Brazilian Cup champions, 2x Brazilian League champions, the famous immortals: Grêmio F.B.P.A.
Morínigo went for the same team as in the rest of the 2021 Copa Sul-Minas, following the famous Brazilian saying, that a team that's winning doesn't move, there's no reason to change a winning formula if it's working and you're winning... sadly, Natanael wasn't fit for the match, with Jonathan in his place for the final, but at least Wilson came back, the captain's looking into his 1st major silverware as a Coxa player, after 7 years trying...
It was time for the match the fans had been waiting for, that the recently elected administration had been waiting for, that the players had been waiting for, that Morínigo had been waiting for... that Coritiba F.C. had been waiting for, the institution, treated so poorly by amateur presidents over the years, it was finally on the right track, nobody expected to reach a final like this so soon, but Morínigo's work had worked out quite well.
As this was a single match, having it take place in Curitiba-PR wouldn't be fair with Grêmio F.B.P.A. and having it take place in Porto Alegre-RS also wouldn't be fair to Coxa, so the match was scheduled to be played in Santos-SP, at the Vila Belmiro, where Pelé used to do wonders beyond this world a match at a time... the Vila Belmiro. As the players walked through the tunnels, into the pitch, and the sound of the stands became louder, the fans of both clubs marking their presence... the players set their eyes on what they've been fighting for this whole time, the cup. It was impossible for both of them to take the cup home, though both clubs and both sets of fans deserved it... football is cruel, but someone would be 2nd place, and Coxa had to make sure history didn't repeat itself, those players had to make sure that 2011 and 2012 didn't repeat themselves, it was a chance for the club to win a major title against a major club, broadcast to the whole country, 10 years later since the traumatic 2011 defeat, they were given another chance.
Coxa struck 1st, quite early on, with a good chance from Rafinha, but he was denied by the GK, trying to set out a clear message that if Coxa wanted to go through him... they'd have to do better than that. Coxa was clearly nervous, making more mistakes than usual, knowing each mistake could be a death sentence, but just under the 20min mark the Grêmio F.B.P.A. defenders made a mistake, due to the pressure Coxa's attackers were putting in them, as instructed by Morínigo, the ball fell to M. Sarrafiore's feet, he controled the ball, looked at the GK, at the net, and struck! As the Coxa fans in the stadium, and the ones in front of their TVs gasped in disbelief... 1x0 for Coxa! However, could Coxa keep this up? It seemed like they could, the goal clearly gave the players a boost in confidence, less mistakes and more chances created were the result, possession was overwhelming, defending was tight... and in the 45min, stoppage time, Jonathan, the Natanael substitute, takes the throw in, towards Rafinha, passes to M. Sarrafiore, back to Rafinha, back to Jonathan... a perfect cross, perfect in every sense of the word, Robson just had to head it in, and he did, it was 2x0. at that point it seemed like Coxa would finally do it, and in a classic Morínigo quick counter, the 3x0 came along, again scored by Robson, to settle this title...
In the end Coxa didn't have the top goal scorer, that was Keno from C. Atlético Mineiro with 4 goals... and Coxa's player with the most assists drew at the top with another Galo player, Hyoran... but Coxa had what everyone there truly wanted, and what the fans had longed for since 1985... the cup! As some fans cried in the stands and in their homes, the feeling was of joy, but most of all relief, since their club was finally in good hands...
Wilson, the captain, and GK who saved Coxa so many times before, finally had won a major title with the club, and he lifted the cup with joy, with a feeling that his duty had been accomplished, he'd later go back to his youth club, Figueirense F.C. in Florianópolis-SC, for family reasons, but his deed was done and he had nothing to regret. Morínigo would stay in the club to polish those rough young gems in the squad, looking into hiring more players to make them even more competitive, perhaps the Brazilian Cup that Coxa fans were so obsessed with could come in later years with him taking charge of these players? We don't know, what we do know is that, for the 1st time in ages, Coxa fans got some of their lost self esteem back again.
P.S. Thank you all for reading it this far, it's my 1st time writing something like this, since it seemed like a fun idea, in the end it really was, I had fun playing and I also had fun writing these chronicles, recording the videos, editing and posting them... all of that good stuff, I'm grateful for Millossobek and his thread as it served as inspiration for me to find something really fun to do and that I can read and look back on with a smile on my face, so cheers, everyone!
