MKC's Cups (Chronicles)

MKC

Garra! Força! Tradição!
16 May 2019
Curitiba, Brazil
Coritiba F.C.
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!
 
Man, congratulations!!!! What an epic ride!! For your dear Coxa to win the Copa Sul-Minas, revived from over 20 years ago, is a major feat, and not only that, dominating against perhaps the strongest team in the South of Brazil, the legendary Gremio, has to be more than satisfying! This is what I would call a true David vs Goliath story, and you managed to pull it off, not only winning, but dominating! Brilliant job. I also love the fact that you give Brazilian football history its due, and are so knowledgeable about the importance of what you carry in your team and in your competitions! :) :GSCARF:

From your stories, you can really feel that Regional Cups in Brazil aren't the same as in other countries. Their tradition and weight of importance for the fans are something that transcends other regional cups, they are part of the footballing fabric and culture of your beautiful country. What an amazing victory over Atlético Mineiro as well, and what a run! Your defense probably did a great job neutralizing Hulk, he was nowhere to be found!

What a great story, and what a way to give redemption to your Coxa after relegation, and a great, epic title to contrast with Paranaense's recent run of success. Love to see more stories from our continent! I am sure now hopes are high for promotion now that you have won the Copa Sul-Minas! I'm glad my stories served as inspiration for your great tale of redemption and victory, and I hope you continue with your story! I will be rooting for Coritiba to go back to Brasileirao A! :TU: :GSCARF:

Maybe they will even meet my Estrela Azul Paulista along the way. :LOL:
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MKC
Man, congratulations!!!! What an epic ride!! For your dear Coxa to win the Copa Sul-Minas, revived from over 20 years ago, is a major feat, and not only that, dominating against perhaps the strongest team in the South of Brazil, the legendary Inter, has to be more than satisfying! This is what I would call a true David vs Goliath story, and you managed to pull it off, not only winning, but dominating! Brilliant job. I also love the fact that you give Brazilian football history its due, and are so knowledgeable about the importance of what you carry in your team and in your competitions! :) :GSCARF:

From your stories, you can really feel that Regional Cups in Brazil aren't the same as in other countries. Their tradition and weight of importance for the fans are something that transcends other regional cups, they are part of the footballing fabric and culture of your beautiful country. What an amazing victory over Atlético Mineiro as well, and what a run! Your defense probably did a great job neutralizing Hulk, he was nowhere to be found!

What a great story, and what a way to give redemption to your Coxa after relegation, and a great, epic title to contrast with Paranaense's recent run of success. Love to see more stories from our continent! I am sure now hopes are high for promotion now that you have won the Copa Sul-Minas! I'm glad my stories served as inspiration for your great tale of redemption and victory, and I hope you continue with your story! I will be rooting for Coritiba to go back to Brasileirao A! :TU: :GSCARF:

Maybe they will even meet my Estrela Azul Paulista along the way. :LOL:
I'm glad you've liked it! I have to admit, doing this just made me appreciate your work even more than I already did, it's not easy at all to write this and takes a lot of work... but it's definitely worth it! I love Brazilian football, its history and tournaments, I love southern Brazilian football's culture, and I love my club, so to me doing this felt like a way to pay homage to so many things I appreciate, it was great. I don't know when I'm going to write another one of these, as it does take time and I enjoy recording my matches to go along with it... but if I do it'll likely be the Brazilian Cup, the title that slipped away from us in 2011 and 2012.
 
Definitely man, it does take a lot of time to write the stories, but it's worth it! I love to look back and read completed stories as well, they are there as really cool memories. Usually what I do is that I record the screenshots, the recordings and the scores as I go along and then do the chronicle. But in anycase, no rush, it was really cool to read your whole Copa Sul-Minas odyssey, and it's great to see more Cup or ML stories in the forum! I'll definitely try to look into the regional Brazilian Cups more, it would be great if PES featured them as part of Master League as well, haha.. But in anycase, hope Coritiba does great in your stories as well as in real life I see you guys are fighting for permanence in Brasileirao A this year, I will be rooting for Coxa to stay in the division! :GSCARF:

EDIT: Oh and I meant Gremio who you defeated in the final, not Inter. ;)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MKC
Definitely man, it does take a lot of time to write the stories, but it's worth it! I love to look back and read completed stories as well, they are there as really cool memories. Usually what I do is that I record the screenshots, the recordings and the scores as I go along and then do the chronicle. But in anycase, no rush, it was really cool to read your whole Copa Sul-Minas odyssey, and it's great to see more Cup or ML stories in the forum! I'll definitely try to look into the regional Brazilian Cups more, it would be great if PES featured them as part of Master League as well, haha.. But in anycase, hope Coritiba does great in your stories as well as in real life I see you guys are fighting for permanence in Brasileirao A this year, I will be rooting for Coxa to stay in the division! :GSCARF:

EDIT: Oh and I meant Gremio who you defeated in the final, not Inter. ;)
I'm glad it was a good read. I'd say that Brazil's regional cups aren't as historically significant as the national tournaments, nor the state championships, but they have their place, especially the Copa do Nordeste for clubs in the north-east, which is the only successful one currently, and the Rio-São Paulo, being the most historic one due to having clubs from both of the most relevant states in the country, a shame that the Copa Sul-Minas only lasted 3 years, and its talks of coming back haven't gone forward due to lack of schedule. I'm sure we'll be relegated... but that's fine, I hope we can at least plan for next year well.
 
I know I've just finished the latest PES2021 story with my beloved Coxa, but this feeling of something new and fun has pushed me to do it yet again right now for some reason, and I went for a competition Coxa fans know very well, one that they all have traumas over even today... a few SF exits, in 1991, 2001 and 2009, but the real hit came in 2011. We had one of our best squads of all time, the world record for most wins in a row in the history of football, with 24 in that year up until we faced S.E. Palmeiras in the 2nd leg of the QFs in the Brazilian Cup, which didn't matter thanks to a historical 6x0 in the 1st leg! Our record's now lost due to the change in rules regarding friendlies, it became the 3rd best sequence, behind the 70's Ajax and the 90's Ajax too. Anyways, that team did deserve to make history, with our 1st major national title since 1985... it would've been huge! A final where the 2nd leg would be at home, the team went into the pitch with the classic 1985 combination, striped shirt, black shorts and white socks, in one of our most stunning kits ever... a 1x0 to Vasco da Gama was a difficult score to turn around, but that team could do it! And they almost did it, a 3x2 at home, but that away goal rule... a match many still lose sleep over...

At one point it felt like fate gave us a 2nd chance, in the 2012 final yet again, with the 2nd leg at home yet again too! However this time it was 3x1 over both matches, to S.E. Palmeiras, and the dream was over for good this time, we never even reached the SFs again... in the mean time, C. Athletico Paranaense, the Furacão, did it for the 1st time in 2013, and reached more finals since then, in 2019 and 2021... winning 2019. It felt like football itself was laughing at us, and has been for years now... but it's time for that to change. We've got M. Oliveira back as manager, just like in 2011 and 2012, and he's set on winning it...

M. Oliveira was fired in late 2012 by the club, and what he did after that was historical, 2 Brazilian League titles with E.C. Cruzeiro, in 2013 and 2014, and a Brazilian Cup title with S.E. Palmeiras in 2015, he became a big deal, but eventually things went downhill and he struggled to reach those same heights, at one point even coming back to Coxa, in late 2017, to avoid relegation, but he failed, literally in the last second of the whole year, the last play... back then he wished to stay for 2018 to bring the club back, but was fired... however the club's been relegated yet again in 2020, and who did they bring? Of course, him.

Of course, the main focus of the year is being promoted to the 1st division of the Brazilian League, however, doing well in the Brazilian Cup, or even winning it by some sort of miracle, wouldn't be too bad, and for M. Oliveira, and also Rafinha, our LMF, who also returned to the club after years of being successful at E.C. Cruzeiro, winning it could mean redemption for those consecutive finals losses. We'll be going for a 4-4-2 just like Coxa played back then, in both of those fantastic seasons that almost ended with glory, with not only M. Oliveira and Rafinha wanting redemption, but Wilson too, for failing to save that chance in 2017's last match, at the very last play, which ended in relegation. As a sort of inspiration from some UEFA clubs, Coxa's decided to make a separate cup kit for this year, and it'll be based on... the striped kit used on that final, 10 years ago, and if the 2011 kit was a beauty, 2021's even better, with a larger crest closer to the heart, stripes on the socks being in the middle to make them stand out, and no sponsor to hurt the whole thing. As a way of celebrating the most successful Brazilian player of all time, CBF has decided to put Pelé on the competition's logo, and it makes sense, whoever wins it will be Brazil's King club.
 

Attachments

  • Coxa2011.png
    Coxa2011.png
    1 MB · Views: 7
  • PES2021 Coritiba F.C. Squad (Copa do Brasil).png
    PES2021 Coritiba F.C. Squad (Copa do Brasil).png
    253.4 KB · Views: 7
  • Coxa2011REV.png
    Coxa2011REV.png
    74.9 KB · Views: 10
  • CdB.png
    CdB.png
    40.9 KB · Views: 13
That's great you are seeking redemption with Olveira and Wilson! I love the fact that you put Pelé, the greatest of all time, in the competition's logo. That was cool to read about a bit of Coxa's history. I never liked the away goal rule (glad they got rid of it), I mean it never meant sense to me to penalize a team just because they conceded at home. After all, the goal difference is the same. But in anycase, it's great to hear that you'll be doing a Master League, just make sure to be patient! Success might not come at first, but with good transfers and good management of player growth, I'm sure you'll be promoted and have a deep cup run sooner rather than later. 🏆 :GSCARF:
 
  • Like
Reactions: MKC
That's great you are seeking redemption with Olveira and Wilson! I love the fact that you put Pelé, the greatest of all time, in the competition's logo. That was cool to read about a bit of Coxa's history. I never liked the away goal rule (glad they got rid of it), I mean it never meant sense to me to penalize a team just because they conceded at home. After all, the goal difference is the same. But in anycase, it's great to hear that you'll be doing a Master League, just make sure to be patient! Success might not come at first, but with good transfers and good management of player growth, I'm sure you'll be promoted and have a deep cup run sooner rather than later. 🏆 :GSCARF:
Thanks! I really wanted M. Oliveira and Wilson to get their redemptions in real life, Wilson sort of did by being crucial in 2021's promotion, but M. Oliveira has faded since then, and I wanted to see either of them, or both, win a major title at some point. Pelé's really the GOAT, he could do anything and he truly helped put Brazil on the map all the way back in 1958, and with one of the best, if not the greatest, teams of all time in 1970, not to mention his Santos F.C. squad at that time. I'm glad the away goal is gone too, just wish it was gone before 2011... if that final had gone to penalties, we could've won it, but we'll never know a different result besides what really happened, and it was miserable. Oh, I'm not doing a Master League this time either, sorry for not being clear in my OP, I'm going to play a Brazilian Cup only, in Master League, and even regular League mode, the Brazilian season starts with the Brazilian Cup and is played until its conclusion before anything else, how it was before 2013 in real life, so if a Master League was already going to start with nothing besides that, and this single competition is my main focus anyways, I figured it made more sense to just go for the cup. I'm still too ADHD for Master League sadly, but maybe one day....
 
2021 has started, and the Brazilian Cup is underway as expected, CBF's cup competition for Brazilian football, which has been part of the calendar since its 1989 inception, has crowned many clubs outside of the usual "Big 12" from Brazil, mostly due to years where Libertadores qualified clubs didn't play it! before 2013 to be more specific, which helps to explain how Coxa went to 2 finals in a row, the team was good, but also the main nation clubs weren't there to give it a shot... now they are, so Coxa's mission is even harder then back then, also because this is a squad of players that have just been relegated, though there is talent here, things just didn't click in 2020, but perhaps M. Oliveira can make them click? CBF have released the table with all fixtures and paths to the final, it seems Coxa will take on G.E. Brasil, or simply Brasil de Pelotas (RS), in a 2 legged match, a 180min match if you're feeling quirky. How will this go for them?

M. Oliveira went for the same 4-4-2 formation he used in 2011 and 2012, with 2 box-to-box players in the center who can either go up the pitch or stay back in a symmetrical or asymmetrical manner, alongside 2 wingers that can either play down the wing with the fullback, or cut inside to act as AMFs whenever its needed, a 4-4-2 that can become a 4-2-2-2 or a 4-1-2-1-2 whenever it needs to depending on the opponent or how the match is going along, flexibility is key.

Coxa would play away in the 1st leg, and tensions were high among fans... how would this team play? Is it the right decision to go for a manager that lost not only 1, but 2 finals in a row with us? Who hasn't had a major job going well for him since 2015? Who got relegated with us in 2017? And during the 1st half it seems the fans' fears were right, Coxa struggled to create anything, pretty much not getting a single real chance, and then in the 43nd minute... 1x0 behind...

In the 2nd half something had to change, things had to click now! It was clear that the team was trying to emulate 2011 and 2012, not focusing too much on possession or counter attacking, but still preferring possession, and overall wanted to control the middle of the pitch and create chances in various manners to surprise the opponent... but it wasn't working. Coxa went into the pitch for the last 45min without changes, and things stayed pretty much the same, as it was expected, though Coxa was starting to go for more of a style, typical of the classic British 4-4-2, with the wingers and fullback working together to put a bunch of good crosses into the striker, and in the 64th minute it almost worked out, but N. Fogaça's header hit the post! It was time for changes, so Rafinha went to the right, N. Fogaça to the left, and T. Lopes went to rest for Robson to come on, a bold move from M. Oliveira clearly looking into equalizing, while also getting and away goal for the next leg, that very same away goal that took everything from him in 2011 could now be in his favor, but his players would have to change something to make it happen. Overall, Coxa kept controlling the pitch besides being 1x0 down, pretty much suffering no shots during all of the match besides the goal... but they weren't creating enough chances for an equalizer either, the key strategy was still going for the wings, and it seemed to be working the best, but no goals came of it with the few headers the attackers managed to pull off. In the 86th minute, M. Sales gets the ball back and plays it into Rafinha on the wing, who crosses it to Robson in a good position, but he failed to control it and was tackled... however he managed to get it back in the very next instant! It got a bit too far from him though, and the GK grabbed it back, it really seemed that the ball was running away from Coxa's players today.

In the end, the final whistle came and Coxa had managed to lose in the opening match, it was only 1x0, but it was still a loss to one of the weakest teams in the whole tournament, which worried fans, with some already wanting M. Oliveira fired... he knew they'd have lots of work to do before the next match, they'd need more plays besides crosses, and most of all, players would have to learn how to play well with one another, understand each other, that was the key...



Overall the 1st leg of the Brazilian Cup had some surprises, like Sport C.R. defeating São Paulo F.C. by 1x0, América F.C. defeating C. Athletico Paranaense by 1x0 too, Fortaleza E.C. drawing against Grêmio F.B.P.A. and E.C. Bahia drawing against S.E. Palmeiras, but how would the 2nd leg for all of these match ups go? Well, now wasn't the time to think about that, it was time for Coxa's 2nd leg, to see if all of that hard work during the week had payed off. It would be the debut of the cup kit, the "Jogadeira" as its known by fans since being used in the 1985 final, striped shirt, black shorts and white socks, in this case it was clearly based on 2011's effort, but with a modern touch. Immediately Coxa had trouble as Rhodolfo and I. Jesus weren't feeling all that good, so it was up to N. Ribeiro and N. Fogaça to take the lead, as the players walked through the tunnel of the Couto Pereira stadium, into the pitch where so many fans awaited.

It seemed this match would be an interesting one for fans and neutrals alike, as Coxa was clearly different from the before, more anxious and messing things up more... but quicker and more daring, attempting to do vertical plays often, and in the 15th minute it almost payed off, with a play through the wing perfectly executed, leading to a cross to N. Fogaça, but once again his header, while good, ended up hitting the bar. It was essentially an attack vs. defense match, it was bound to have a goal if Coxa insisted enough, right? Well, yes... in the 30th minute G. Biro won a header and got the ball back for Coxa, into Robson's feet, he passed to Rafinha, who passed to T. Lopes, a one-two with N. Fogaça, a cross by T. Lopes and Robson was there to put it in! Coxa was back in it! A 1x1 was now the score of this 180 minute match, but would we have more goals? If Coxa concedes an equalizer they'd have to score 2 due to away goals... in the end none of that happened, Coxa kept trying to go forward, and while there were chances, there were very few shots, and as both teams knew that the next goal could, and would, decide it all, even Wilson had to start putting in the work, it was no longer a simple attack vs. defense match. In the 82nd minute Coxa had a foul on the right, and attempted something inspired by M. Aurélio's goal against C. Athletico Paranaense in 2009, but this time it wasn't M. Aurélio shooting, it was L. Henrique, a good player, but still young. In the 89th minute a last chance, but the young Kazu got anxious and couldn't make a good pass into the box. ET was ahead! As fans were anxious about the possibility of being knocked out at home so early, so were the players, but they knew that if they gave into that anxiety it would be all over. ET was by on a flash, with both teams having chances to get ahead, but missing every single one of them anyways.

We'd have penalties already! A lot of emotions for a 1st round, right? I. Jesus was up for the 1st one, and youngster couldn't care less about the pressure, a strong hit into the bottom left corner! 1x0 it was. E.C. Brasil had to respond, so a powerful shot into the left top corner it was, they just didn't count on a single thing... Wilson! A save from the PK specialist GK! Now it was up to Robson to get the 2x0, to score how he did during the 90 minutes, and a strong shot on the bottom right sealed the 2x0 for Coxa! However, that could become 2x1 with the next shot... but it didn't because Wilson was there yet again! A lot of the fans in the stands were skeptical about Wilson and felt he was overrated, but at that moment it didn't matter, they were all shouting his name! However, even though things were going well, that didn't last, Sabino missed his PK, and E.C. Brasil made it 2x1... Rafinha had to score... and he did it! a 3x1 now, if Wilson saves it it's over! A shame that another shot in the middle keeps E.C. Brasil alive, so it's up to M. Sarrafiore, for what could be the PK that sends Coxa into the next round... and a little chip in the middle ends it! In the end both legs were balanced, with Coxa struggling a lot to be the better team, so expectations for a title, or even a good run, are low despite qualification into the round of 16, it'll take a lot of work to get Coxa fans to trust this team and manager this season...



A few surprises here, São Paulo F.C. have been knocked out! Sport C.R. have gone through, it seems the 2008 champions are eager to win this once more, and the same goes for E.C. Bahia, who have taken out Brazil's most powerful club in the 2020's, S.E. Palmeiras! Not only that, but E.C. Fortaleza have beat Grêmio F.B.P.A. by 5x2 on aggregate... also, the other Paraná team, C. Athletico Paranaense, have gone through on penalties, those unoriginal bastards...
 

Attachments

  • eFootball PES 2021 SEASON UPDATE_20230628020916.jpg
    eFootball PES 2021 SEASON UPDATE_20230628020916.jpg
    244.3 KB · Views: 4
  • Marcelo Oliveira.png
    Marcelo Oliveira.png
    105.9 KB · Views: 4
I think it was Mourinho that said "a 4-4-2 is the best formation at covering space, no other formation is as effective with the geometry of the game". It might seem old-fashioned, but this classic English formation is making a comeback for a reason. Simple, straightforward, and highly dependent on winger play, with two strong central midfielders. When I play 4-4-2, a very important player is the secondary striker in my style, I usually try to have a good passer in SS, to act as kind of a "SS/AMF", an assisst man as well as a scorer! In my Reggina save, I had an invented Tunisian player called Youssef El-Sherif at SS (you can see him here), and he was perhaps all in all the best player in my team. This position is key in this formation!

Great job in winning the first leg of the Copa Do Brasil, and in penalties no less! It had to take nerves of steel to win it all with a Panenka style PK as your last shot.. Now you are facing Brasil de Pelotas.. Perhaps your fans will have to be patient with Oliveira, results when rebuilding are more important than Jogo Bonito, first the foundations are laid, and then you can play beautiful football! Also, very interesting to see that giants Sao Paulo have bowed out, as well as Gremio.. Looks like this Copa will be full of surprises!
 
  • Like
Reactions: MKC
I think it was Mourinho that said "a 4-4-2 is the best formation at covering space, no other formation is as effective with the geometry of the game". It might seem old-fashioned, but this classic English formation is making a comeback for a reason. Simple, straightforward, and highly dependent on winger play, with two strong central midfielders. When I play 4-4-2, a very important player is the secondary striker in my style, I usually try to have a good passer in SS, to act as kind of a "SS/AMF", an assisst man as well as a scorer! In my Reggina save, I had an invented Tunisian player called Youssef El-Sherif at SS (you can see him here), and he was perhaps all in all the best player in my team. This position is key in this formation!

Great job in winning the first leg of the Copa Do Brasil, and in penalties no less! It had to take nerves of steel to win it all with a Panenka style PK as your last shot.. Now you are facing Brasil de Pelotas.. Perhaps your fans will have to be patient with Oliveira, results when rebuilding are more important than Jogo Bonito, first the foundations are laid, and then you can play beautiful football! Also, very interesting to see that giants Sao Paulo have bowed out, as well as Gremio.. Looks like this Copa will be full of surprises!
Indeed, it seems that no matter how a team attack nowadays, when defending the 4-4-2 is king, with most teams switching to it when they don't have the ball, it covers the pitch quite well. I also prefer to have the SS there to help in the build up, almost turning the 4-4-2 into a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-1-3, but with more focus in crossing the ball with the wingers instead of having them cut inside for shooting... in this case I went for 2 strikers though, but pulled them back a bit as I want to pull the opponent's defense forward to pass behind them, over the top mostly, but also through the ground when possible, that way both strikers can help in the build up to a certain extend, but both focus more on being the receiver of a pass to look into scoring or assisting the other striker, it's how I recall those 2011 and 2012 squads playing mostly as there were tons of strikers, where it was rare for a single one of them to take the spotlight... I miss them so much...

I went with a chip due to one of my favorite players, not a Coxa player though, but a Botafogo F.R. player during the 2010's... Loco Abreu! I loved how cold he was when doing those chips in major situations, it was incredible. I'm sure the team can play some good football, to be honest sometimes it almost happens, but our ability to translate passing and creativity into shots still isn't there... but that's fine, we have a lot of matches left! If we don't get knocked out, of course.
 
After such a dramatic 1st round qualification, Coxa, its fans and its staff were all expecting to not feel so much tension so early into the competition, hopefully a smoother qualification would come... but the next opponents were Botafogo F.R. already, a member of Brazil's "Big 12" clubs, the clubs from the 4 states in Brazil football wise, the clubs with the most fans, and the most history. It wouldn't be easy, and while they didn't have the likes of Garrincha anymore, or all of the player that essentially built Brazil's 1962 world champion squad, they still shouldn't be underestimated. Our 1st match would be away, with our opponents playing in their full black kit, while we'd play with our classic kit, white shirt with a couple of green horizontal stripes, and our crest in the center, this has been the main shirt since the 70's and, while we have our cup kit, it felt like this combination would make it easier to tell both teams apart from one another at least.

With the 1st leg being on Rio de Janeiro, it meant we'd be able to play the decisive match at home, but does that mean M. Oliveira went for the draw to try to win it at home? Not at all, the lineup was just as it was in the previous matches, a flexible 4-4-2 to take advantage of plays from the wings mostly, but also the middle. Overall the 1st half had few chances, with our opponents having the best ones, again the build up was there, but the final 3rd was still a major issue...

Well... the 2nd half had literally no shots, until the 90th minute that is, where a nice passing sequence in the opponent's box, finding the triangles even with a tons of Botafogo F.R. players around, left Natanael face to face with their GK, D. Cavalieri, however the experienced GK kept the youngster's shot from being a goal, and with that we'd go to the 2nd leg with a clear issue, M. Oliveira's team has the build up, as always, but this time they didn't have chance creation...



No problem though, this was a 180 minute match, and only 90 minutes had passed, it was still on, and chances for both teams were 50/50 considering how a single shot was all that happened in that 2nd half, the defenses were clearly getting the better out of the attackers, for both sides, how would the managers fix this? How would the players act to try changing this? Well, M. Oliveira chose to trust his current tactic, believing it was all a matter of time and chemistry, soon players would be adjusted to one another and this setup would allow them to be safe at the back, and be able to explore both possession and counter attacks in the center or the flanks, however for that to happen... for them to even have a chance to reach that point were things just work, they'd have to win now, and if Botafogo F.R. scored a single goal, they'd have the away goal, so both the attack and defense would have to be at the top of their game, we had to win this.

Coxa went for their cup kit this time, as it is probably just as iconic as the classic one with the white shirt, but seems to be more beloved by the fans for some reason, the striped shirt always sells more, perhaps due to it being the club's 1st ever shirt, or because it was the shirt worn at the 1985 final, and by so many other squads in the 80's that left their mark, especially 1989, which many consider to be better than 1985, but was relegated by CBF to serve as an example for taking them on, when Coxa felt having their match taking place before direct opponents for qualification was unfair and that matches should take place at the same time, the club never really covered from 1989, though 2011 was a chance to get back on track, and we know how that went. Coxa also went for this circular pattern in the Couto Pereira turf, just like the late 90's, with the impressive 1998 squad, it fits the club well, with the circular crest and all, a 90's vibe...

Now let's talk about the actual match, as it was an important one, all or nothing. A nice and sunny day in Curitiba, a rarity in this town really, and fans came to the Couto Pereira stadium to support their club in what would surely be a dramatic match against a historic club. Coxa's players wanted the fans to know that they were not messing around, and appreciated the support, that they wanted to give fans the win, and they showed that to fans immediately, with Robson, a free kick specialist, hitting one in the post in the 3rd minute. In the 25th minute, after some genuinely good built up play, and well executed passes by Coxa's talented players, T. Lopes was in front of goal, though he was surrounded by Botafogo F.R. players, so he couldn't think for long, he had to shoot! And he did just that... but it hit the post yet again. In the 31st minute, another chance, this time with I. Jesus on a counter, but D. Cavalieri denied Coxa the 1x0 lead here. Coxa knew they had to score, conceding a single goal meant they had to make it 2x1 to go through, and Botafogo F.R. had the one and only K. Honda at the middle of the park to setup their plays, chances and goals were a clear possibility, scoring was a must... and in the 38th minute it finally happened, from their back Coxa went up the field through quick passes, with Rafinha's back heel leaving I. Jesus in front of goal, and this time not even D. Cavalieri could stop it!

In the 2nd half it was clear that Botafogo F.R. would have to go forward, they needed the 1x1 draw to go through on away goals, Coxa on the other hand also needed a goal to make it 2x0 and completely take away the chance of a late goal by the opponents to steal the qualification out of nowhere, and since they'd have to go forward to find the draw, Coxa knew that the counters were now a much more interesting possibility than on the 1st half, but would they pull it off?

Well, not really, Botafogo F.R. didn't launch themselves forward much, so the match played similar to the 1st half, with Coxa dominating possession... but in the 67th minute Coxa's defense failed and passed back to Wilson on a tough position, under pressure, and he lost the ball to M. Babi... it was an open net to make it 1x1 and send Botafogo F.R. through! However the angle wasn't the best, nor was his body positioning, and he missed... was that champions luck for Coxa? In the last 20 minutes of the match, the pressure was on by our opponents, they knew that making it 1x1 now would probably seal the deal, it was the reason for Coxa wanting to make it 2x0 so badly, to avoid a situation like this... a lot of close calls and balls into the box, tensions were high and fans in those stands were quite anxious... but in the end the score was 1x0, as Coxa's defense was tight and managed to keep the ball out, the round of 16 was done for!



Next were the QFs, and if a club like Garrincha's Botafogo F.R. weren't good enough for you, how about Pele's Santos F.C. then? It seemed that from now on there really wouldn't be any simple match ups... however, it wasn't all doom and gloom though, as Coxa's chance creation really had improved, a ton of shots inside the box, quick passing to get through the defense, it seems as if M. Oliveira's team is finally resembling his 2011 masterpiece, but it'd need some work.
 
Oh man, beating one giant in Keisuke Honda's led Botafogo, and now Santos!! The narrative for your second round home and away was really gripping, I could really feel like I was experiencing the match as you were narrating it. That was a great goal too, the backheel setting up the nice angled score! I bet that felt like a huge relief and you celebrated it like in real life, jumping around. :LOL:

Bring it on Santos!! Will Coxa be able to go on a historic run?? It will be interesting to see whether you play conservatively or aggressively against the bigger squad!! Go Coxa!! :GSCARF:
 
Oh man, beating one giant in Keisuke Honda's led Botafogo, and now Santos!! The narrative for your second round home and away was really gripping, I could really feel like I was experiencing the match as you were narrating it. That was a great goal too, the backheel setting up the nice angled score! I bet that felt like a huge relief and you celebrated it like in real life, jumping around. :LOL:

Bring it on Santos!! Will Coxa be able to go on a historic run?? It will be interesting to see whether you play conservatively or aggressively against the bigger squad!! Go Coxa!! :GSCARF:
It felt incredible to pull that off, just getting I. Jesus away felt satisfying, but when I managed to fire that rocked, and saw it stuff the nets, it felt so awesome, a kind of goal that never gets old no matter what PES you score it on, Rafinha's back heel was really something. Santos F.C. isn't doing too well in real life right now, but in 2020 they had reached the Libertadores final, so this PES2021 side, based on the 2020 season, is good on paper, not an easy match. I'm hoping that they avoid relegation in real life, getting relegated right after Pelé's death would be a disaster for football, the king doesn't deserve something like that...
 
Well... where were we? Oh, that's right, QFs of the Brazilian cup against one of the biggests clubs ever, where Pelé played most of his career, Santos F.C. As if this wasn't difficult enough, the 1st leg would be at their home ground, in a way it's good to decide who goes through at home, but when it comes to playing at the legendary Vila Belmiro... that's tough, since they could get a good win and have you start out the 2nd match almost out of the cup already... we needed to make sure this wouldn't be the case, so we started off with 100% concentration, focus and sheer will... not that we scored thanks to that, Santos F.C. made a mistake less than 10min in, and Robson did not forgive and he did not forget! Oh, and they surely wouldn't forget a shot like that any time soon, no way! A 1x0 lead at their place, could this get any better? Well, if a 3 goal lead sounds better... then yes, it got a lot better indeed, they tried to bounce back, but we settled the match 4x1, which essentially means that the only way for us to not go through would be to screw things up so bad to the point where we might aswell shut down the club, since it's clearly cursed... an unexpected result all around here.



As for the 2nd leg... well, we know how these sorts of things go, when a team wins the 1st leg by many goals, in less than 10% of cases you might get a full comeback from the other team, which is always fun to watch as long as it's not your club bottling an easy stop... and then in 90% of cases it's an uneventful match where both teams just play until the obvious victor goes through. I think M. Oliveira definitely expected more from Santos F.C. in this one, but he's not complaining, he's reached his 3rd Brazilian cup SF with Coritiba thanks to it. Pelé would certainly be upset at them though.



Next up, in the SFs, we had Ponte Preta, one of the oldest clubs in Brazil, I think they're the 2nd one ever... and they've never won a major title, I recall a few times where they seemed like they were going to do it, it was kind of exciting actually, but they always manage to bottle it, so over 100 years of nothing in terms of glories... thankfully football isn't just about that, if it was there wouldn't even be anything to it, let's be honest, I mean, have you ever thought about how many fans never see their local club lift a major trophy? Winning isn't for everyone, heck, I'd say it's for few overall, so football's more than that, it has to be more than that, and for Ponte Preta it certainly is. If anyone's wondering, Ponte Preta stands for "Black Bridge" in English, I don't recall the exact reason why they chose the name, I know there was certainly a black bridge, but I don't recall it's importance and I don't care enough to look it up... what I do care for is that we're in the SFs and we have to show up and make it count, it's not all day that you get a major chance at lifting a major trophy, and getting kicked out here would be a pain, so M. Oliveira talks to his team in the dress room before the match, goes full Mike Bassett on them, and the boys come up, ready to reach the club's 3rd final, or at least get close to it, since it's just the 1st leg, we'll still have 90min after this to settle things... we'd start things out at home this time, so it was crucial to win, and by more than 1 goal, just to be safe for the 2nd leg... and we did just that, a 2x0 win in fact! A great play by the right flank made it 1x0 in the 1st half, and a play by the middle in the 2nd half made it 2x0, just what we needed. Overall we had control of the match, though I didn't see the 2x0 we got coming, since the team felt heavy and tired during lots of the 2nd half, it seemed like we'd just have to take 1x0... but things worked out still, and so we have nothing to complain about, now it was a matter of M. Oliveira giving his boys a more gentle and supportive talk than before the match, they deserve it, all of them, since the whole team played well, attack and defense, they might not be brillian... but this side's looking solid now.



M. Oliveira gave his team a simple talk before the match, in the dress room, similar to what he did before the 2nd leg against Santos F.C. too, it's just a matter of not bottling your lead afterall, how hard could it be? Wilson, save everything. Rhodolfo and Sabino, kick their legs. Natanael and G. Biro, come back to defend. M. Sales, kick their balls. See? It's easy... or so did we think, before they got a 1x0 lead in the 1st half after an excellent play... at this point the 2x0 M. Oliveira's boys thought was so good, was starting to look weak, and Ponte Preta had the momentum to score yet again... until they made a defensive mistake to leave Rafinha free as he received a pass from I. Jesus, and he shot that ball with anger, anger that he could be playing yet another Brazilian Cup for Coxa, as he did in the finals from the early 2010's, and fail to win it yet again... no! Not this time at least. We had the 1x1 just like that, and a 3x1 on aggregate, after this point it feels like Ponte Preta got tired and lost motivation as their hopes were taken, after this point there wasn't much to do except... not mess it up, or else M. Oliveira would have to become Mike Bassett again.



Hey! Would you look at that, we made it! A Brazilian Cup final after so many years... who would it be? S. C. Internacional it is, one of the powers in the Brazilian south, tradition and titles... any history against Coxa? Well, Coxa was founded in 1909, so winning something in 2009 would've been nice to see, and they could've, after reaching the SF of the Brazilian Cup against... S. C. Internacional. It didn't work, and later that season Coxa ended up relegated, in the year of its 100th birthday, as a few "fans" entered the pitch to beat people up to the point where the club was banned from being able to play in it's own stadium for most of the 2nd division in 2010... that didn't stop Coxa from going up as champions though, a truly heroic title in the memory of fans who were around to see it. Anyways... what would M. Oliveira do to avoid losing his 3rd Brazilian Cup final with Coxa? Well, he did learn from the other times where he messed up, so this time it was simple, keep the team that got us here in the first place and let them play! It could go right, it could go wrong, tactics are important for sure, but in the end who dictates destiny... are the players, their feet and their heads.

In the 1st leg we'd have to resist their pressure at their place, this was still exciting though, the chance of winning it at home was amazing, since the 2 consecutive lost finals were all decided at home too... we couldn't miss a 3rd shot, right? Well, S. C. Internacional put on the pressure and it gave us some scares, especially as they aimed for their target man, P. Guerrero, someone most Brazilians know all to well, a superb striker... but he didn't score, Robson did for Coxa! I mean, maybe the GK should've gone out on that one, but that mistake cost them a lot, as we got a 1x0 result here.



When we had a 3x0 lead in the 1st leg, in the QF, it was fine, the 2x0 lead in the SF was almost lost in the 2nd leg... but a 1x0 lead? In a final? It was still quite dangerous, we'd have to play as if it was truly 0x0 or else we'd be doomed to lose, and M. Oliveira understood this, so he told all of his boys to go all out, not all out attack of course, but to be aggressive and go for every loose ball as if the title depends on it... since it does. All of the players went into the pitch, the cup being displayed, and Coxa fans filling the stands, for many of them it's the 3rd time they're living this, the hope of a cup title at home, the 1st major title since 1985... would we blew it and break fans' hearts like in 2011 and 2012? Well, it's the 1st time we're in the lead before the 2nd leg even starts, so that's a plus. Well, if anyone took M. Oliveira's message to go all out from the start, it was G. Biro, the fullback kept running and running, S. C. Internacional's defenders not even understanding why he'd even attempt to just run like a mad man... but it worked, and from a cross to the shortest attacker to win all air contests, Robson, came a pass to a goal by I. Jesus... if 1x0 was good, then how does 2x0 at 5min sound? I'd love to say that after this point the final kept getting better and better... but the stats at the end do show exactly what it was, a final where we somehow got a goal early, and after that point completely took control of the ball and the match, a lot of possession and shots against a team who seemed to lose motivation from conceding so early on... well, it's not our fault their mentality needs work! We've won, so who cares about them? It's time to celebrate with the fans, the manager, the boys... everyone in the stadium, except those wearing red on the other side of the stands, had a smile on their face as Coxa's won an important title for the 1st time since 1985... now hopefully it doesn't take them over 30 years to win something nice again, huh? I know I said football's not all about titles and all, which is true... but man, it's nice to win some from time to time, isn't it? Life already kicks us down enough, when your football club does it too, that's just mean, but we finally got a Coxa side that seems to at least care a bit, and where did that put us? In the top of Brazilian football, with a superb and dominant campaign too.

It's fitting that the last person to have the ball with him before the final whistle was our GK, Wilson, who became a hero in the 2016 Sudamericana, only to become a villain for many in 2017's relegation... few times have I seen a player who's done so much for a club be so disrespected and truly abandoned by so much of the fanbase, he deserved at least another title before retiring... and it couldn't have been better, just a shame he couldn't pull of any saves in the final to make it even more heroic, since the defenders in front of him did so good! Or maybe S. C. Internacional did bad...

 

Attachments

  • PES2021 Coritiba F.C. Squad (Copa do Brasil).png
    PES2021 Coritiba F.C. Squad (Copa do Brasil).png
    253.4 KB · Views: 2
Back
Top Bottom