THE Arouca coach, Vítor Severino, today highlighted the quality of Alverca, Saturday’s opponent, in the ninth round of the I Football League, and assured that the Arouca team will maintain its identity.
“Completely different game, that is, a different tactical and strategic problem from those we have faced”, said the coach, in anticipation of the trip to Alverca’s ground.
Vítor Severino rejected, however, considering the opponent more or less difficult than the previous ones, stressing that the preparation required specific tactical tools, without compromising Arouca’s playing principles.
“Without ever losing our identity, because that will never happen, identity will always be our basis”, he stressed, warning of Alverca’s ability to explore spaces aggressively, through an attractive game that makes the team “extremely dangerous”.
The Arouquenses coach also downplayed the possibility of the opponent appearing weakened or upset by the recent elimination in the Portuguese Cup, against Tondela, preferring to focus on analyzing their game model.
“Look at Alverca as a tactical and strategic problem, without looking at the emblem, without looking at the last result, without looking at the sequence of games”, he explained, adding that the objective is to improve aspects of one’s own performance identified in previous meetings.
The Wolves’ coach also praised the debuts of Brian Mansilla and Fally Mayulu, against Belenenses, in the Portuguese Cup, considering that the performances of the two players can serve as an example for the players with fewer minutes.
The coach confirmed that Lee Hyunju is fully fit to compete for a place in the team, despite having faced a slight health issue after a difficult trip, and indicated that only Miguel Puche is on the clinical list.
Alverca, ninth placed, with 11 points, and Arouca, fifth, with 14, face each other on Saturday, at 6:00 pm, at the Alverca stadium, in a match that will be refereed by Pedro Ramalho, from the Évora association.
