Raphael Veiga, with goals in four consecutive finals, is decisive in a new title

If there is something in common in Palmeiras’ recent achievements, it is the decisive participation of Raphael Veiga. It would be no different in the 2022 Paulista Championship.

The starting point for the historic turn over São Paulo, this Sunday (3), at Allianz Parque, was a goal that came from the feet of shirt 23 in the first leg, when the score was already pointing 3 to 0 for the tricolors.

“This goal will give us a boost”, warned the player. “We’ve shown other times what we’re capable of.”

The downside was still large, but less unlikely to be reversed. After all, this had already happened at least once in the State, in 2007, when Santos turned over São Caetano in a final also played in two games.

At Morumbi, Veiga was the only person from Palmeiras who escaped criticism from fans. Even Abel Ferreira was the target of the crowd’s scolding with the team’s apathetic performance. At Allianz Parque, the point guard returned to shine and, this time, he was the symbol of a team that displayed its entire repertoire to seek victory and the title.

In the first half alone, they scored 2-0, with Danilo and Zé Rafael. After the break, he expanded with a goal from Veiga. With 3 to 0, on aggregate, the alviverde team was already winning by 4 to 3. And there was more: before the end, Veiga scored one more in the 4-0 rout at Allianz Parque, confirming the conquest.

“Sometimes we are not having such a good day, as it was at Morumbi. And here, as I said, it would be different, because of the atmosphere, our concentration and our intensity. In football, everyone has to respect , and never claim victory before”, said the ace.

“The title goal was the five goals. [do Morumbi] and the four here, they were all important. Of course, the one from there has more motivation, but they were all important”, he added.

It has been like this in the finals that Palmeiras played since October 2020, when the Portuguese coach was hired. The shirt 23 was a starter in all the matches of the nine decisions that the club faced in this period and scored six goals.

Four of those goals came in the last four finals that the team played (Recopa, Mundial, Libertadores and Paulista). Only in the interclubs, against Chelsea, his participation was not enough to guarantee the conquest.

In the final of the Recopa, by the way, he also helped to give gas to his teammates in the fight for a comeback. In the first leg, in Curitiba, Athletico won the duel by 2 to 1 until added time, when Veiga equalized with a penalty, one of his specialties.

There have already been 21 opportunities, 19 during the 90 minutes of play and two in decisions for maximum penalties. All converted.

Interestingly, the goal against São Paulo in Morumbi also came from a dead ball, but from a shot from outside the area, in a free-kick.

In the current squad, he is the runner-up overall, with 53 goals in 179 games. He has an average of goals per game of 0.28, even higher than that of the top scorer, Dudu, author of 77 goals in 349 games, an average of 0.23.

Palmeiras since childhood, the midfielder can be proud to reach his seventh trophy for the club this Sunday (Paulista 2020 and 2022, Libertadores 2020 and 2021, Copa do Brasil 2020 and Recopa 2022).

The importance of shirt 23 in each of these championships reinforces the arguments of those who usually defend his call-up to the Brazilian team. He is still waiting, however, for his first chance in the squad commanded by Tite.

Asked recently about the Palmeiras player, the coach said that he does not “close possibilities” to call him up. But, eight months before the World Cup in Qatar, the coach has not shown that he will be able to give the guard a chance until the World Cup.

For the people of Palmeiras, bad luck for the canary team and luck for the club, which will continue to count on the player, increasingly decisive for the squad of the alviverde team.