2024-12-20, 06:30 AM - Word count:
Losing begets losing, it is known. Just ask Sao Paolo fans, the stink of it lingers. It's cloying, heavy, and binding. Last season Sao Paolo lost every match. No wins, no draws, and a severely feckless 100-9 goal disadvantage. If no one on a team believes in themselves - and no one did - then every game is lost before it starts. And why should the believe in anything? How could anything good happen on the pitch? Against some opponents, it's near impossible to see much in the way of hope. When your opponent fields a full roster of adonises with chiseled chins, peak speed and sophisticated tactics? It's a recipe you won't save for later.
In Sao Paolo, the result has been beyond unacceptable. When everything is wrong wish a dish, you change everything. How hot is the pan? Do we need fresher ingredients? Let's take a look at the ratios, and what about the staff? Do some of these cooks need to be fired? Or is there space for them to be inspired instead? The makeover has been a full upgrade from the bottom up. Draftees, a shift in focus, plenty of strategy fixes, and the results have been staggering. Sao Paolo has had two fixtures against the champions in Reykjavik, both were disappointing 3-0 losses, but the contrast to last season is staggering. These were games that - one year prior - were lost by closer to 8 or 9 goals. And in fixtures against less dominant opponents? The've resulted in a steady stream of shocking victories.
Whatever the new kitchen is cooking up, whatever the new philosophy, the outcome is undeniable. There's a new flavor in Sao Paolo, and everyone seems to like it.
In Sao Paolo, the result has been beyond unacceptable. When everything is wrong wish a dish, you change everything. How hot is the pan? Do we need fresher ingredients? Let's take a look at the ratios, and what about the staff? Do some of these cooks need to be fired? Or is there space for them to be inspired instead? The makeover has been a full upgrade from the bottom up. Draftees, a shift in focus, plenty of strategy fixes, and the results have been staggering. Sao Paolo has had two fixtures against the champions in Reykjavik, both were disappointing 3-0 losses, but the contrast to last season is staggering. These were games that - one year prior - were lost by closer to 8 or 9 goals. And in fixtures against less dominant opponents? The've resulted in a steady stream of shocking victories.
Whatever the new kitchen is cooking up, whatever the new philosophy, the outcome is undeniable. There's a new flavor in Sao Paolo, and everyone seems to like it.
