BRASILEIRAO, Here We Come!!!!! (PES 2021)
Sócrates, Castolo and Leandro lead Estrela Azul Paulista
to Brazil's Serie A for the First Time in Their History!!
Wins,
9 Draws,
6 Losses
1st in
Brasileirao Serie B 
There are times when all of our aspirations and hopes
are crystallized in one moment, a moment in time that persists, carries on in our hearts and that gives us strength for all upcoming challenges. This was definitely the case for
Estrela Azul Paulista's faithful supporters, hailing from the city of Sao Paulo and beyond, who came out in droves to see their dear Blue Star-a team which only two seasons ago was in the third division of
Brazilian Football. Now, like a streaking
METEOR, and in only two years, we have risen through the ranks of the second division, under
Sócrates cool and collected leadership, and now the cycle is finally complete: Nobody thought this would be possible with this rag-tag bunch of mad hatters, but now we can really say:
WE BELONG IN THE BRASILEIRAO!!!!!
In the
last installment of our dear Brazilian tale, we had just finished our first season under
Sócrates. After a somewhat frustrating start to our first season, we finished 7-9-3 after the midseason break to end our season strongly!
Castolo was showing more confidence after an erratic start, our youngster
Leandro was developing well, and a mid-table finish (12th) was better than expected for
Estrela Azul, since we had started our first season as one of the lowest-ranked teams in the league! However, shrewd management, picking up relatively inexpensive young players in the transfer market, while also overseeing the continued development of
Castolo and
Leandro meant that we finished the season in a much better position than when we started, and were looking to shore up our squad leading into our second
Brasileirao B season!
Here are some of the players that I signed in the offseason
and throughout my second season: Pedro Naressi, a well-rounded box to box CMF from Ceará,
Allan, my starting DMF with a lot of upside from Atlético Mineiro,
Vágner, a talented Cape Verdian Free Agent Winger, and
Andrés Llinás, a tough Center Back from my very own
Millonarios! This helped me set up a good base to play my second season, and were ready to complement
Castolo and
Leandro throughout the journey!
In anycase, some of you might not be too familiar with the composition of the
Brazilian Leagues! Historically speaking, the
Copa do Brasil has a huge weight in the country.
Brasileirao, as a league, is relatively young compared to some of the other World Leagues, being as it was consolidated in the 1950's! Before that, because of geographical and other historical considerations, Brazil played a lot of
regional cups, and also the
Copa do Brasil, which is still considered a very important national competition, with a lot of footballing romance attached to it! What is different about it, however, is that the entire cup is played BEFORE the season starts, which makes it different from other leagues. As the Cup started, we were matched up against Sampaio Correa, a fellow 2nd division team, and the result was a positive one: we prevailed 1-3 with
two goals from Castolo!! Consqeuently, this set up a huge and epic second round match against none other than Corinthians,
Sócrates beloved team as a player, and one of the largest and most passionate fanbases in not only Brazil, but in all of South America and the world! This was a momentous occassion:
Sócrates facing his former team, and of course, the quotes were flowing freely in the press conference.
"Playing for Corinthians was an honor. Representing one of
Brazil's biggest fanbases and the city of Sao Paulo was really, my destiny as a player.. Coming back to this historical stadium to play against them creates a feeling of me that I cannot quite describe in words..
A bittersweet feeling of nostalgia that is extremely hard to pin down, mixed with anticipation, happiness, a bit of sadness, but also a high dose of excitement.. I played for Corinthians for 7 years, and I gave this team the best years of my career.. both on the pitch and off the pitch.. I tried to help create a culture of joy, fairness and
Democracia Corinthiana. But now, I am coming back with
Estrela Azul Paulista, and I think if there is something that I can still contriibute to
Brazilian football it is this: I want to help
restore the soul of our footballing culture, imprinted in the style of play of my players, and I am also working hard to promote a
culture of peace off the pitch, not tolerating any sort of violence in the stands and beyond.. And welcoming families and the entire nation back to the stadium, where they belong and where they can enjoy the game as it is supposed to be played. This is my two-fold commitment to
Brazilian football: Restore our jogo bonito, a playing style which should've never left us,
from the streets to the pitch, playing wth heart but also with joy and a huge perspective, and also to
promote peace. Regardless of today's result, I think this has to be our legacy! May the best team win!"
This was a tough, defensive match full of emotion on both sides, as Corinthians' massive fanbase unfurled a huge banner which read "Muito obrigado,
Doutor Sócrates, para sempre em nossos corações Corinthianos!".
Sócrates could hardly contain his emotions before the match started.. But there was a match to be played.. One against a much stronger opponent: Corinthians' first half was much better than ours, as they clearly outshot us and were showing their superior quality all over the pitch, but our defense was definitely holding strong, as we denied them
3 very clear chances to score! Yet the encounter
remained 0-0 as the halftime whistle blew, and we knew that we were playing good defensive football as well as resisting the onslaught by Corinthians! As the second half started, a header by Jo almost scored for them, as our goalkeeper
Gouvea was able to just save it, and it was looking like it would only be a matter of time before they would exert their dominance on us.. Minute 51, another chance by Corinthians, and in minute 69 yet another header at point-blank range which would've surely been a goal had it not been for the cat-like reflexes of our goalkeeper! Minute 72, Nico Melamed with yet another chance (a rocket!!!!), saved by our goalkeeper's feet ensued.. Could little
Estrela Azul Paulista keep defending like this against the giants??
And then, suddenly out of the blue, in minute 75,
it's a counterattack by Estrela Azul!! Sócrates decided to play our lines a bit defensively and go entirely on the counter..
Vágner played a beautiful long ball to
Castolo, who protects the ball beautifully and sends it to a streaking
Arthur Gomes who receives it, bodies off the Corinthians defender and....
BEATS CASIO!!!! IT'S A GOAAAAL FOR US and amazingly, it's 1-0 Estrela Azul Paulista!!!! Half of the stadium went absolutely crazy as we had scored seemingly out of the blue!! (Our players were beside themselves but
Sócrates, amazingly, did not celebrate but looked off into the horizon with an expression full of saudade).. Incredibly, we were able to hold on for the rest of the match, despite Corinthians having a clear chance to score in minute 90+4 (Gil's shot was thankfully wide), and as the final whistle sounded, it was David vs Goliath!!
A major Cup upset which announced the arrival of
Estrela Azul to the world!!!!
Estrela Azul Paulista had beaten first division giants Corinthians, with our goalscoring hero being our winger
Arthur Gomes! Sócrates, the protagonist of the day, however, was philosophical and rather pensive in the post-match press conference..
Reporter: "You didn't celebrate when
Arthur scored his goal, perhaps understandably.. What was going through your mind?"
Sócrates (after a long pause, and speaking very seriously and slowly): "Answering this question, friends,
would be like explaining the meaning of poetry. You could try to do it, but the explanation would actually defeat its own purpose. I will just say this: Football is a beautiful game, and we are all privileged to be a part of it."
Final score,
Estrela Azul Paulista 1-0 Corinthians. This was the moment of the Cup, the most beautiful, peaceful and dramatic match in our history......
The fact that we weren't able to pull off a result in the third round, a 1-3 final score against Avaí, is almost an afterthought. The 2021
Copa Do Brasil was over for us, but we had written history in a major way, and left our mark in the hallowed tales of the competition.. But still.. This wasn't the end, it was just the beginning. Remember: The
Brasileirao B season was about to start..!!
Our first 5 matches bought forth really positive results! Our players were definitely buoyed by our
Cup performance (despite the third round loss), and we started off with
4 wins in our first 5 games! A 1-0 win against Goiás was followed by a 3-1 defeat against CRB, but we rebounded in style with 3 straight wins (in a theme that would repeat itself throughout the season, our fighting spirit!) against Operario (4-2), Chapecoense (0-1), and Guaraní (1-0). Estrela Azul Paulista was firing on all cylinders to start the season, and our newly brought players were meshing very well with
Castolo and Leandro! Fixture 6 was a stop to our streak however, as we lost 3-2 to Remo, followed by a 2-2 draw against Sport Recife. This put somewhat of a stop to our freight train, yet we rebounded once again with two straight wins, a 1-2 win against CSA and a 2-1 result against Brasil de Pelotas before drawing 1-1 against Sampaio Correa in fixture 10! This was followed by another draw against Atlético Go (2-2), a 1-2 win on the road against Vitória, a 2-0 win against Vila Nova, and finally in fixture 14 we fell 1-0 to Ponte Preta. Yet despite this temporary setback, we went into the mid-season break (after fixture 14 and not 19, due to the particular scheduling of having the entire
Copa do Brasil played first), with a great record of
8 wind, 3 draws, and 3 losses, good enough for 4th place in the division! (
The Top 4 in Brazil are directly promoted to first divison, without a playoff)! A much better than expected first half of the season, and one that had seen us go on several impressive winning streaks!
After the break,
we came out absolutely on fire! After a 1-1 draw against Cruzeiro in fixture 15,
Estrela Azul won 4 out of their next 5 matches! A 0-1 win against the always tough América Mineiro was followed by a 1-1 result against one of the top teams in
Brasileirao B, the mighty Botafogo (who would prove to be a mighty foe until the end of the season!) Then we went on
yet another 3 game winning streak: A 1-2 result against Confianca, a 1-2 win against Brusque, and a 0-1 win against Goiás, made especially sweet since all three wins had come on the road! We were cementing our position amongst the top teams in the division, and
going into fixture 21, promotion was looking more like a distinct possibility than a faraway goal! A 1-1 result against CRB at home would be followed by two straight wins! A 2-3 away result in favor of us against Operario followed by a 3-0 win at home vs Chapecoense! Even though we lost our next match, 2-1 vs Guaraní, we rebounded quite nicely in fixture 25 against Remo, a 2-0 home win. Our next five matches would be a bit more of a mixed bag, 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses (a 1-0 away loss against Sport Recife fllowed by 2 wins, 1-0 vs CSA and 1-2 vs Brasil de Pelotas, followed by a 0-0 draw against Atlético Go and a 2-1 win against Vitória!) But going into
fixture 32,
with only 7 matches left to go in the season, we were sitting in second place with 61 points, just behind second division leaders Botafogo, who had 62! Promotion was definitely on the horizon, yet we weren't counting our chips just yet!
Then came
fixture 32, visiting Vila Nova (full game included above), and it was definitely somewhat of a crazy match, with
4 goals coming in a 15 minute span, (2 for us and 2 for Villa Nova in the last 15 minutes of the half, including a very nice side-heel by
Warley off a corner kick, who is becoming a key player off the bench for us), but one which we eventually prevailed due to a
Castolo goal in minute 62! The final result as Vila Nova 2-3
Estrela Azul, and this win brought us closer to our hallowed goal! With Botafogo and Cruzeiro drawing 0-0, this result meant that for the first time this season,
we had sole possession of first place, as we had 64 points and Botafogo had 63 (albeit they had a +24 goal difference while we had +17!)
Matchday 33 featured
Estrela Azul hosting Ponte Petra, and this was an absolute
Castolo show, a performance for the ages! One thing to note that perhaps I haven't mentioned before: Our friend
Castolo is having an incredible season, leading the entire second division in goals scored and like
@Madmac79 said, clearly showing that he is a luxury for
Brasileirao Serie B! And this game was no exception, as
he scored 3 goals in 7 minutes for the hat-trick!!!! (The first goal was a deft shot to the bottom right corner after being assisted by
Leo Natel, min 32, then came a great goal from outside the box in min 35, once again assisted by
Natel and finishing with a perfectly anged shot, and then in min 39, a beautiful header off a
Leandro CK to the opposite corner, no chance for the Ponte Petra goalkeeper!)
Castolo was once again, proving to be an unstoppable force of nature!!!! This result, couped with Botafogo drawing once again, this time against América Mineiro 1-1, extended our lead to 3 points in the standings, and meant that
with a win, we could ensure promotion in the next match!! 
And did we perform!!
Fixture 34 was against Cruzeiro, the historical Brazilian giants (2-time Libertadores winners and 4 time Brasileirao A champions, but who have been on a historical slump as of late!), and this was a tough match, with good chances created by both sides! We were under a lot of pressure, as Cruzeiro still had an outside chance at promotion and were really fighting, but in a match that was decided by one play, in minute 27,
a classic connection between Leandro and Castolo produced a TURN-AROUND-AND-SHOOT GOAAAAAL by our star striker, and we were able to hold on for the 1-0 win!!!! Yes!!!!! It had happened!!! This win had
ENSURED PROMOTION TO BRASILEIRAO SERIE A!!!!! After a long and difficult haul, we could finally say that we belong in
BRASILEIRAO A, and it was more than fitting that our two stars,
Leandro and Castolo, participated in the deciding play that would give us the win!! Quality has its definitive rewards, and this was no exception, as we had finally reached our goal!!!!
Yet the story wasn't over yet. After a 2-2 draw against América Mineiro in Matchday 35, we still wanted to fight for 1st place in the league, which would be a great honor! And guess who was coming in Fixture 36, #2 Botafogo themselves!
Even though winning the title was not nearly as important as achieving promotion, it was still something that
Sócrates had in their collective sights! And this was indeed a very dramatic match, worthy of the the #1 and #2 teams were facing off in a late-season battle! It was a very close and disputed encounter all throughout,
one that was epically decided in the last 10 minutes! An 82 goal by Botafogo's Matheus Nascimento seemed to close the deal and make the standings table even closer (a win by Botafogo would've propelled them to first place!),
but in minute 90+3, it's LEANDRO!!!! Streaking his way into the box and recovering his own rebound,
our youngster was able to score in the last play of the game to make it 1-1!!!! A clutch performance to secure the point! This tie, however, would mean that our coronation would have to wait, as we were
leading Botafogo 72 to 69 in the standings with two matches left to go!!
Fixture 37 was a 5-1 drubbing against Confianca, featuring yet another
Castolo hat-trick! A complete
goal festival in old-school
Brazilian style which was 4-0 at the halftime break! This win was a great show for our fans, who chanted the names of our players (as well as
Sócrates) in a great revival of
Jogo Bonito! Yet, Botafogo won their respective game as well, which meant that the
title decider would all be determined in the last match of the season, against Brusque! A draw would be enough to give us the title, but we weren't taking anything for granted, as we were definitely coming out to win and put a great exclamation point to our season! A wonderful free kick by
Rhuan would open proceedings in minute 16, leaving the Brusque goalkeeper completely frozen, followed by another goal by
Vágner (fed by Castolo) in minute 36, and in seemed like we were cruising our way towards the title as we led 2-0! But Brusque would not give up easily, as their pride would not allow a crushing defeat, as only 4 minutes later, Zé Maetus would come back with a free kick of his own to make it 2-1, and in the second half would actually equalize with a score by their striker Marlone to make it 2-2! But
Estrela Azul Paulista would not be denied, as in min. 88,
Castolo made a wonderful through pass to our speedy left winger
Léo Natel (who had replaced the departing Arthur Gomes in midseason) who finished the play and scored!! Final score: 3-2 in favor of our boys, and as the final whistle blows, we could finally say that not only were we promoted,
but we had won the Brasileirao B as well!!!!!! 
🏆
As thousands of blue confetti came raining down the sky, the scene expressed the culiminaton of a long, grinding, 38 match season full of mesmerizing moments and personalities!
CASTOLO LED THE WAY, absolutely dominating
Brasileirao B with an impressive display of
24 goals (#2, Neto Moura from Remo, had 12, so this means that
Castolo DOUBLED the second highest scorer!), and
Leandro did his brilliant playmaking part with 14 assists, also leading the league and bringing an old-school sensibility to modern playmaking! Two seasons ago, we had started among the least talented clubs in
Serie B, but due to the force and charisma of
Sócrates' personality and some shrewd management, we were able to bring in some key pieces to complement our stars and we created a well-rounded team that, from start to the finish line of our second season, looked like one of the strongest teams in the league! The road wasn't easy, but we clearly outclassed our opponents and confidently marched on to the title. However, now the real challenge begins:
We are in Brasileirao Serie A, where we will be facing giants such as Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense, Corinthians, Inter, Gremio, and other historical teams with massive support and who triple us (or even more) in purchasing power! Yet there is one thing to be said about my dear Paulista squad: Never count them out.
A Brazilian revolution has begun, one that saw its birthplace in the Favelas of Sao Paulo, with Street Football, Jogo Bonito, an emphasis on mind, spirit and creativity rather than physicality, a peaceful approach off the field typified by
Sócrates approach focused on respect and family, and this revolution will hopefully carry on to the
Brasileirao! You see, Brazil was once known as the birthplace of beautiful football.. And now, we are looking to restore this spirit, playing with joy, a certain calmness amidst the storms and exude the happiness and spontaneity that the nation is known for, like the warm breezes that come along
Brazilian neighborhoods bringing with them scents and flavors of a distant and glorious past, as well as sounds of millions of people chanting and embracing under the Paulista skies.
Estrela Azul Paulista, we are in Brasileirao!!!!!!!
"I had two objectives when starting my tenure in
Estrela Azul. To bring about an identity change in
Brazilian football and to bring back peace to our stands. I think we have achieved both.. And this is no small feat. I feel that these two objectives must guide us through the tough waters of
Brasileirao Serie A. Results are important, but I have stressed this to the board: I am not only here to win. I am here to create a culture, and to influence both our team and Brazilian football in general. I do not think it is a coincidence that the National Team has lost its way a bit in the past few years..
It all starts here, at the club level, which is the lifeblood of football and the heart and soul of everything that we are trying to do.. We will continue on with this line of thought, with this philosophy, drawing inspiration from each one of our players and fans, and the nation of Brazil as a whole.
Democracia Azul! "
Leandro: "Yes I am still young, only 20 years old.. But I feel,
deep inside of my heart, that I am an old soul. I still listen to old Sambas, and Bossa Novas. I don't quite listen to today's music, and I feel like I could've played in the 60's, 70',s or 80's.. I prefer not to be in the spotlight, but let my game shine for itself.. I am so grateful for
Teacher Sócrates for giving me the freedom to express myself on the pitch.. Playing a more cerebral yet at the same time more spiritual game which suits me well.. This is the perfect team for me, and I don't want to be playing anywhere else. Now a new challenge begins, and we are all for it."
Castolo: "It was inevitable. We are inevitable!
Brasileirao, we are here to stay!!!!!"
breaks out in a sudden Brazilian shuffle!!
!
After scoring our first two PK's our shooters went completely cold in the last 3, as our 3rd shot by Reina would hit the left bar, our 4th would be kept by the Inter keeper (using Willy Luango, I aimed at the middle), and our 5th by our Captain Mayer Candelo would hit the right bar!! Our Copa Sudamericana run is over against mighty Inter do Porto Alegre (who ended up winning the Cup), and unfortunately our ambition of winning our second Continental title (After 2001 Merconorte) would have to wait another turn!! A very tough loss, especially coming like this when we were up 2-0 with only 15 minutes left to go, but the Brazilian whirlwind of offense, plus an unlucky Penalty shootout, meant that this Cup would end in heartbreak unfortunately!!
what program are you using to capture the videos?
