A last minute celebration for Beirões as they saved from relegation thanks to two amazing wins in the final rounds.
This season was very weird for Tondela, with the team strangely struggling when playing at home: only 3 out of the total 9 victories were at home, 2 of them against top-4 teams (Sporting and Braga). A case-study, at the very least.
Much more comfortable playing in the counter, Tondela collected many points as visitors. But those were never enough to get them safe in the table. A poor performance after restart (5D and 1 draw between rounds 27 and 32) set the alarms.
Tondela needed their best form for two very difficult final rounds: home against strong Braga and away against in-form Moreirense: Beirões put out their best performances right when they needed it the most and saved the season.
Cláudio Ramos was already a safe value from Portuguese league, but this year was his absolute consecration. He went on a record sequence of games in a row, and earned a contract with a big team for next season.
Tavares and Sampaio were good helpers for Ramos in defensive duties. Pepelu was an excellent revelation on his debut season in the country. Xavier and Murillo failed to impress this season. Moufi was playing well until a bad injury bothered him.
Despite the struggling season, Tondela seems better equipped than some other rivals to have a calmer season next year, should they solve some evident questions outside the pitch.
