Ceará must win the most heroic team prize, this season. Nordestinos went to that World Cup break with no wins whatsoever during those first twelve rounds. By the time Brasileirão took that one month break, Ceará had already three different coaches. Chamusca lasted six rounds (thee defeats and three draws); Jorginho was the next man, but the former World Champion in 1994 had an ever shorter spell in the job: after three defeats in the first three games, Jorginho was out.
Then it came the Lisca. The ‘madman’ held two draws and one defeat just before the break in league; Lisca then used the pause to make some much needed adjustments, and Ceará seemed completely different on the restart. Only one defeat (narrow away against the in-form Internacional) in the first seven games after July. Despite the good form continued into September, the club remained on a bottom position in the table. Lisca was building up some great team spirit, despite the admittedly fragile squad, and the team continued picking very important points until they got a highly celebrated safe positing before the final round; something unimaginable back in June when the team was by far the worst side on the league.
Goalkeeper Éverson was the fans’ favourite, having even scored a goal from a direct free-kick to add up to some decisive saves throughout the whole season. Midfielder Richardson was absolutely key in all the important stages of Ceará’s recovery on the table. Arthur was the plus-factor in tat squad; his quality on the ball and his moves in the danger areas made him an obvious target for stronger teams in the country.
