Looking at the final standings, it may not look like it was an extraordinary season for Vozão, but the truth was that this was one of the best seasons ever for Ceará. They finished only 2 points away from 8th place, having rested their main men for the last rounds, after goals were all achieved.
One of the very few teams that didn’t change the coach, which proved to be determinant in the end. Guto Ferreira resisted a poor start (1 points in first 4 rounds). Vozão’s board proved to be a mature group of minds. The situation was well read, as the team showed promise of good football despite the slow start.
Having won the state championship against rivals Fortaleza was also very helpful to build confidence on the squad. The excellent 2-0 home win over champions Flamengo was an important milestone, as it boosted the team for an impressive sequence from October to early December: only 1 defeat in 12 games,
The performance could have been even better if some key defensive units hadn’t had constant physical problem (Luiz Otávio, Klaus, Tiago…). Striker Cléber was impressive in the beginning of the season, but faded away as the rounds passed by.
The absolute standout of the season (and one of the best players of the entire league) was attacking midfielder Vinícius. ‘Vina’ scored aplenty and was always actively carrying the team into the next level.
The fans have good reasons to believe in another good season, next year, as the club seem very solid for the moment. They have managed to extend contracts with the most important players, and will need only to have some chirurgical new signings for specific positions.
