Vasco da Gama barely managed to seal promotion to the Serie A in 2016, but they did manage to leave their problems behind during the 2017 campaign. The other new clubs in the Serie A struggled for most of the time, Avai and Atletico Goianiense especially, but Vasco da Gama even pushed for the top six spots, which is a great achievement with the club's recent history in mind.
The start of the season definitely worried the fans, but it all went better when Milton Mendes left the club and when Ze Ricardo took over. The new manager restored the confidence somehow. Vasco da Gama slipped into the relegation zone at one point, but their last period of the season definitely made up for that. Ze Ricardo's men only recorded one defeat in the last fourteen matches, which was one of the biggest surprises in the Serie A to say the least. This was even enough to claim the seventh position and that spot earned them a ticket for the second stage of the Copa Libertadores. All in all, a more than deserved achievement based on the last months of the season. Luis Fabiano, the former Brazil international, was destined to lead the attack, but several injuries prevented him from starting in most games. Ze Ricardo managed to deal with this, though, and the finishing spot will bring pride to the fans.
