Football Season Guide

Vasco da Gama's 2024 was pretty average. On the one hand, they achieved their goal of finishing in mid-table, were in no danger of relegation and reached the semi-final of the Copa do Brasil. On the other hand, the fans were hoping to qualify for the early stages of the Libertadores, which seemed quite possible at one point in the season. Vasco brought in additions for the wings (Loide Augusto, Garré, Nuno Moreira) and central defence (Lemos, Lucas Oliveira, Lucas Freitas). They also signed midfielder Tchê Tchê and goalkeeper Daniel Fuzato. Centre-backs Léo and Maicon left the club. Both of them played relevant minutes last season, starting in a considerable amount of games. Other departures were Leandrinho, Rossi, Serginho and Galdames. Vasco is under the command of Fábio Carille this year. He is considered a pragmatic coach, who manages to make his teams solid defensively, but without a very sophisticated offence. They started 2025 without showing any convincing football, winning just one of five matches against top-flight opposition. This team's greatest strength is certainly the crosses to striker Pablo Vegetti, a dominant force in the air. They've also added depth in almost every position. On the other hand, their main playmakers in the final third, Coutinho and Payet, have been very inconsistent and are dealing with physical problems regularly.