Football clubs are starting to stretch their legs as the new season gets closer. Desportivo de Chaves, a team from the second tier, recently played a friendly match against Fafe, who compete in the third league. It was a chance for both sides to test their squad in a real game.
Chaves managed to secure a 1-0 win. The match happened mid-week, played on their home ground, Estádio Municipal Engenheiro Manuel Branco Teixeira, in the town of Chaves. It was a standard game, split into two 45-minute halves, giving coaches plenty of time to see their players in action.
The game wasn’t full of goals, but the decisive moment came late. João Pedro was the one to find the back of the net, scoring the only goal of the match in the 71st minute. His strike sealed the victory for Desportivo de Chaves.
For the initial kickoff, Desportivo de Chaves lined up with:
- Marko Gudzulic
- Zach Muscat
- Tounkara
- Ricardo Alves
- Tiago Almeida
- Pelágio
- Pedro Pinho
- Aarón Romero
- Wellington
- Roberto
- Rúben Pina
The coach used the friendly to try out a lot of different players. As the game went on, many others also got a run out. These included Vozinha, Reinaldo, Paulo Vítor, Ktatau, Roan Wilson, Kusso, Francisco Borges, Tiago Simões, Carraça, João Pedro (the goalscorer), Gabi, and Melro. It was a good opportunity for everyone to show what they can do before the new campaign truly kicks off.