The final whistle blew, and Sp. Braga had done it. They secured a spot in the third preliminary round of the competition. It took extra time, but a tough 1-0 home win against Levski Sofia sealed their fate. Coach Carlos Vicens shared his feelings after the match. He made it clear that the team’s hard work paid off.
Vicens looked back at the game. He noted it was a tough two-leg match. The team played 120 minutes, but their fitness isn’t perfect yet. Seven weeks of training is not enough to be at peak performance. They knew when preseason started in June that important games would come fast. The coach admitted the team’s level would not be ideal. Still, he felt genuinely happy with the group’s effort. He praised their ability to fight through such a difficult round. The players’ spirit was rewarded.
Looking ahead, Braga faces Cluj in the next round. Many might see Braga as the favorite. But Vicens quickly dismissed that idea. He stated he doesn’t even know what being a “favorite” means in football. It is not a word in his dictionary. He knows only one team will advance and one will not. That is just how football works. He promised the team would work hard to move forward. Vicens added that they would study Cluj soon. He knows Cluj has European experience and has performed well in the Champions League. Braga will need to play at a very high level. He expects another difficult game.
The coach was also asked about the team’s trouble creating more scoring chances. Vicens chuckled, “I think what was missing was putting the ball in the net!” He commented on a young player, Sandro Vidigal, who featured in the game. Vicens knows him well from preseason. He believes Sandro will grow and must be ready to help the team. He called Sandro a “boy” who needs protection. He sees a bright future for the player and for the club with him.
Vicens also discussed his starting lineup. The team began without a traditional number nine. This was a tactical choice. They knew that was where space would be found. He felt the plan worked well. It allowed Ricardo Horta to move freely. Horta caused a lot of problems for the Levski Sofia defense. However, they just could not turn those chances into goals. Then Fran Navarro came on. He has a special talent for finding chances inside the penalty area. Fran had a good opportunity in the first leg in Sofia. This time, with a more difficult chance, he made a great technical move to score. Vicens was so happy for him. He pointed out that Fran works very hard. Scoring goals always builds confidence.
In the end, was the result better than the performance? Vicens’s answer was direct. “We managed to score one more goal than Levski.” He had said the day before that moving forward was the most important thing. He simply called it a “top result.”
