In football, certain actions, certain achievements, certain matches, remain forever engraved in people’s minds. What Dimitri Payet has just achieved this Sunday evening with Vasco Da Gama may well remain forever engraved in the minds of fans of the century-old club from Rio de Janeiro.
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Involved in the battle for relegation this year, and 4 days before the outcome of the Brasileirao, Vasco hosted at home the red lantern, the America Futebol Club, with the clear and simple objective of 3 points to escape the relegation zone, and thus give themselves some air in the last final race. Except that things did not go as planned for Ramón Díaz’s men, well, that was before the genius of Payet sublimated this meeting, and at the same time gave hope to an entire people.
Mr. Free Kick
Restricted to a super-sub role for a few matches, Payet watched from the bench as his team failed at home against the bottom of the Brasileirao, so much so that even the supporters present at São Januário, Vasco’s lair, began to whistle their player, while the score was 1-1 at half-time.
Same story for the second period, where despite the entry of the Frenchman, Vasco failed to be decisive, well, it was before the very end of the match, and this 4th minute of added time.
Free kick on the edge of the area, Payet places the ball, perhaps remembers his crazy trajectories from his time at West Ham, the referee whistles, he rushes… and the whole stadium roars. With a delight caressed by the right foot which will be lodged in the skylight, Dimitri Payet has just shown the whole world that he had lost none of his splendor, and that as usual, he was indeed an aesthete on who we can count on in fateful moments. The celebration that will follow, full of symbolism, with a “ It’s at home here ”, as at the Vélodrome, his garden, or as with the French team, proves that he is more involved than ever in his new quest. in auriverde land.
¡ESTÁS LOCO, PAYET! 🤯🇫🇷🎯#VivaJogoBonito I @VascodaGama 💢 pic.twitter.com/i7xeh206eQ
— Brasileirão Play (@BrasileiraoPlay) November 12, 2023
“Whistles won’t help us”
Asked about the importance of this goal and this victory for him, the Frenchman replied: “ It is a very important goal because it allows us to take three essential points in our fight to maintain, and our public is behind We. It’s true that sometimes, in wanting to do well, we make a lot of mistakes, but whistles won’t help us. Our public must be behind us, all the time, until the end of the match, because once again this evening a match is never over .”
Gardien? Parfois. Aujourd’hui Léo Jardim était le traducteur de Dimitri Payet! 🤣💙
🔵⚪️| #TeamOM 🇧🇷pic.twitter.com/PlWuNghgD4
— OM – Brasil 🇧🇷🇫🇷 (@Brasil_OM) November 12, 2023
Following this meeting, Vasco Da Gama therefore leaves the red zone, now being 15th with 40 points, ahead of Bahia, the first non-relegation which played one more match, by two points, and also ahead of the last relegation, Cruzeiro 17th with 37 points, but with one more match to go.
Payet, for his part, is on his second goal scored, for a decisive pass delivered, and hundreds of thousands of supporters delighted.
Samba Gold 2023: Open voting!
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