Lucas Joao: I don’t understand the reason for all the pressure / I was unlucky that the ball didn’t score – Red News – Persepolis News
Lucas Joao talked about the criticisms he received for his recent performance in Persepolis.
Persepolis, according to the unwritten custom of every year, went to the foreign market to strengthen its offensive line, and after various names were mentioned, finally Lucas Joao, the tall Angolan striker former Umm Salal, who also played in the English Championship for many years, put on the red shirt.
Joao began his career with an impressive penalty win in the derby, but then fell on a run of bad luck. Only one assist against Shams Azar was the result of this striker’s work, and ruining two one-on-ones against Al-Sad and Al-Gharafa changed the fate of Persepolis in the Asian Elite League, and the criticism against him reached its peak. Lucas, who was removed from the Persepolis list this week, talked about the recent events around him.
In an interview with “Educated”, Lucas Zhao said in response to these attacks: “I really don’t understand the reason for all this pressure. No, that can’t be fair. All the time I have played for Persepolis has not reached 200 minutes yet, and in this period of time, I think that I could not make an impact only in the match against Esteghlal Khuzestan, which I think was not the same day as our team.”
Maybe if Lucas scored that ideal opportunity in the final minutes in the game with Al Gharafa, he would have become a hero in his team and wouldn’t have had to endure so much pressure. But Joao’s explanation about that scene is interesting: “When the ball was sent, I didn’t think that the opponent’s defense would not be able to block it, and when this happened, I had to make the best decision in the shortest possible time. That’s why I stepped on the ball and hit it in the shortest possible time. There was so little opportunity and space that I couldn’t hit the ball better than that, and the opponent’s goalkeeper blocked it with his size and long hands. It really couldn’t have been done better in that situation and maybe I was unlucky that the ball didn’t score. It was not easy to score that ball; Because the ball suddenly passed the defender and reached me. Regarding this scene, I expect that it will be fair.”
The Persepolis striker has certainly experienced more difficult times than this because of his many years of playing in the English Championship, and that is why he is very hopeful about the future and says: “I have been playing football for many years and I have experienced great games. I believe that football has ups and downs and none of them last forever. You can be sure that if that shot had been scored and we had defeated Al-Gharafa, I would now be one of the best strikers in the history of Persepolis! In that case, I would not be too influenced by the definitions. As now, I do not consider myself a loser against these pressures. People who commented on me however they want will realize their mistake sooner or later. I believe in myself and I have experienced more difficult days than this. “Perspolis fans should be sure that the good days of Lucas will come and these days are not too late.”
The Angolan striker of Persepolis came to this team when the Reds had completed the preparatory exercises and entered the tactical training phase. Therefore, Lucas played in the game against Al Ahli after almost three months away from the field. “You make a good point,” he says. I came to Persepolis without bodybuilding and I needed a month to get in good shape. However, the coach sent me to the field in a few matches this month and I think I was able to make an impact. Especially in the derby, playing with Chadormelo, even playing with Al-Sad. “I entered a league and a team that I didn’t know anything about, and it’s natural that I need more time to show all my abilities.”
The decline of Persepolis in its recent games has caused many players of this team to not appear as expected. When we asked Lucas about this, he had an interesting reaction: “Of course, when the team does well, everyone will only praise. But even on a day when the team is not good, one or two people should not be sacrificed. Football is a team game and everyone participates in the wins and losses. We have a good and complete team and you can be sure that we will continue our journey with strength. We still have a chance to advance in the elite league. Against Al-Ahly and Al-Saad, we showed what a quality team we have and we did not deserve to lose. We could have won the game with Al-Gharafa, but we were unlucky. In order to take a better path, we need more support from the fans.
I think Persepolis players are mostly experienced and have won many championships. “This team has many quality players who can change the situation in the best way.”
