The Santa Cruz Chronicle
Match15 Apr 2028
Diego Barros leads the rout of Londrina
4‑1, and Diego Barros took the headlines on an afternoon when everything Santa Cruz tried came off. Days like this are retold all winter.
Player ratings17 Apr 2028
A brace, and Diego Barros takes the afternoon — 8.88
There is a particular kind of quiet from an away end watching one man score twice. Diego Barros provided it, and the 8.88 beside his name is if anything generous to everybody else.
The dugout17 Apr 2028
Matheus Régis keeps the receipts
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Santa Cruz may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Player ratings17 Apr 2028
Lucas Silva, 21, steals the show — 7.64
Marked 7.64 at 21, in a side that makes no allowances for age. He did not need any, and he looked the least nervous man on the pitch.
Player ratings17 Apr 2028
Up for the corner, and Santiago Espíndola delivers — 7.30
Centre-halves are allowed forward twice a season and are judged on what they do when they get there. Santiago Espíndola scored, was marked 7.30, and got back before anybody noticed he had gone.
Squad17 Apr 2028
Felipe Anderson in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Santa Cruz this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Boardroom17 Apr 2028
2 academy players handed senior numbers at Santa Cruz
The morning the pathway stops being a brochure and becomes a team sheet. Most of them will not be here in three years; all of them have already done the hard part, which was getting to today.
Match15 Apr 2028
Santa Cruz end the wait against Londrina
It had gone 6 games. The players did not celebrate like men who had won a match; they celebrated like men who had been let out of something.
Squad17 Apr 2028
Words at Santa Cruz training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Leandro Carvalho is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
In brief
- The terraces Santa Cruz supporters have found a favourite in Diego Barros
- Market Santa Cruz promote Júnior Xavier from within
- Market Santa Cruz promote Antônio Rangel from within