PortuGOAL Figure of the Week: Schettine strikes in vital Vizela victory

Porto’s long unbeaten run coming to an end at the hands of Braga was a notable event of Liga Bwin 2021/22’s 31st round of matches, Sporting managing to keep some faint title hopes alive in the process by beating Boavista.

Portimonense secured their Primeira Liga status for another season with a narrow win over Moreirense, while bottom pair Tondela and Belenenses SAD fractionally edged their way towards safety with battling draws.

One side that looks to have escaped the dogfight is Vizela, who overcame fellow strugglers Arouca in a tense tussle on Friday evening’s round opener. Our PortuGOAL Figure of the Week is Brazilian forward Guilherme Schettine, who scored twice on the night to secure the vital three points.

Guilherme Schettine Guimarães’ career began in his native Brazil with Atlético Paranaense’s youth team, the striker failing to make the grade at senior level before eventually crossing the Atlantic to sign with Santa Clara in 2017, the club then in Portugal’s second tier.

The club achieved promotion to Primeira Liga in Schettine’s first full season with them although he was very much a peripheral figure, even being loaned out to Saudi Arabia halfway through the campaign before again being shipped out on a temporary deal to U.A.E. in the summer of 2018, not a part of the plans for the team’s ascension to the top flight.

A fairly remarkable turn of events happened midway through the 2018/19 season as he returned to Santa Clara and displayed fine form on his comeback, scoring seven times in the remainder of the season to fire his side to a highly respectable 10th place finish. The following campaign was injury hit but still the Brazilian showed enough for Braga to sign him, although he found chances hard to come by and was promptly loaned to Liga Bwin newcomers Vizela last summer.

Schettine has been in and out of the side during his loan season with Vizela, his manager Álvaro Pacheco largely preferring the striker’s compatriot Cassiano for a lone forward role, albeit with some attempts to play the pair together.

One of those attempts came in Friday evening’s crunch clash with Arouca at Estádio do FC Vizela with both teams looking to stave off the threat of relegation in what is fast becoming a nail-biting finale down at the bottom of the division. Cassiano was moved out to the left flank to allow Schettine the central striking responsibilities, roles suited respectively given the former’s higher mobility but the latter’s arguably more overall predatory instincts.

After a quieter opening to the game Schettine almost brought the contest to life in stunning style in the 25th minute, latching onto centre-back Anderson’s headed flick on to unleash a superb bicycle kick, only to find Arouca goalkeeper Victor Braga equal to his effort.

Vizela survived an Arouca near-miss before capitalising by taking the lead in the 38th minute. Schettine was central to the move, showing good control on the ball to keep possession and feeding Kiko Bondoso, who in turn found the overlapping run of right full-back Igor Julião to cross into the awaiting Schettine, the Brazilian continuing his run to fire home from close range.

A fine striker’s goal, showcasing Schettine’s all round “number nine” abilities. The Brazilian almost turned provider in first half stoppage time, a superb outside of the boot through ball to Bondoso should have led to the advantage being doubled, but the winger’s eventual shot flew narrowly wide of the post.

Early in the second half Vizela were made to pay for their prior miss as Arouca levelled through Alan Ruiz, but Schettine would hit back with his second of the game and ultimately the winning goal with around 18 minutes of time remaining. Once again his poacher’s impulses were integral to the goal, Bondoso’s cross into the box palmed out by Braga in the path of the lurking Schettine to instinctively guide the rebound into the net.

Schettine was withdrawn not long after and Vizela held out to secure an enormous three points against their fellow promoted side and subsequent relegation rivals.

Schettine’s brace moves him onto nine goals in all competitions for Vizela, a solid return for a team of this calibre, especially given his comparative lack of starts throughout the season. It remains to be seen whether the side will turn his loan move from Braga into a permanent one, barring a disaster it looks as if Vizela will be able to tempt the Brazilian with another campaign of Liga Bwin football after this pivotal victory.

By Jamie Farr

@FRfutebolJamie