Preparing for the upcoming battles in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, Vilnius football club "Žalgiris" strengthened its ranks with one of the most prolific attackers in the top tier of the Oman league and a shining star in the Brazil U-20 national team, Lucas Gaucho.
The footballer who joined "Žalgiris" has represented his national youth team, scoring nine goals in 12 matches. He also represented the national team of Brazil alongside current football stars Neymar and Oscar.
"Lucas is a great addition to our team. Over the past five years, we have always had strong attackers, and we believe that he can play football at the highest level.
This is a young player who has performed exceptionally well in his country's youth team. Because of Lucas, we had to compete with many strong Asian clubs, but the player himself wanted to continue his career in Europe. It was one of the priorities when choosing our team," said Vilnius "Žalgiris" sports director Mindaugas Nikoličius, delighted with the new team member.
Although there is exactly a month left until the first matches in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, M. Nikoličius believes that this is enough time for the player to integrate into the team.
"We talked a lot with the club's coaches, they believe that the player will be ready both physically and tactically during this period. I believe that he will become a key part of the team and give the coach additional opportunities to choose the team's lineup," said the sports director of Žalgiris.
Three days before celebrating his 24th birthday, the footballer, whose real name is Lucas de Souza Goncalves, started his career at the highest level in the Brazilian league playing for the "Sao Paulo" club, later loaned to the "Sao Bernardo" team. In 2011, L. Gaucho joined "Portuguesa" and that same year became the champion of the Seria B tournament.
In 2012, the Brazilian signed a long-term contract with the Spanish club "Espanyol", but without making a debut there, he returned to his homeland and joined the "Luverdense" team, competing in the second most powerful league in Brazil.
In 2013, L. Gaucho tasted the life of a legionnaire again, representing clubs in exotic countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and Oman. In the team of the latter country, "Al-Shabab", where he played before joining "Žalgiris", the Brazilian scored 16 goals in 25 matches and was the fourth most prolific player in the top-tier Oman league.
Lucas Gaucho is the first player to join the team this summer. Two more Brazilian legionnaires, Jadson de Brito Lima and Eliandro, are currently sweating it out in the "Žalgiris" training sessions.
The club's sports director revealed that a long-term contract has been signed with the Brazilian, and more newcomers may join the team in the near future.
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