777 set for Everton v Bournemouth 'repeat' as Vasco da Gama face last day battle to stay up
Vasco da Gama, the Brazilian club controlled by prospective Everton owners 777 Partners, are facing a last day of the season battle to avoid relegation
777 Partners-owned Vasco da Gama face their own version of Everton versus Bournemouth tonight with the Rio de Janeiro club righting to avoid relegation on the final day of the season but knowing a win will ensure survival.
Vasco find themselves in an eerily similar position to Sean Dyche’s side back on May 28 when they prepared for their own nerve-shredding last fixture of the campaign knowing they could go down but their destiny was at least in their own hands. For Everton – who triumphed 1-0 through Abdoulaye Doucoure’s 57th minute wonder-goal which brought echoes of Barry Horne and Gareth Farrelly – it marked a hat-trick of final day escapes after their 3-2 win over Wimbledon in 1994 and 1-1 draw with Coventry City in 1998.
It goes without saying that a relegation with Vasco would not be a great look for 777 as they attempt their takeover at Goodison Park following the announcement on September 15 that they had signed an agreement with majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri to acquire his full 94.1% stake in the club. At the time, an official statement said: “Closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2023 and remains subject to regulatory approval, including from the Premier League, the Football Association, and the Financial Conduct Authority.”
Vasco have won four Brazilian Serie A titles plus a Copa Libertadores in 1998 but they were languishing in Serie B when 777 acquired a 70% stake in the club on February 22 last year. Although they came back up in their first season under the Miami-based private investment firm, back in September, Rio de Janeiro-based journalist Rodrigo Calvozzo explained that their return to the top flight was not straightforward.
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He told the ECHO: “In the 21st century, Vasco have been relegated four times but they always managed to return, even without much effort, as it has many fans and is stronger than its rivals from Serie B. The entry of 777 did not change the scenario and actually made the situation worse as they experienced the team’s most complicated return to Serie A since this period began.”
Although 777’s director of football analytics Mladen Sormaz is enthusiastic about the appetite among Vasco’s staff – many of whom are under 40 and of a similar age to himself – for the services his team provides and the plethora of insight on offer has been enthusiastically devoured, results on the pitch have still been challenging. There have been violent protests from fans over the running of the club, in late September Vasco were hit by a FIFA transfer ban over late payments and in October a report in Globo, Brazil’s biggest newspaper, claimed they were technically “in default” over late payments in purchasing the club.
With four clubs going down from Brazil’s Serie A, a trio of sides America, Coritiba and Goias have already been relegated with one game left to play. Vasco are currently one place and one point above the drop zone after failing to win any of their last three matches, including back-to-back defeats to Corinthians (4-2) and Gremio (1-0) in their last two outings.
They hosted sixth-placed Red Bull Bragantino at 12:30am Thursday morning UK time while Bahia, who are in the final relegation place with one point less but a better goal difference (minus six to Vasco’s minus 11) are also at home against Atletico Mineiro, who are second in the table and maintain a mathematical but unlikely chance of actually winning the title. With 69 points and a goal difference of 31, Palmeiras, who go to Cruzerio, look set to take the crown but if they were to lose and Atletico (on 66 points with a goal difference of 23) could somehow achieve a nine goal swing then they have an outside opportunity along with Flamengo who host Madureira (also on 66 points but with a goal difference of just 15).
The eyes of Josh Wander and Steven Pasko – 777’s co-founders and prospectively the owners to lead Everton into their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock – will be firmly on the action at Vasco’s Estadio Sao Januario though. The ground was closed earlier this year after some explosive scenes from furious supporters and the businessmen who want to revive the Blues’ fortunes could do without there being more anger there tomorrow.