Brave SC is the hottest team in USL League Two‘s Southeast Division right now, having won its last five matches, including a stretch of four in 12 days. However, even in the midst of their streak, a week off was welcome for the Buffalo.
“I think it was very important because we just had a lot of games and we got wins in all of those last five games,” midfielder Matheus Ferreira said. “Having a week off was very good because we saw everything from those five games that didn’t work and we could work on that to be better for the next.”
During the busy stretch, Brave (5-0-2) seemed to build a good deal of momentum, out-scoring opponents 18-2 and posting three clean sheets, but the week off hasn’t dampened the energy amid the team at all.
“We just honestly feel normal,” forward Oscar Resano said. “We’ve talked about the commitment and how seriously everyone takes it here and how far we want to get. Yes, we’re on a five-game winning streak, but it doesn’t feel like we’ve done anything out of the ordinary.”
Despite the Buffalo’s depth, which was on display during the two-week stretch as head coach Anderson DaSilva rotated the cast of players throughout, the seven-day break may have been critical to maintaining the team’s form.
“We definitely have more rested legs,” Ferreira said. “We have the whole group now able to go full out again… We know what we want — to win the division and keep going after that — and I don’t think the week off changed our mentality toward it.”
Now, with renewed energy, the Buffalo will head to Winter Park for their third match of the season with Brooke House FC (0-4-6), eager to continue their run of victories and put May’s 1-1 draw even further in the rearview.
“The first game against them was just our second game, so we didn’t have the full squad set and on point,” Ferreira said. “Of course, we still created a lot of chances and didn’t put them away, which is something we’ve been working on since — our finishing — and we’ve gotten way better over the last few weeks.”
Despite a 3-1 win in the midst of their streak and the Lions’ bottom of the table standing, the Buffalo won’t be taking their next opponent lightly.
“They’re a team that plays hard,” Ferreira said. “They defend very well. They don’t attack as much, but, when they go for it, they create good chances, so it’s not a team that we can just pass by and act like we already won the game. We need to step on the field with the same mentality we had against Nona FC and I’m sure we’re going to be successful.”
The best way to ensure success?
“We know we’ll probably have control of the game, probably have most of the possession, but we also can’t drop our level,” Resano said. “We have to keep the standard high and I feel like the best way to respect our opponent is to put as many goals away as we can.”
Brave SC and Brooke House FC will kick off at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Showalter Field in Winter Park.
For more information on Brave SC, including the roster, Southeast Division standings and a complete schedule, visit BraveSC.com.