Can Sergio keep the Hearts fire burning?
It is very important to see what is happening globally and compare things with what is in your corner, and take note of what will improve your own.
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The Copa America centenary tournament ended in the lee hours of last Sunday, and I can easily tell you the fans of Argentina were the most disappointed lot, and more sadly with the great football icon, Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina, and five times world's best player.
I couldn't imagine. After a goalless draw with Chile in the full 90 minutes and extra time, the penalty rule was invoked to determine who would lift the latest cup, and there a fresh drama was to be unfolded.
It was a breath-taking drama as the Argentine goalkeeper saved the first kick by Chile, and at once fans had the right to celebrate a possible Argentine triumph, as Messi got up to do justice to the game and seal the dream of Argentina who had been hungry for a silverware in these good days of their captain.
Kindled fire
It was there that the fire that had been kindled throughout the tournament with bookmakers predicting victory for Argentina rose to the highest degree. But out of the blue came the worst part of the drama as Messi blasted his penalty sky-high over the bar.
There and then, it was obvious Chile would win the 2016 cup, and the realisation was that, unlucky Messi is not cut to lead Argentina to enjoy a cup glory.
Bravo, Chile! Immediately, it was announced that Messi had pronounced his retirement from the international scene. But that is subject to later discussion, when all is settled down for another colourful continental or global assignment.
Segio Daniel Moniz Traguil
On the local front, the delayed 2015-2016 premier league that easily makes nonsense of the so-called synchronisation with the European calendar last weekend, witnessed the commencement of the second round with the usual surprises as some of the highly rated league leaders could not maintain their positions and plummeted down the league ladder.
Clubs such as Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Aduana Stars simply failed to pick their three points as predicted and changed the atmosphere in the plans of the competition.
As a matter of course, the biggest focus all over was the new Hearts of Oak coach, Segio Daniel Moniz Traguil who in a matter of a week, became the topic in all football discussions, and the question was whether he would score full marks in his first assignment, described as "the baptism of fire" against the newly promoted Dreams FC at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Hearts have of late had their peculiar problem of satisfying their home fans with vintage victories at their favourite grounds, while scoring higher marks in away matches.
And for that matter, the sudden departure of Japanese coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi could worsen matters.
To the average supporter of Hearts, there couldn't be any reason for losing any more home matches than away, something which was thought to be one of the reasons why Hearts were relieved of the sudden departure of the Japanese. And for sure everything was supposed to be done to apply the brakes on that unfortunate phenomenon.
Liberty Professionals
Right now, with the Dreams threat over, perhaps what is immediately left for Coach Sergio to tackle with even harder determination is to maintain the away victories, and the hottest in the oven is the match against Liberty Professionals who really sent Hearts tumbling down the league log.
The Dansoman club is growing wings to create problems for Hearts, and they are sending some kind of fear to threaten the very foundation of the Oak Tree.
Incidentally, apart from Aduana Stars who descended down to discipline Liberty at their Dansoman base with 3 - 2 win, no other club has made that record this season.
So the Portuguese coach, Sergio, knows how daunting that assignment is, taking into consideration the real hard victories that Liberty have chalked in the current competition on their home field- the Carl Reindolf Park- those sweet three points grabbed against top opponents such as Ashgold (5 - 1) and Chelsea (3 - 1) in Match Days six and eight respectively.
Kenichi and people who loved him plotted an all-out "operation 15 points" from the first five matches in the first round, but the five matches earned Hearts 13 points before it lost their Match Day Six to Wa All Stars.
Operation 15 points
Recently I overheard a panel member saying on one of the radio stations that Coach Sergio will break through to make it 15 points from his first five matches in this second round. And this means he will have to beat teams such as Liberty, Aduana, Hasaacas, and Chelsea in that order, and who can tell me that Wa All Stars who are two points ahead on the top position of the premier league would be there, sooner or later?
On the whole, this season looks unpredictable, and the shocks that have characterised the reasons why some clubs have to change coaches suddenly seem possible to continue.
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Indeed, all the clubs have in mind the same plot to rise up and make their impact and ensure they are counted as the best.
Hearts fans love victory, but for God’s, sake, if things don't go as expected, it will not be advisable to resort to the same violence that caused them the punishment of standing behind the closed gates while their idol club play two matches on an empty stadium, and its serious financial ramifications.
As a matter of fact, it looks as if the current "tiki taka" tactics of the new coach will bring the expected results, as was witnessed last Sunday, and with the usual support the dream of the century-old club will be fulfilled this season. God bless!