Fiery form: Gustavo Almeida is Negri’s joint top scorer with six goals. — Negri Sembilan FC
PETALING JAYA: Brazilian striker Gustavo Almeida did not hit the ground running in his debut for Negri Sembilan against Melaka on June 18.
He missed a few good chances, and left the fans wondering whether he had what it takes to lead the Deer’s strikeforce.
But all those doubts seem to have been erased after eight games. Almeida is now Negri’s joint top scorer with French centreback Herold Goulon with six goals.
The 26-year-old was a constant menace to PJ City last week, scoring two goals.
Thanks to his stellar performances, Negri are now third in the Super League with 32 points from 16 matches.
They face AFC Cup Asean zone finalist Kuala Lumpur at the Cheras Football Stadium today and Almeida hopes to add to this tally.
“The two goals against PJ City have boosted my confidence. It was also at the Petaling Jaya Stadium that I scored a double in the 3-2 win over Selangor,’’ said Almeida.
“I hope to score again against KL. I’m also hopeful I can score more than 10 goals and help the team finish second or third.”
Almeida has adapted well to Devan’s tactics and has also proven to be effective at set-pieces.
Meanwhile, Devan said Negri’s impressive run was not all due to Almeida’s quality as the others have also played their parts well.
“I’m pleased with the contribution of all the import players such as Gustavo and Herold, as well as Omid Nazari, who has improved much after I put him in a central position.
‘’The local players, too, have also worked hard to get us the results.’’
