Former Paysandu, Lucas Maia cements himself as Henan FC highlight in China debut

In his first season in Chinese football, defender Lucas Maia, a former Paysandu player, was one of Henan FC’s strong points. The team finished the Chinese Super League in 10th place, with 37 points, and achieved a historic feat by finishing second in the China Cup, the club’s best campaign in the competition.

Lucas Maia assessed the team’s performances throughout the year and highlighted the importance of the World Cup campaign.

– In my opinion, it was a good season. We had difficulties at the start, but throughout the championship we managed to build relationships and put together a good sequence of matches. We achieved a historic feat for the club, because Henan had never gone this far in the China Cup. Reaching the final was very important for all of us. Even though we finished second, we showed that the job was well done – he said.

Present in 28 of the 30 matches played by Henan in the Superliga, Lucas Maia was an absolute starter and also distinguished himself on an individual level. According to Sofascore data, the defender led the team in average cuts, with 7.1 per game, and finished in second place in steals, with 1.2 per game.

In addition to his defensive performances, the defender has also attracted attention for his passing quality, being the team’s leader in successful passes, with a success rate of 86%. In the attacking sector, even as a defender, Lucas Maia was Henan’s third top scorer in the league, with six goals scored. Adding two assists, the Brazilian closed the competition with eight direct goal contributions.

The defender commented on the results obtained during the season and highlighted the speed of adaptation to the country.

– I think I had a good season. Of course, we are always looking to evolve and we know there is room for improvement. I worked hard with my teammates to achieve these numbers. The change was big, but my family and I adapted quickly. We were very well received and that made all the difference in making the season positive – he concluded.