Maccabi Tel Aviv hails Varrela’s World Cup goal as his stock rises

Maccabi Tel Aviv woke up Monday celebrating Helio Varrela’s impressive goal for Cape Verde against Uruguay at the World Cup. The late-night match ended 2-2, and the goal was described inside the club as historic for the player and his national team.

A club source said Varrela was one of the players who made the biggest leap in the second half of the season. “He flew to the World Cup in the best shape he had been in all season,” the source said, pointing to his performances in the playoff, cup matches and especially the final. “As the games went on last season, he got better and became one of the team’s most important players.”

Another Maccabi player said Varrela went to the tournament determined to make a statement. “He flew to the World Cup to do something big. He was determined and confident and said he was going there to be remembered,” the player said. He added that Varrela is “one of the nicest people in Kiryat Shalom,” and that everyone is happy for him after the goal.

Varrela will miss Maccabi’s training session that begins Monday evening because of his international duty. Meanwhile, the club is expected to announce in the coming hours the appointment of Kenny Miller for next season, with the Scottish coach expected to arrive in Israel soon. Maccabi is also likely to reshape its foreign-player roster, and the World Cup goal could prompt offers for Varrela from the cup holder.