The 19-year-old came on as a second-half substitute, and despite a difficult result on the road made an impression with his confidence on the ball both in open play and from set-piece situations, and the No. 11 will aim to add to his minutes with a first start as the season progresses.
While França is a Brazil Under-20 international renowned for producing moments of both spectacle and endeavour, there has been plenty of south American flair in south London previously – how many of these do you remember?
Brazil
Promotion-winning hero Andre Moritz signed for Crystal Palace in 2012 and proved an immediate hit, scoring his first goal for the club in Ian Holloway’s first game in charge in November.
He stamped his name in Palace folklore on New Year’s Day, scoring two free-kicks against Wolverhampton Wanderers. His final appearances for the club, during a whirlwind spell, came at Wembley as a second-half substitute, as he helped the Eagles to an extra-time victory over Watford and a Premier League place.
But while we may think of Brazil as the spiritual home of football, for Moritz it is the other way around.
“Every player I’ve played with from Brazil said: ‘Jesus, man, you’ve played in England. How is English football?’ Even the players love English football, the way it’s played, the way it’s moved, everything behind the scenes,” he told the club last year.
