The Portugeezer : Celtic

Phenomenal Braga keep making history

Sergio Santos — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:02:00 GMT

Back in May, after playing against Paços de Ferreira, Braga claimed a ticket to the qualifying stages of the Champions League and at the end of the match, Hendel’s “Zadok the Priest” adaptation – which is now the renowned official anthem of Europe’s elite competition – was played.

After all, the club had just achieved something remarkable and the chance to play among the top European clubs would be an incredible experience that could catapult the club to another level.

The Minho warriors were handed two tough draws on their road to Champions League football; firstly against Celtic and then against Sevilla.

They manhandled the Scots as if they were playing against a side from Liga Orangina (Portugal’s delightfully named second division) with a 4-2 aggregate success, but Sevilla would prove a far sterner test and, despite an encouraging 1-0 win at home, the heated environment at Sanchez Pizjuán – quite literally as temperatures of 44º C were reported in the afternoon – could have been a little too much for them to handle.

This Braga side, however, fancied beating the odds and with unshakable faith, they not only they won the tie, but also the match on the night through organized, counter-attacking football.

Domingos Paciencia’s men had to withstand initial pressure as Sevilla tried to make the most of their home advantage, but as time went by the Portuguese side started look more comfortable and got a surprising lead in the 31st minute through Mateus, who reacted quickly to a Palop fumble.

One of the key moments of the match came five minutes before the hour mark. Uruguayan playmaker Luis Aguiar was replaced by forward Lima and the Brazilian would go on to earn a hat trick, the plaudits and the man of the match award.

Just three minutes after his introduction, Lima converted from Mateus cross to duble Braga’s lead. Sevilla then knew they had to score four goals, but were handed an immediate lifeline when Fabiano got his name on the score sheet three minutes later as Felipe botched an easy save.

Sevilla exerted tremendous pressure and the match was played at a frenetic tempo. Navas netted a second for the Spaniards in the 84th minute, at which point Braga fans could be forgiven for fearing a spectacular collapse was on the cards.

But if some die-hard Sevilla fans thought they could still pull it off, Lima was quick to dash their dreams just a minute later after rounding a dazed and confused Palop. There was still time for Lima to complete his hat-trick and Fredi Kanouté to score Sevilla’s third before the referee signalled the end of an incredible match.

The Champions League group stage draw has already determined Braga will face Arsenal, Shakhtar Donetsk and Partizan. The Gunners are the obvious favourites, but the second place should be up for grabs.

Honestly, neither Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar nor Serbian old boys Partizan are better than Sevilla, and if Braga are able to keep their form – just as they did last season – there is no reason to believe they can’t reach the last 16 of the competition. For now though, it is time to smile and relish the chance to play against the big fish while balancing the books.

Cream of the crop

Every Braga player deserves credit after knocking out the Spanish giants, but there were four players in particular who caught the Portugeezer’s eye, and could go on to cause the likes of Arsenal a few problems in the group stage.

Moisés
The centre-back was a giant that kept Kanouté and Fabiano in his pocket. Strong in the air and oozing experience and poise, his presence added steel to a backline that needed a leader.

Sílvio
The former Rio Ave rightback replaced Miguel Garcia in the starting XI and had an absolutely cracking match. He was not only able to mark the talented Diego Perotti, but also had the nerve and energy to provide attacking support down the right flank. His attacking prowess and versatility – he played last season mostly as a leftback – make him a great asset for the club and Queiroz may find him a very interesting addition to the national team.

Matheus
The Brazilian is a great player and it is bizarre to think he was not a regular starter this time last year, having originally signed for the club in 2006. He’s fast, possesses good technique and has a very high work rate. He scored two goals and made one assist over the two matches and will be remembered as one of the mighty warriors to have conquered Sevilla.

Lima
Anyone who scores three goals in a match has to be mentioned, but to be able to do so within 35 minutes in one of the most important matches in a club’s history is a feat that will rarely be matched. The Brazilian forward came off the bench to haunt Sevilla’s defence and has already seen his price tag skyrocket.

Avoiding second season syndrome

Sergio Santos — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:27:00 GMT

Second season syndrome is a common malaise in football.

Usually, after enjoying an above average season, teams or players are not able to handle the increased expectations and end up disappointing in the following campaign.

One-time England international Michael Ricketts is a prime example of someone who suffered from that disease, but there are other examples such as former Porto striker Pena or the 2007/08 União de Leiria side.

The past season saw Braga achieve their best-ever league position and naturally teams will be more wary of the havoc the 2009/10 runners-up can cause.

In a domestic league as asymmetrical as the Portuguese, the first step to avoid falling back to mid-tier obscurity is to keep both the manager and the core of last year’s squad and kudos to club supremo António Salvador for doing just that.

Still, the first real test for Braga was against Celtic for the third Qualifying Round of the Champions League and, to the surprise of many, they battered the Scots with a 3-0 success. Can this be an early sign of things to come? If it is, the 2010/11 edition of the Portuguese League is going to be anything but boring!

Strengths

They were able to keep Domingos Paciência and the majority of their squad, while making some shrewd pieces of business in the transfer market.

Selling World Cup-inflated Eduardo to Genoa for €4M and getting Quim for free would have been genius if it wasn’t for the fact the former Benfica goalkeeper would rupture his Achilles tendon in training (they later signed Artur Moraes from AS Roma).

Also, and while not set in stone, talismanic midfielder Luis Aguiar is due to return to the club while Leandro Salino was brought in from Nacional to increase competition for places in the starting XI.

It is up front though that Braga have gained more depth with the additions of Lima, Keita and Hélder Barbosa, which can only be good as the team looks to keep their momentum on all fronts.

Weaknesses

Looking what has happened so far, their defence is still a question mark. Besides Eduardo and Evaldo, centre-back André Leone and right-back Filipe Oliveira also left after being unable to reach terms with the board for new contracts.

Nigerian left-back Elderson had a dream start against Celtic scoring a goal but it is still too early to say if the first-choice backline – key to last year’s performances – will be as effective this season.

Who should they buy?

Bruno Patacas and Rafik Halliche. Considering their budget constraints – at least when compared to the ‘Big Three’ – and the risk of paying an handsome amount of money for an unknown player from a different league, the Portugeezer would look internally for options that would add steel to the back four.

Nacional captain Patacas is a more than capable performer who has a lot of experience in the league, while Algerian defender Halliche had a good season at the Islanders while proving his pedigree for the national team. Nacional would probably be reluctant to do business, but Benfica would listen to a suitable offer for a centre-back that will not feature on their plans.

Who can they afford to lose?

Meyong. The Cameroonian player may have signed a new contract last month, but he didn’t play against Celtic and it’s not guaranteed he’ll be the team’s first-choice striker. Over the years he has attracted the interest of several teams in Europe and if a good offer came in, Domingos and Salvador might just consider offloading him.

As for tonight’s crunch encounter, the Arsenalistas will be playing at Celtic Park, a tough environment for any team, but the Portugeezer can’t see past a Braga victory in all honesty. Without a Henrik Larsson, Shunsuke Nakamura or even Aiden McGeady type of player available, Celtic are little more than an experienced side with average, industrious players.

Want a prediction? Celtic 2-1 Braga and bring on the play-off round...

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'Little' Braga humble Celtic

Sergio Santos — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:56:00 GMT

Regardless of what they achieved last season, many have immediately written off Braga’s chances of fighting for the title this season or even reaching the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.

It may be a bit harsh for a team that ensured the title race went down to the last day, but the weight of expectations make things harder and many teams suffer from the so-called ‘second-season syndrome’.

Just like any other team that performs above their regular standards, Braga lost a few players: Eduardo was lured to the trattorias in Genoa, Evaldo left for Sporting and André Leone returned to Brazil.

They also lost sporting director Carlos Freitas to Panathinaikos this summer, which is why drawing Celtic instead of the arguably easier BSC Young Boys or KAA Gent so early in the season was perhaps a little bit unfair.

The Scots have a lot of experience in the competition, but if Neil Lennon’s men thought they were going to have an easy day at the office, they couldn’t have been any more wrong.

Little, unknown Braga not only outclassed them, but also gave them a football lesson at the beautiful AXA stadium and earned a result that, while not enough to secure passage to the playoff round of the competition, is quite a big step towards that goal.

With a commanding 3-0 lead – courtesy of goals from Alan, Elderson and Matheus – Braga are just a whisker away from knocking out the historical Glaswegian side.

Naysayers will say ‘You know, they scored from set-pieces and will find Celtic Park a very hostile environment‘. Celtic fans may even be thinking of the time they were hammered 5-0 away to Artmedia Bratislava, only to come very close to turn the tie around with a 4-0 victory in the home leg back in Glasgow.

Unlike the Slovakian side though, Braga are a more sophisticated team and the result was not merely a by-product of luck, form or high morale. The players have quality, the team knows how to play good football and more than that they seem up to the task.

They’re still some way off getting inside castle – the actual Champions League – but part one of their plan was executed flawlessly.

Goal of the match

Brazilian forward Matheus had already took the corner that allowed new boy Elderson to score on his official debut for the club, but he decided to take matters into his own hands in the 88th minute when he hammered a 35 yard screamer that gave the keeper no chance. A sublime goal that added some gloss to the score-line and sent the Braga faithful ecstatic.

Food for thought

People talk about whether Villas-Boas’s Porto and Paulo Sérgio’s Sporting can dethrone Benfica, but what about Braga? Manager Domingos Paciência remained at the helm of the club and they made astute moves in the market. But the question is; can they be considered contenders this season?