The Portugeezer : Guimaraes

Sporting hold Porto in a fiery, controversial Clasico of two halves

Sergio Santos — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:24:00 GMT

The hype over the past week has mostly surrounded ‘El Superclasico’ between Barcelona and Real Madrid, but in Portugal there was another massive grudge-match in prospect as Sporting hosted FC Porto.

LATEST RESULTS Fri Nov 26 Vitória Setúbal 0-1 Academica Sat Nov 27 Sporting 1-1 FC Porto, Marítimo 2-0 Vitoria Guimaraes, Paços Ferreira 1-0 Olhanense Sun Nov 28 Braga 2-0 Nacional, Beira-Mar 1-3 Braga, Naval 0-1 Rio Ave, Portimonense 1-2 Uniao Leiria

Several ingredients made the build-up to Sporting's clash with Porto a rather intriguing one: for the Lions, it was an opportunity to start to rebuild their image and make amends with their supporters for their poor start to the season by beating the current leaders. For the Dragons, it was an excuse to flex their muscles and underline exactly why they’ve appeared all but invincible so far. And naturally, the match also featured the return of Joao Moutinho, who was greeted with jeers (and apples, by the way!) from the start by the self same people who had worshipped him as the club's hero and poster boy barely seven months previously.

It's a game of two halves...

Trailing the leaders by 13 points, Sporting had nothing to lose and approached the match with a positive mindset from the very beginning.

Paulo Sérgio opted for a 4-3-1-2 formation with three deep-lying midfielders – Maniche, André Santos and Pedro Mendes – giving Chilean midfielder Jaime Valdes more freedom to roam around the pitch and support striking duo Helder Postiga and Liedson.

That structure helped Sporting produce a very solid first half during which they exposed Porto’s backline and managed to quell the attacking threat of Hulk and Varela. By closing down their opponents inside their own half, the home side didn’t allow Porto time to think, and thus restricted their free-flowing football.

At that stage of the match, Fernando, Moutinho and Belluschi were being choked by Sporting’s more dynamic midfield and hence the Lions were in complete control of the match.

Still, each team had a good chance to break the deadlock. Radamel Falcao in the tenth minute missed a great opportunity with just Rui Patricio to beat, while Pedro Mendes hit a ferocious long-range effort against the woodwork 15 minutes later.

It wasn't until the 38th minute that Sporting would get in front. In a direct – if unorthodox – fashion, Rui Patricio kicked the ball from his area and as Maicon fails to deal with it, Jaime Valdes is quick to pounce and send the home fans into raptures.

The second half however would be a different affair. Porto returned from the locker room determined to fight back and Sporting’s midfield quartet quickly ran out of steam. Therefore, it wasn’t too much of a surprise when Porto leveled in the 58th minute courtesy of Falcao.

If the tide was about to turn we will never know, as Maicon was then sent-off 10 minutes later, promopting Porto to sit back and hold out for the draw, while Sporting’s impact subs couldn't live up to their name, failing to bring the desired impact to the field.

Controversies

Bottom-line, 1-1 is a fair result that pretty much reflects the balance of play, regardless of the many voices whining about the “referee’s pivotal role on the outcome of match”.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a “Classico” without a light smattering of controversy and therefore let’s just analyze the major points of contention:

Sporting’s goal: Jaime Valdes is off-side the moment Rui Patricio kicks the ball, though he doesn’t handle it after. Of course the linesman could have called offside, but why did Maicon - and the rest of the team for that matter - stop? It was a tough call and you can’t really put the blame on the man in black this time…

Maicon’s dismissal: The Brazilian defender took a lot of time to pass the ball and allowed Liedson to joust for it. Living up to his ‘The Slender One’ moniker, he made the most of the contact to get his team 21 minutes with a man advantage. However, this one should have never been a red card and it may have cost Porto the chance to fight for the three points.

Maniche’s violent behavior: It's not the first time the player has acted like a thug and either the club or the league should take matters into their own hands to prevent these kind of instances from re-occuring.

Had these three calls been ruled in favour of Porto, would the outcome of the match have been different? Perhaps, but given Sporting controlled the first half of the match and also saw a few niggly fouls against them go unpunished, neither side can really complain too strongly.

Meanwhile...

Benfica got their act together after their shocking defeat in Israel [link] and beat Beira-Mar away with two goals from the returning Oscar Cardozo. The second was a beautiful shot curled from the right, just inside the box, that gave the keeper no chance.

The Eagles managed to pull away from Guimaraes who lost to Maritimo. Manuel Machado’s men went to Madeira hoping to extend their rich vein of form, but their run was halt by the ever-tricky Islanders.

Naval woes show no sign of stopping as the Figueira da Foz outfit lost at home to Rio Ave. With only five points gathered in 12 matches, can they realistically climb their way to safety?

And last but not least, the Portugeezer has to tip his hat in the direction of Jorge Costa and his Academica side, who are enjoying a very comfortable league campaign. They claimed a win at Setubal and currently sit in fifth position, one point shy of Sporting and well above their own expectactions.

Lisbon neighbours off to a bad start

Sergio Santos — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:18:00 GMT

The 2010/11 season may have just started but its opening weekend already offered a few surprises. There were four away successes, but the highlights of the round were defeats for both Benfica and Sporting.

Braga were the first team to play and they looked as solid as last season. Granted, it was against new boys Portimonense, but they have done well in the transfer market and they seem to have kept their dominant attitude to matches.

Thumbs up to Matheus for breaking the deadlock and being a threat throughout the match and to signing Leandro Salino for scoring a goal on his debut.

Porto had to fight harder than they had thought to seal a late 0-1 victory at Naval. The Dragons produced a relatively average first half, but improved after the break with the introduction of Columbian midfielder Freddy Guarín.

Unlike the match against Benfica where Varela was on fire, this time it was Hulk who upped his game a notch, creating some opportunities and scoring the 84th minute penalty that won the game.

Sporting and Benfica were dealt an early blow in their title quest as they were both deservingly beaten.

Playing at Mata Real is never easy and the home side, Paços de Ferreira, proved once again why. Relying on their never-say-die attitude and young talent David Simão and Caeteno, the team known as ‘the Beavers’ showed no fear of going forward and were eventually rewarded in the second half with a goal from Venezuelan striker Rondon.

Sporting had enough opportunities to at least claim a draw, but their forwards must have worn the wrong boots and the closest they came was hitting the bar through Helder Postiga.

The biggest upset of the weekend however was Académica 1-2 win at Estádio da Luz. The Eagles were determined to start their title defence in style, but were dismantled by an organized and resilient side who had studied their lesson at home.

If Benfica were a major threat from dead balls last year, this year they seem to fear them and it is probably due to lack of trust in goalkeeper Roberto.

It was therefore no surprise when Académica scored from a free-kick in the first half. New boy Franco Jara – who once again came off the bench – scored an equalizer, but despite playing against 10 men, Benfica would concede a second goal in the last minute and raise early question marks as to whether they’ll be able to reproduce last year’s levels of performance.

Goal of the round

It’s always better to start in style, right? Here’s the situation: Benfica, current title holders, are playing at home in front of 49,000 supporters and at 1-1 they’re pushing for a victory in the dying minutes. Substitute Laionel then decides to hit a wonder strike to silence an entire stadium and give the Students a famous victory. Cloud number nine for Academica and the 24-year old Brazilian striker!

Talking points

Sporting need to sort out their problems upfront; if the Lions possessed someone with half Liedson’s goalscoring prowess, they would have claimed another result. The Brazilian-turned-Portuguese striker is not getting any younger, and both Yannick Djalo and Postiga couldn’t hit the ground if they fell off a ladder.

That issue can be minimized with someone like Simon Vukcevic. There are not many players like the Montenegrin in the Portuguese League and while he may have a short temperament he also seems to be an ugly duckling type of figure at the club. His talent alone would justify his presence on the starting XI and the reason to include Jaime Valdes ahead of him is unknown to the Portugeezer

Benfica manager Jorge Jesus bemoaned bad luck for the home loss, but shouldn’t he just admit he made some mistakes? The Portugeezer admires his man crush on Cesar Peixoto, but including him on the starting XI won’t take him far. Peixoto is a utility man, a squad player to be mostly used as a sub.

The ‘new’ 4-3-3 formation is not the problem: the problem is not having the right players for such formation; Peixoto is not a winger, Saviola cannot open up defences if pushed to the wings and Amorim cannot link-up with the frontline like Ramires used to do!

There is a surplus of players in certain positions and a deficit in others, which certainly doesn’t bode well for the Eagles. With two weeks before the transfer window closes, can the Eagles find the missing piece(s) in their jigsaw?

RESULTS Fri Aug 13 Braga 3-1 Portimonense; Sat Aug 14 Marítimo 0-1 Vitória Setúbal, Naval 0-1 Porto, Paços Ferreira 1-0 Sporting; Sun Aug 15 Rio Ave 0-1 Nacional, Beira-Mar 0-0 Leiria, Benfica 1-2 Académica; Mon Aug 16 Olhanense 0-0 Vitória Guimarães.

Porto starting new season on a high

Sergio Santos — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:46:00 GMT

Enough of pre-season matches and never-ending debates on whether this or that team is stronger than last year. The start of the ‘exciting-at-times’ Liga Zon Sagres is upon us, so it’s finally time to get down to the real business - predictions!

Despite the imminent start of the new league season, the Portuguese media are currently more interested in Manchester United forking out €9 million for yet another youngster from Portugal.

Having previously signed much-heralded starlets such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Anderson, the Red Devils this time went one further and picked up a virtual unknown.

Tiago Correia – commonly known as Bebé, which, perhaps predictably, means 'baby' in Portuguese – had only moved to Vitoria Guimaraes five weeks before on a free transfer. That’s ridiculously speedy rise through the game is quite a fitting for a boy who once lived on the streets and represented Portugal in the Homeless World Cup just two years ago.

Congratulations and good luck to him, but we’ll analyze this deal in more depth at a later stage, because right now we have a new season starting!

Braga v Portimonense

New boys Portimonense would have wished for an easier start than a visit to in-form Braga. The Algarvian side are arguably one of the weakest teams of the competition and will take some time to settle into top flight. Braga has too much experience and firepower to let this one slip away. Braga stroll to easy win.

Marítimo v Setúbal

Mitchell Van der Gaag has done remarkably well at Maritimo as a manager, and judging by how his side have played in pre-season and in the Europa League qualifying stages, they seem capable of emulating last season results. Setubal, on the other hand, have lost key men Helder Barbosa and Keita over the summer, and therefore might lack some quality upfront. Home win.

Naval v Porto

The Dragons start their domestic campaign on a high after a morale-boosting victory against arch-rivals Benfica and, quite frankly, they should have no problems beating Naval. Watch out for a good old battering and for new Porto coach André Villas-Boas‘ honeymoon period to continue. Definitely a Porto win.

Paços de Ferreira v Sporting

Mata Real (Paços de Ferreira stadium) is traditionally a tricky turf for any side, and Paulo Sérgio’s men will have to prove they are up for the task. Last year, the Lions were held to a goalless draw and there’s no reason to believe the change in direction promoted by Costinha and Bettencourt has yet to inject the necessary spark. A 1-1 draw in what will be the first of many tests for this enigmatic Sporting side.

Rio Ave v Nacional

Carlos Brito – the perennial Rio Ave manager – has conducted some quite shrewd business this summer. Bringing in the likes of Fábio Felicio, Tiago Pinto, Bruno China, Braga and Joao Tomas has increased both the depth and the quality of the squad. Considering how consistent they are at home, they’ll beat a Nacional side that will need to prove they can be as hard to beat without their former coach, Manuel Machado. Narrow home win.

Beira-Mar v Uniao de Leiria

Newcomers Beira-Mar host Leiria and the sheer excitement of playing the first match of the season at home will give them an extra edge. The Portugeezer sees some goals in this match, but it ultimately ending in an entertaining draw.

Benfica v Académica

The Eagles will have to show something different if they want to woo their supporters. An almost packed Estádio da Luz will give the players some extra motivation, although they shouldn’t really need it as they have more than enough quality to see off the Students. Comfortable win for Benfica.

Olhanense v Guimaraes

Guimaraes lost a few important players such as Desmarets and Andrezinho and will travel to the south of the country to face Olhanense, who have managed to make some interesting additions to their squad. The ‘home factor’ could play a key role here and the Algarvian side will manage to get their first three points of the season. Narrow home win.

What do you think? Do you expect any surprises in the opening day?

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