The Portugeezer : Hulk

Hits & Misses: Heroic Hulk, bobbins Benfica and middling Maniche

Sergio Santos — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:43:00 GMT

We’re already into the 11th round of the Portuguese League, and it seems a good time to stop for a moment and acknowledge the highs and lows of the league so far. Who has been a revelation? Who is still stuttering? Who has been an utter disappointment? Read on... (Please!)

HITS

Andre Villas-Boas
The 33-year-old manager arrived at Porto under a multitude of question marks. After all, his stint at Academica wasn’t enough to show he had the potential to take on the mantle from his former mentor – one Jose Mourinho.

Yet Villas-Boas is still undefeated this season and the free-flowing football practised by his team has earned him rave reviews. Where can he go? At the moment, everything seems possible. Europa League, Portuguese League and Portuguese Cup – what a breakthrough season would that be.

Hulk
Porto's explosive Brazilian forward was unable to further hone his skills last season due to the infamous suspension that left him out in the cold for a large chunk of the campaign. Perhaps fuelled by the chance to claim poetic justice, Hulk – just like his Marvel namesake – turned incredible and his performances have dazzled everyone (mostly opponents).

Last season, the Portugeezer predicted Hulk could become big if he toned down his showboating instincts and improved his work rate. Well, he’s doing just that, and Europe’s big guns are alert to his impressive 11-goal haul in the league. One thing is certain: if he leaves, he’s going to cost a lot of money.

Guimaraes
Portugal’s fourth club in terms of following and attendances, Vitoria de Guimaraes have seen neighbours Braga take the spotlight in recent years. This season under Manuel Machado, however, Guimaraes are performing well above expectations, currently sitting in second alongside Benfica.

They also managed to seal what was arguably one of the deals of the summer, selling Bebe to Manchester United for a princely sum just weeks after paying a pauper’s wage to sign him from Estrela da Amadora.
Joao Ribeiro and Tiago Targino are two players worth following.

Beira-Mar
One of the two promoted sides, the historical club from Aveiro have been playing well and currently lie in the top half of the table, seven points away from the dreaded relegation zone.

They already claimed a famous win at Braga and young manager Leonardo Jardim has been raising an eyebrow among his peers with the good results. Think of them as you’d think of Blackpool in the English Premier League: a happy-go-lucky team that overcomes a lack of talent and financial clout with a never-say-die attitude.

MISSES

Benfica
Reigning champions Benfica have failed to cope with increasing expectations and the departures of Ramires and Angel di Maria. Jorge Jesus, whose judgement was once unquestionable, is now starting to cut a fragile figure unable to steer his team forward.

The early warning signs at the Supercup would be later confirmed, as the team has struggled to get a result away from home and got a nasty reality check last week when they were handed an old-fashioned 5-0 spanking by Porto. Lagging 10 points behind the leaders, the Eagles had better focus now on the Champions League and the Portuguese cups if they want to look back at this season in a positive fashion.

Sporting
The Lions were looking to bounce back from a dismal season that saw them finish 28 points behind Benfica. Manager Costinha and chairman Jose Eduardo Bettencourt promoted a small revolution in the squad – which included the shocking sale of captain Joao Moutinho – in the hope it would lead to better results, but the truth is they look a second-rate side, years away from past glorious Sporting sides.

Next round Sporting will host Porto, and it will be interesting to see how they’ll cope with the Dragons. Their defence is anything but watertight and they lack firepower upfront. Will they ever learn from their mistakes?

Low attendances
This edition of the Portuguese League has seen the worst average attendance of the last four seasons, with a mere 10,545 people per match. Last year’s average attendance at this stage was 12,200. If the league wants to move forward, it needs to address this nagging problem that has been holding back Portuguese football. Seriously, you don’t need John Legend’s Wake Up Everybody to know it’s time. Am I right? [Yes? – Ed]

QUESTION MARKS

Not everyone can be labelled as a top or a flop at this point. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for some, the jury is still out...

Maniche
The former Benfica and Porto player arrived at Sporting to replace Joao Moutinho and, on paper, he seemed a shrewd piece of business. Cheap, much-travelled and with bags of Champions League experience, the prospect of watching him marshalling the midfield alongside Pedro Mendes was interesting.

The only flaw in that masterplan was that Maniche peaked five years ago. His all-round game has waned. Not only that, but he is still prone to silly mistakes, such as the dismissal against Guimaraes that ultimately caused his team’s collapse. He is still capable of exerting his influence on the team, but he needs to step up and show he can lead the team.

Nico Gaitan
For a guy who arrived at Benfica with a hefty €8.4m price tag, Nico Gaitan is a flop. People expected him to replace crowd favourite Di Maria overnight, apparently forgetting it took two years before the now Real Madrid player started showing what he was capable of.

The other problem for Gaitan is that he’s more of a trequartista than a winger; playing on the wing has undermined his development. Still, he scored two goals in the last match against Naval and showed glimpses of talent.

Will he be given time, and a proper role in the starting XI, to flourish? Only time will tell, but Benfica supporters will have to wait if they want to see something from him...

Braga
It may be a bit unfair to label Braga’s current campaign as a question mark. After all, they already boast the Herculean feat of reaching the group stages of the Champions League after knocking out Celtic and Sevilla. They managed to improve the squad with smart moves in the market, too: Lima, Luis Aguiar and Felipe to name but three.

But Braga already trail rivals Benfica and Guimaraes by seven points, something that last season would be unthinkable. Are we expecting too much for a team not used to dealing with continental and domestic duties? Maybe, but that’s only because they’ve shown us many times that they can upset the odds.

The Gods Must Be Crazy: A wacky week in Portugal

Sergio Santos — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:21:00 GMT

Round 10 Results: Fri Nov 5 Vitória Setúbal 3-3 Rio Ave Sat 6 Nov Portimonense 2-2 Académica, Paços Ferreira 0-1 Nacional Sun 7 Nov FC Porto 5-0 Benfica, Braga 2-3 Beira-Mar, Naval 1-1 Olhanense, Marítimo 1-1 Leiria Mon 8 Nov Sporting 2-3 Vitória Guimarães

There's so much to talk about this goal-ridden round that a single post is hardly enough to describe the earthquake that shook the foundations of Portuguese football.

Understandably, all eyes were on the Porto v Benfica match that could have serious repercussions in the title race – and the Clássico lived up to its billing. With a mesmerising performance that probably alerted half Europe, Porto hammered the Eagles 5-0 and cleared any lingering doubt about which team is currently the best in the country. Such is the gulf between the Dragons and the chasing pack, that it seems we have two leagues within Liga Zon Sagres.

In hindsight, nobody would have predicted this at the beginning of the season. After all, Benfica kept their manager and invested - 'wasted' may be a more accurate verb - buckets of money to improve the team while Porto hired an unknown guy named André Villas-Boas in an apparent knee-jerk reaction. How come things have changed so much in such a short span of time?

Bad choices, bad omen
Now, about the match. If there was a moment Jorge Jesus’s ability was questioned, it was this past Sunday as the Benfica manager made two tactical changes that are quite hard to accept.

Firstly, he opted to selected Salvio instead of Saviola in the starting XI. The Atletico Madrid loanee has barely lit up the League while ‘El Conejo’ has been an ever-present figure for the Eagles since he arrived from Real Madrid last year. Why change, and why now?

More stunning though was the decision to play David Luiz as makeshift left-back instead of the impressive and already proven Fábio Coentrão. By doing that, he brought back Sidnei – who only played 259 minutes in the league last season and is far from match fitness - to the heart of the defence and moved Coentrão to a more advanced role.

The result? Sidnei looked sluggish, Coentrão was ineffective and David Luiz was consistently tormented by Hulk. It was reckless to make such drastic changes in a vital match and the decision backfired badly as every single goal from the right side - Benfica’s left.

Even if Coentrão was back at his best position in the second half, the damage was already done and Hulk was on fire. The Brazilian forward scored two goals and made one assist, carrying on his rich vein of form that is bound to attract the big guns sooner rather than later.

As predicted in the previous post, Benfica struggled to feed front duo Alan Kardec and Salvio and only managed three shots on target – pathetic for a team that not long ago wanted to be a serious player in the Champions League.

“You know, just do your thing…”
There were other surprising results this round as Braga were shocked by Beira-Mar at home and Sporting showed once again why the Portugeezer continues to dismiss them as genuine contenders.

The Lions entertained Vitória Guimarães at home and they seemed set for a comfortable 2-0 win until the 70th minute when Maniche was sent off for kicking an opponent. Supersub Tiago Targino came from the bench to lift the away team and scored two goals in two minutes before Bruno Teles completed an incredible comeback in the 90th minute.

Talking points
Porto are at the top of the world. They are unbeatable, enjoying their football and it will be really interesting to see which team will be able to defeat them. They can afford to tinker: they hold a 10-point lead in the league and are already through to the Round of 32 in the Europa League.

André Villas-Boas and Hulk, in particular, are now the target of foreign media eager to know more about this unstoppable duo. The way his team outclassed Benfica, Villas-Boas looks more and more a very capable manager, even if drawing any comparison to Mourinho at this stage is premature. Hulk once again overwhelmed his opposition with his raw power and trickery. The Brazilian has toned down his lapses and selfishness this season and has become a more consistent player. Great for Porto!

Even a revered figure like Sir Alex Ferguson would be a target if he was destroyed by, say, Arsenal the way Benfica were by Porto. Jesus’s cockiness certainly came back to haunt him; suddenly, reports emerge that the atmosphere in the locker room was far from ideal and that people within the board are not exactly in awe with Jesus anymore. Considering the psychological toll of this heavy loss, can Jesus last till Christmas?

Is there a silver lining for Paulo Sérgio? Yes, it can be argued that the outcome would have been different if Maniche thought before he acted the way he did, but Sporting only have themselves to blame. They have a second-tier mentality and lack spark.

The Sporting speech remains the same: President Bettencourt says the manager is untouchable (though we all remember the catchy ‘Paulo Bento forever’ expression and what happened afterwards...) and that they will keep on fighting. Sometimes though, one has to wonder if they have any ambitions: do they want to win silverware right now or are they planning long-term? Do they still want to nurture young talent from the Academy or are they looking to get more experienced players? Regardless of that, 14 points in 10 match is just not good enough…

Can Guimarães become this season’s Braga? Manuel Machado has assembled a solid group of players and they have been playing good football. Interestingly, they beat both Benfica and Sporting and held Porto to a draw. They are now in second place with 18 points and will play against the Minho Warriors next round in what is expected to be a fierce derby.

Porto and Benfica prepare for November title decider

Sergio Santos — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:46:00 GMT

The omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent former coach of Porto Jose Mourinho called the match ‘title decider’. Current manager Andre Villas-Boas nixed the idea. Pundits argue both ways, as pundits invariably do. So, let’s clarify one thing: can the match between FC Porto and Benfica at Estadio do Dragao on Sunday decide the title? Yes. Definitely.

The Dragons have enjoyed an almost flawless campaign and sit top of the table with a comfortable seven-point lead over the Eagles. Braga, despite their good season, are finding it hard to cope with their domestic and continental duties, while Sporting are being their usual ‘We’ll fight until maths defeats us’ selves. The only team with a real shot – however faint – at preventing Porto from winning the title this season is Benfica.

Away success would cut the gap to just four points and reopen the title race. A home victory would see 10 points separating the two sides. It would be foolish to think a seasoned team like Porto would throw that away, right?

Odds don’t favour the Eagles. First of all, they usually endure a tough time when visiting their arch-rivals.

Secondly, back in August when Benfica’s hype machine was firing on all cylinders, the Portugeezer witnessed a team being completely torn apart in the Portuguese Superleague; Porto not only gave them a free football lesson but also gained a psychological edge early in the season.

Additionally, Benfica have experienced troubles beating even small teams away. People may talk about how Benfica almost battered Lyon, but they forget that in France, they actually didn’t fire a single shot on target. Truth is, if Benfica’s key men are put on a leash, strikers Alan Kardec and Javier Saviola will be busy trying to find a way out of the deep pockets of Porto defenders Rolando and Maicon (not that one).

There are three potential battles worth following that may prove crucial in tilting the scales one way or another...

Hulk v Fábio Coentrao

The Brazilian forward has been, well, incredible (pun very much intended) this season and already claimed the Player of the Month award in September and October. He’s bagged eight goals in the league and looks menacing every time he touches the ball.

But if there is an opponent in Portugal capable of stopping Hulk it is the mercurial Coentrao, who has been Benfica’s main man so far. Coach Jorge Jesus may play Coentrao as either a full-back or a midfielder, but no doubt he’ll be on Hulk’s toes throughout the match.

Varela v Maxi Pereira

If Hulk was the only source of headaches for Jesus’ pupils, Benfica could come up with a plan to frustrate him via double teaming or rougher physical play. Things get worse, though, when both Porto wingers can be equally lethal.

After missing out on the World Cup through injury, Varela has regained the form that catapulted him into the national team in the first place, and at Aveiro he tormented Benfica’s defence. Maxi, while not a top-notch defender, has tremendous work rate and heart, and cannot afford to let his guard down for a second if he wants to keep the Eagles in the game.

Moutinho-Fernando v Garcia-Martins

Joao Moutinho, as expected, has been a revelation this year. The pint-sized midfielder works his socks off like a tireless, unselfish little ant and his understanding with Fernando is very good. The Dragons’ midfield has been working well and that is because it is able to function as both a first line of defence and a catalyst to their firepower.

Javi Garcia and Carlos Martins will play an important role in dictating play and countering Porto. The Spaniard, if nothing else, has the build to overpower Moutinho, and Martins, who recorded a full house of all four assists against Lyon, will hope he can link up with the attack in a similar fashion here.

After all, with no wingers at their disposal, Benfica will need their playmakers (presumably Martins and Aimar) to be at their creative best.

One to watch: Alan Kardec

Paraguayan hitman Oscar Cardozo has been sidelined with a knee injury and despite a large number of forwards in the team, Kardec is the only one who looks to have genuine quality to actually score. The young forward was on target against Lyon and he’ll be his team’s main reference upfront, but it may still be too early to expect a ‘Man of the Match’ performance from him.

The Portugeezer’s prediction: Porto 2-0 Benfica

Few would bet against Porto at this point. They have been playing so well and with so much confidence that it is hard to see anyone beating them.

If Benfica want to get something away from this match, they’ll need to be at their best and that means better than they were at Lyon. Roberto cannot flop like he did and the backline has to remain watertight and the midfield aggressive – otherwise they could be in for a very long night.

Expect Benfica to struggle to feed Saviola and Kardec before eventually succumbing to Porto’s offensive weapons.

Likely line-ups:

PORTO Hélton; Sapunaru, Maicon, Rolando, Álvaro Pereira; Fernando, Moutinho, Belluschi; Varela, Hulk, Falcão

BENFICA Roberto; Maxi Pereira, Luisao, David Luiz, Coentrão; Javi Garcia, Aimar, Carlos Martins, César Peixoto; Saviola, Kardec.

How Porto stung Liverpool

Sergio Santos — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:36:00 GMT

It’s a well-known fact that football is a fast-paced environment and that things can change overnight. For instance, nobody expected someone as professional as Wayne Rooney to pull a ‘Judas’ and drop a bombshell about leaving – even if that ended up being nothing more than a cheap move to get leverage for an improved contract.

Likewise, if we compare the current and the past editions of the Portuguese League, we see two different dynamics. Last year, Jorge Jesus arrived at Benfica and turned around the club's fortunes in style; it was a joy to watch the Eagles' gung-ho style overwhelm opponents. Stadiums – both home and away - were filled, the starting XI looked like Champions League veterans and a new ‘golden era’ seemed to be on the horizon.

After years in oblivion, Benfica finally found a winning formula and they should have kept it. But like a teenager who wants new shoes just for the sake of it, Benfica went on a summer shopping spree when all they had to do was make a handful of key acquisitions to increase depth, balance the books and keep the momentum of last season.

All the glitter and razzmatazz about the impressive Benfica 2009-10 faded away and the Eagles today are a rather bland side. They win at home and struggle away, and that’s not what you want from a true contender.

Porto, on the other hand, suffered a few bumps along the way that disrupted their 2009-10 campaign. They lost Hulk to suspension and would also lose a few important players to injuries while then-manager Jesualdo Ferreira’s influence on the team was already waning.

For a side used to winning, last season was subpar and something needed to change. The Dragons surprised many by gambling on a young manager – the untested André Villas-Boas – but kept the faith with their squad, signing only players that could actually make a difference (with perhaps the exception of Sereno…). Are they much different than last year? No, they're almost the same side, just with much more hunger plus João Moutinho and increased depth.

Every bit of the João Moutinho-Raul Meireles deals was a stroke of genius. Meireles had enjoyed a lacklustre campaign and at 27 he was about to reach his potential. Sensing a good deal, the Dragons signed Moutinho – three years younger and more versatile – for €11m just before dispatching Meireles to Merseyside for €14m.

Moutinho & Meireles: "Look at the size of that comedy cheque!"

Yes, Liverpool supporters may want to think of Meireles as the second coming of Xabi Alonso, but the truth is nobody at Porto cares about him anymore – because Moutinho is simply better. And the cherry on top was the fact that it weakened rivals Sporting and signalled a clear gulf in ambition between both clubs.

The front trio – Silvestre Varela, Hulk and Falcao – have been unplayable and are as lethal as a golf club in the back of the head. They've provided 16 of Porto's 19 league goals and last weekend they all scored as the team cruised 5-1 past Leiria. Hulk’s first goal is a work of art definitely worth appreciating.

One question hovers in the air: Is there a team capable of beating this Porto side? It may be too early to tell, with only eight of the 30 matches played, but domestically the Portugeezer says ‘highly unlikely’. (Out of interest, they're also top of their Europa League group, with three wins from three.)

With minor adjustments, Porto have drastically improved and both Benfica and Braga are definitely not as strong as last season. As for Sporting, well, they started rather slow and lack firepower now that talismanic striker Liédson is in the twilight of his career.

The only match that could prove a decider is the one between Porto and Benfica in two weeks. If Benfica somehow vanquish the Dragons – and you don’t want to bet on that – that could stun the leaders. Should the Dragons shoot down the Eagles, then please tell somebody to order the 2010/2011 Championship medals.

The current Dragons have many shades of the Porto side that won the UEFA Cup back in 2003. Then, a certain special young manager rejuvenated Porto by winning a championship with relative ease and by claiming silverware in Europe.

The main difference between those teams seems to lie on the backline. Porto’s current defence is yet to be truly tested, and only when that happens we will see whether the sky is really the limit for them.

For now, let’s just say Porto have yet to be defeated this season and that André Villas-Boas has claimed 14 wins in 15 official matches (the other match being the 1-1 draw at Guimarães). Not bad, right?

To be reviewed in two weeks…

Return of the Incredible Hulk overshadows Carvalhal exit

Sergio Santos — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:14:00 GMT

Last week Benfica beat Braga 1-0 in the all-important title battle and cemented their position as big favourites to be crowned Portuguese Champions.

The match was far from exciting but overall Benfica were the better side and will be more than happy to have opened a six-point gap to their closest rivals.

If that match was supposed to be the main dish of the previous weekend’s feast, the return of FC Porto forward Hulk was able to at least share the spotlight.

The explosive Brazilian had been handed a four-month ban for the infamous ‘tunnel-gate’ back in the December 20 match against Benfica, but the Liga Disciplinary Committee’s decision was incredibly overturned by the Federation Justice Council.

His suspension was therefore slashed to just three matches, which means that the player ended up spending 14 more matches on the sidelines than he should have.

The whole controversy stemmed from the status of the stewards in the law which wasn’t very clear: should they be regarded as match officials or not?

"It doesn't bloody taste of oranges..."

That tiny detail was the difference between getting a minimum of three months or a minimum of three matches.

Now, the Portugeezer is no expert when it comes to the finer laws of the game, but regardless of what the right decision may have been – if there’s only one, that is – one thing seems as clear as crystal: the whole process was a disgrace that should embarrass every person from the governing bodies of Portuguese football.

FC Porto knew the player would be suspended for either three matches or three months. Even if the law could be read in the two distinct ways, the final decision should have always come out before the ‘best-case’ scenario, i.e. before the third match of suspension.

The members of the Liga Disciplinary Committee responsible (namely Ricardo Costa) have no other option but to resign. They lost every bit of credibility they still had and any further decision taken by the same people will be taken with a grain of salt....

Who’s in charge of Liga Sagres affairs after all? The Portuguese Federation oversees the Portuguese Cup and the third and fourth tiers of our football, but ultimately they were the ones to decide. Two bodies governing one league is never a good thing...

Porto are outraged and rightly so; they were without an important player for 17 matches and they should naturally seek compensation.

Porto supremo Pinto da Costa floated a staggering amount of €17M to account for the player devaluation and the hypothetical failure to qualify for the Champions League, but while that seems a bit over the top, at the very least the player’s salaries ought to be paid back.

Hulk was able to return to action in the match against Belenenses – which Porto comfortably won 3-0 – and to make his point the trick artist scored one goal and layed on two assists.

His goal was actually the best of the week, as he blasted one of his trademark rockets into the roof of the net.

"You won't like me when I'm....scoring goals against you"

In other news – if you can call it that – Sporting announced that Carlos Carvalhal is due to leave at the end of the season.

From the very beginning, it seemed obvious that Carvalhal was an ugly duckling type of figure at the club and looking back there were many things hinting he would be only a short-term replacement for Paulo Bento.

These included the announcement of his appointment at two in the morning, the lack of a proper press conference to confirm his arrival, the six-month deal and the constant rumours that he was never President Betterncourt’s first option.

For Carvalhal, Sporting was like the rollercoaster you only ride once...

"Stop Sporting, I want to get off..."

Who will be the next in line for the Lions? André Villas-Boas seems to have caught the eye of both Bettencourt and Costinha, but Paul Le Guen and Jean Tigana have also been mooted in the press.

If those three names are indeed the only ones in their shortlist, then the Portugeezer would go for the Académica manager in a heartbeat.

He’s a good prospect, has a scouting background and actually knows Portuguese football. It may be a bit early for him, but the French duo would also need time to get acquainted to the peculiar world of Portuguese football.

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