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25/02/03
Sporting kept in touch with second-placed Benfica Monday when they beat Moreirense 2-1 away. Jardel
got them off to a flying start on 11 minutes, heading in at the back post from a corner by Quaresma. It was his 180th goal in the Portuguese Liga. Armando
pulled one back on 50 minutes, also with a header from a fre kick by former Sportinguista Afonso Martins. But midfielder Rui Bento
created the most beautiful moment of the game, lofting an exquisite chip from the edge of the box over Roberto and into the top left hand corner of the net. Sporting's Toñito was sent off twenty minutes from time.
Nacional took the lead on five minutes via the prolific Adriano, at home to União de Leiria, in a game that was re-arranged from yesterday due to fog. UDL took fifty minutes to respond, but they
did through Hugo Almeida. A quarter of an hour later, Adriano got his second, but in the closing minutes Maciel won a point for União.
União de Leiria have announced that women and students
will be able to get in free to the next 'home' game (at Marinha Grande while work continues on the Leiria municpal stadium in preparation for Euro 2004) against Vitória de Setúbal.
24/02/03
FC Porto, with a depleted side due to suspensions and injuries, still managed to get the three points against struggling Beira-Mar Sunday (3-0). Goals
in the first half by César Peixoto (penalty) and Helder Postiga basically killed the game, but Lithuanian striker Jankauskas, on as habitual sub, added another near the end to emphasise Porto's
dominance of play. Beira-Mar remain bottom.
Fourth place Vitória de Guimarães lost 1-2 at lowly Azores side Santa Clara. Pedro Henriques got the first and was later sent off, Fonseca
extended Santa Clara's lead a quarter of an hour from the end and Ricardo Silva gave Vitória a glimmer of hope five minutes later.
The most eventful game of the day was at Varzim, where the local side drew 1-1 with Boavista. The visitors took the lead a minute from half time, Luiz Claudio
heading home a Martelinho cross. But before the break, Varzim's Quim Berto
floated in a free-kick, Ricardo seemed to have the ball under control but the linesman said he had carried it over the line and awarded a goal. The second half saw three players sent off (Boavista´s Pedro Santos and the Jorges Ribeiro and Luiz of Varzim) and a penalty wasted by Luíz Claudio, allowing Miguel to save.
Académica continue to improve under Artur Jorge, and Marítimo returned to their irregular ways after the victory over FC Porto last weekend. Os Estudantes got two, one in each half, from André
and captain Dário, his ninth of the season.
João Armando just before the break and Cadú a quarter of an hour from the end gave Paços de Ferreira the points at home to Gil Vicente. It was Gil's fourth straight defeat.
Nacional's game with União de Leiria was postponed until Monday due to fog.
On Saturday, Benfica performed a spectacular turnaround at Vitória de Setúbal. Two-nil down to goals by Pascal and Rui Miguel after twenty minutes and struggling, As Águias managed to peg one back before the break through a
Simão free-kick, and then early in the second half drew level with an own goal by Carlos. It was the signal to let fly, and the rest of the game was one-way traffic, Benfica adding four more through
Simão (2), Tiago and Sokota, his first goal in a year and a half because of injury. Simão's hat-trick takes his personal tally to 14, making him the SuperLiga's top scorer. The heavy defeat
prompted the resignation of Vitória's coach Luís Campos. He had offered to resign last month, but this time his resignation was accepted.
On Friday, Sporting Braga drew 1-1 at home to Belenenses. Captain Barroso got a penalty for Braga, Verona replied for the visitors.
19/02/03
FC Porto's influential Brazilian midfielder Deco has been suspended for two games for retaliating after a tackle by Marítimo's Pepe
during Porto's 1-2 defeat in Madeira Saturday. The decision by the Liga's Disciplinary Committee may have repercussions since similar situations have warranted only a one-match ban. Deco will miss the
crucial Benfica v Porto match of Day 24.
18/02/03
Vitória de Guimarães kept in touch with the top spots Monday by beating Académica 1-0, but they left it until two minutes into added time to decide it
through Brazilian midfielder Rafael, on as sub in the first half.
17/02/03
The weeekend's SuperLiga games threw up one or two surprises, the biggest being Marítimo's 2-1 home win over FC Porto, putting a stop to
the northern side's 14-game run of wins and 29-game unbeaten run. Dutch centre back Mitchell Van de Gaag headed the Islanders into the lead on 17 minutes, but Derlei put Porto back in it on 67. The SuperLiga's top scorer
Gaúcho got his 12th of the season on 71 to give the Madeiran side the points. FC Porto's Deco and Marítimo's Pepe were both sent off after 35 minutes for tussling.
Porto maintain their position at the top, but their lead is reduced to ten points, second club Benfica winning 2-0 at home to Nacional of Madeira. Slovenian midfielder Zlatko Zahovic
got both goals in the first halçf and then went off injured. Benfica's second half display had coach Camacho fuming, but they kept the points.
Three points behind them in third remain Sporting. They beat Sporting Braga 2-0 at home, with two second half goals from Mário Jardel. His first was a header that appeared to be cleared off the
line by defender Telmo, but the linesman said that it had gone in. His second was a penalty after Artur Jorge had handled to stop João Pinto having a clear chance.
Gil Vicente surprisingly lost at home to second-from-bottom Santa Clara. George put the Azores side in front on 48 minutes, Gil equalised through Nunes but Bruno Ribeiro
provided the shock winner a minute from time. It was Carlos Alberto's first win as Santa Clara's coach.
União de Leiria missed the chance to climb above Gil to fifth by conceding a 2-2 home draw to improving Moreirense, whose tenth unbeaten game in a row this was. União were two up after an hour
through Douala and Maciel, but Afonso Martins and Demétrios, a minute from time, turned it around for Moreirense.
Coach Manuel José was on the bench for the first time to see his Belenenses reverse recent bad fortune and whack Varzim 4-1, Brazilian Ludemar scoring an excellent hat-trick.
Carlos Fernandes got the home side's other goal, while Paulo Vida had pulled one back for Varzim at 2-1.
Boavista once again struggled to score against an ultra-defensive Paços de Ferreira. They missed a penalty in the second half when Silva allowed Pedro to save, and they also hit the post, but the result
(0-0) can also be blamed on a lack of adventure from the home side and solid organisation from the visitors. Paços' midfielder Paulo Sousa was sent off in the dying minutes for a second yellow.
12/02/03
Captain Jorge Costa and midfielder Costinha of FC Porto
have been suspended for two games and one game respectively following an incident that occurred in the league match with Benfica back in October. Benfica's Simão Sabrosa
was fouled, the FC Porto players thought he exaggerated in his reaction and these two players slapped him while he was on the ground, out of sight of the referee. Another Porto player, Maniche, was fined. FC
Porto are expected to appeal against the decision.
10/02/03
FC Porto may as well get fitted for the championship sashes. They extended their run of wins to 13 Sunday by beating stiff opposition, Vitória de Guimarães, 2-1
. But they did not have it all their own way. They were 2-0 in front by the break, César Peixoto and Capucho
providing the goals, but they took their foot off the gas in the second half and almost let Vitória come back, former portista Romeu
giving them a shock on 64 minutes. The game was open until the end, but Porto held on to keep their winning record.
Paços de Ferreira and Belenenses
were involved in a classic 'game of two halves'. At half time it was 0-0, both sides finding it hard to make inroads, but then in the second half, Belenenses were 2-0 up within 15 minutes through Antchouet
and Ludemar. Renato Queirós pulled one back on 62 for Paços and five minutes later Belenenses' Filgueira was sent off for a second yellow. It proved to be the turning point, with Puntas
scoring twice in the last ten minutes to make the final score 3-2 and give three precious points to Paços.
Captain Dário scored two, early and late in the game, to give Académica the points against Gil Vicente.
Nacional's Cleomir left it until a quarter of an hour before the end to score the winner at home to Beira-Mar.
Jorginho scored the only goal in Vitória de Setúbal's first home win of the season, over Marítimo, which takes the pressure off coach Luís Campos, at least temporarily.
There were more goals at Moreirense, where the home side drew 2-2 with visitors Sporting Braga. Vítor Pereira put Moreirense in front on the half hour, but in the second half, Abiodun
equalised on the hour. It looked like Arrieta had given Braga the points five minutes from time, but Afonso Martins pulled Moreirense level in added time with a direct free-kick.
09/02/03
The battle for second place in the SuperLiga, and financially vital qualification for the Champions League, is proving the most interesting aspect of
the competition, now that it seems more than likely that FC Porto will run away with the title itself. The two Lisbon giants Benfica and Sporting
have been neck and neck, but Saturday's games separated them a little.
Benfica travelled to in-form União de Leiria
and put in one of their best displays of the season, combining fighting spirit with effective automatism that comfortably saw off an on-the-night under-par União. On 15 minutes, Tiago and Zahovic combined on the edge of the box and the Slovenian midfielder's back-heel was met by
Nuno Gomes who shot and scored. Tiago, one of the brightest lights at the Luz this season, extended Benfica's lead just before the break.
Going into the second half two-up, and playing as they were, Benfica could not let that lead slip, and eight minutes in Tiago got his second from a Simão cross, and the thing was done and dusted.
Sporting saw themselves slip to three points behind their local rivals when they could go no further than a 1-1 draw at Varzim. They should have won easily, in fact, but a mixture of poor
shooting and heroic goalkeeping from Miguel kept them out except for once, ten minutes before half time, when João Pinto shot hopefully goalwards and the ball deflected off the leg of defender
Sérgio Carvalho, fooling Miguel. The defender made amends on the hour, popping up at the back post to ram home a Quim Berto corner that had sailed over the outstretched arms of a mis-positioned Tiago in the
Sporting goal.
Cash-strapped Académica
have once again sold the total number of tickets for their forthcoming home game against Marítimo to a local company, thereby ensuring full receipts from a relatively unattractive game that would otherwise not bring in a full house. The company will use the tickets for marketing/ promotional purposes. This is the sixth consecutive game that the club has followed this policy. The city of Coimbra, and Académica, will have a new 30,000 seater stadium after
Euro 2004.
07/02/03
Santa Clara of the Azores drew at home to Boavista
Friday in a match bereft of almost any quality whatsoever. The home side went in front after only eight minutes, Figueiredo
driving home from the edge of the box through a ruck of players. Boavista debutant Filipe Anunciação hit the bar at the close of the first half, but the Axedrazados drew level on the hour with a firm header from
Silva, from a corner by Pedrosa. The bad state of the pitch, and the fact that Boavista were missing nine possible first-teamers, did not help maters.
06/02/03
Sporting drew to within one point of second-placed Benfica and five ahead of fourth-placed Vitória de Guimarães Wedensday when they beat Académica 1-0
at home in a game re-scheduled from January 16th when it was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Sporting failed to impess, however, and it needed a goal from sub Niculae
on 68 minutes, following up an effort from Jardel parried by ´keeper Hilário, to secure the points. Académica have now lost two in a row and continue perched precariously just above the relagation zone.
Boavista, who travel to the Azores to play Santa Clara Friday, have nine players injured and three suspended. The club has registered and called five juniors to fill the gaps.
05/02/03
With Euro 2004 just round the corner and two magnificent new stadiums (capacity 65,000 and 52,000 respectively) growing by the day, the attendances at this weekend's home games of the two Lisbon Grandes Benfica
and Sporting were a reflection of the general economic crisis and the crisis that Portuguese football is going through: 9,500 and 9,100 respectively.
Sporting's Brazilian striker Mário Jardel, who scored a hat-trick on Sunday against Paços de Ferreira, may face at least a one-match ban. In his goal celebrations, he lifted his shirt to reveal a
T-shirt with 'Reebok' stamped across the chest. Earlier in the season, Beira-Mar´s Senegaleses striker Far was banned for showing a T-shirt with the image of a Moslem prophet. Jardel famously promoted a brand of Guaranã
(a Brazilian soft drink) in the same way last season, but this type of advertising has been prohibited this.
04/02/03
Benfica were suprised Monday by a plucky and organised Moreirense that took the game to them at the Luz and went in front on the hour, former Málaga winger
Agostinho
popping up at the back post to hit home a low cross via the legs of Moreira in the Benfica goal. A win for Moreirense might have been a just result as they were displaying the more coherent football, but Camacho brought on veteran Drulovic and the Yugoslavian forward was soon decisive, floating a free-kick from deep to the far post, where winger
Simão
was lurking and had two bites of the cherry before lofting the ball into the roof of the net for his eleventh of the season, the SuperLiga's top scorer along with Gaúcho of Marítimo. Benfica are in second, thirteen points behind FC Porto and four ahead of Sporting, who have a game in hand. Moreirense stay thirteenth.
Vitória de Guimarães go clear fourth, two points behind Sporting, after they beat Vitória de Setúbal 1-0, with help from two Hugos. Hugo Alcântara
put through his own goal early in the second half, and Hugo Costa was sent off for a second yellow a quarter of an hour from the end. Setúbal are in deep trouble, stuck in the relegation zone.
03/02/03
The FC Porto tank trundled on on Sunday, beating Gil Vicente 5-3 in Barcelos. Gil were in front on ten minutes through Nandinho, but it was a
short-lived period of hope for Gil, Helder Postiga equalising and then Costinha getting two on the stroke of half-time to give Porto a bit of breathing space. A quarter of an hour into the second half,
Maniche made it 4-1 to Porto and it looked all over. But this Gil is a tough nut to crack, and team spirit brought it back to an almost miraculous comeback, with Gaspar and Manoel
reducing the difference to one goal. But Porto, stung into action by the prospect of losing the points, edged further ahead once again, Jankauskas
firing home to establish the final score. It was Porto's 12th league win in a row.
Third-placed Sporting needed to beat Paços de Ferreira to stay in the hunt for second place, and they did just that, reversing the 4-0
scoreline from the away game earlier in the season. Brazilian striker Mário Jardel looks to be back in form after a sorry start to the season, netting a well-taken hat-trick in this game. Ricardo Fernandes
had opened the scoring. (See Match Reports)
There were goals-a-plenty in many of the games of this jornada. In the Madeiran derby, Nacional travelled down the hill to beat Marítimo 3-2
in front of a packed Estádio dos Barreiros (entrance was free). André Pinto gave Nacional the lead on nine minutes, extended on 32 through Alvarez. A Dinda
free-kick from 35 yards put Marítimo back in the game, and they drew level seven minutes from time through Gaúcho with his 11th of the season. But there was time for Gouveia
to give Nacional the points, taking avantage of some sloppy defending by Marítimo.
Bottom club Beira-Mar haven't won at home for ten jornadas. They didn't manage it this time, either, at home to an improving União de Leiria, but they did get a point. They took the lead through
Levato on 18, but UDL were in front by the break, through Silas and Douala. Carlinhos secured that point for Beira-Mar with an equaliser five minutes into the second half.
The other bottom club, Santa Clara, also got a precious point at Belenenses. After losing their coach Marinho Peres, the home side, under stand-in Néné, could still not get back to their winning ways.
The two goals came in a burst after a quarter of an hour. First centre-back Odair headed Belenenses in front from a corner, then another centre-back Sérgio Nunes
equalised, also with a header but this time from a free-kick.
In the lowest-scoring game of the day, one goal by Taílson on 40 minutes was enough to give Sporting Braga the points at home to faltering Varzim.
02/02/03
Boavista shook a little pressure off their shoulders Saturday with a splendid 4-1 win over fellow-strugglers Académica. It was Boavista's best win
of the season, and Académica's first defeat under coach Artur Jorge.
Os Estudantes took the lead after just six minutes, Marinescu glancing a header past Ricardo from a free-kick on the right. But it took only five minutes for Boavista to pull it back, Silva
thundering in at the near post to head home a Pedrosa corner from the right. And before half-time, Boavista were in the driving seat with a second, again from Silva, picking his spot in front of goal after a
neat pass from the right by Yuri, making his début as titular.
On 56 minutes Boavista gave themselves an enormous amount of breathing space, Jorge Couto feeding Martelinho down the right and his cross headed firmly home by Yuri. Académica's Manuel José was sent off soon
afterwards, which further weakened their cause, and they were out of it five minutes from time when Pedrosa
capped a smashing exhibition by following up a parried save by Hilário to place the ball high and past his left hand.
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