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02/06/03
END of SEASON
CHAMPIONS: FC PORTO
RUNNERS-UP/ CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: BENFICA
UEFA CUP: SPORTING, UNIÃO de LEIRIA (as Taça finalists)
RELEGATED: VARZIM, SANTA CLARA, VITÓRIA DE SETÚBAL
PROMOTED to SUPERLIGA:
RIO AVE, ALVERCA, ESTRELA DA AMADORA,
The final day of the SuperLiga 2002/3
was, as expected, a dramatic affair. While all the accounts at the top were done and dusted, at the bottom, it was all open for five teams, two of which would take the walk of shame to the Segunda.
In the end, it was Santa Clara of the Azores and Varzim who tumbled out of the top division, despite both getting a draw in their final games. Moreirense, Académica and Beira-Mar
breathed a sigh of relief ... at least until this time next season.
It was the destiny of Santa Clara and Varzim to meet each other on the last day, when they both needed a win to avoid the drop. Figueiredo gave the Azores side the lead after 33 minutes,
Toni Vidigal equalised for Varzim on the hour, Portela put Santa Clara back in sight of salvation two minutes later, but Paulo Vida
sealed the fate of both clubs five minutes from time. The Azores will not now have a representative in the top flight, while Varzim go down covered in shame after a disastrous second half to the season that saw them plummet from the top reaches to relegation. Their coach,
Luis Campos, has the dubious honour of being in charge of two relegated sides this season, having headed also-relegated Vitória de Setúbal until a couple of months ago. Santa Clara coach
Carlos Alberto Silva, formerly of FC Porto, will not continue.
Académica survived by the skin of their teeth, a single goal by Paulo Adriano on 19 minutes confirming the three points against Sporting Braga, who were already safe but finished fifth from
bottom, a very disappointing position for them.
Two other teams in danger of the drop, Moreirense and Beira-Mar, also did enough to save themselves. Goals for Moreirense from Afonso Martins and Demétrios
in the last quarter of an hour saw off Paços de Ferreira, who finished a highly respectable sixth, and Beira-Mar's Senegalese striker Fary secured the crown of top scorer in the SuperLiga with the deciding goal on 49 minutes at home to
Marítimo (7th), much improved under Byshovets. The Russian will not be continuing, however, and nor will José Mota at Paços.
Elsewhere, FC Porto treated their last game at home to Sporting
as an excuse to celebrate their title - all the team and coaching staff dyed their hair blue - and the football on show was consequently a little ragged. But Sporting are no lions this year, and folded to goals by
Hélder Postiga and Contreras (own goal). Veteran Porto midfielder Paulinho Santos said farewell to competitive football. Sporting's coach Bölöni
is also on his way out. Oporto's city centre was the venue for much celebrating into the early hours.
Benfica confirmed their strong finish with a 4-0 walloping of stuttering Vitória de Guimarães, who nevertheless held on to fourth place. Little-used Hungarian striker Miki Féher
scored a hat-trick, prolific midfielder Tiago the other. Popular Spanish coach António Camacho
has not yet said if he will continue at the club or not. Simão failed to score and let Beira-Mar's Fary in to be top scorer; although they both had the same number of goals (18), Fary had started in fewer matches.
União de Leiria secured their best ever showing in the top dicvision (5th) with a 4-2 win over Gil Vicente, who would have overtaken União if they had won. Silas (2), Leão and
Maciel were on target for UDL, Lary and Paulo Alves (11 goals this season from very few starts) replied for Gil. The two clubs' coaches, Manuel Cajuda and Vítor Oliveira, are both on
the move at the end of the season, although Cajuda still has one important game to play: the final of the Taça de Portugal against FC Porto on June 15th.
It was a non-event of a game in Madeira, where mid-table teams Nacional and Boavista met to see who would take 10 and 11th place. Boavista finished higher thanks to a goal on 50 minutes from
Luíz Claudio. It was Jaime Pacheco's last game in charge at the club, and he will be succeeded by Bolivian Erwin Sanchez, 33, who has hung up his boots through injury.
Also meaningless was already-relegated Vitória de Setubal's 1-1 home draw with Belenenses. Vitória went out with a little of their pride restored, Belenenses got the point that kept them in
the top half of the table ahead of Boavista. Mário Carlos put the home side in front early on, Eliseu equalised late in the game.
The race to see who would come into the SuperLiga from the Segunda went to the wire. Rio Ave and Alverca were already promoted, and the last place was going to Estrela da Amadora
, Naval or Portimonense. Naval strolled through a 0-0 draw at Rio Ave which was going to be enough as Portimonense and Estrela were also drawing 2-2
in the Algarve. Then a minute from time, Estrela were awarded a penalty, Doriva converted it and they were in the SuperLiga, leaving all at Naval fuming. Rio Ave's point, and Alverca's defeat at
Ovarense, meant that Rio Ave go up as champions.
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