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29/05/05
Taça de Portugal Final (Jamor/National Stadium)
Vitória de Setúbal 2-1 Benfica
Vitória de Setúbal: Moretto, Éder, Auri, Hugo Alcântara, Nandinho, Manuel José (Binho 78), Ricardo Chaves, Sandro, Bruno Ribeiro, Jorginho, Meyong (Igor 88)
Benfica: Moreira, Miguel, Alcides, Ricardo Rocha, Fyssas (dos Santos 55), Petit, Manuel Fernandes, Nuno Assis (Mantorras 74), Geovanni, Simão, Nuno Gomes (Delibasic 85)
footballportugal Man of the Match: Hugo Alcântara (Vitória)
Underdogs Vitória de Setúbal outclassed Liga champions Benfica to take only the third Taça
in their history. They opened on the attack, showing that they weren't at Jamor to defend and break. Indeed, after three minutes of pressure on the Benfica goal, it was the latter that broke to open the scoring. Nandinho shot, the ball was cleared up to Nuno Gomes, he touched it on to Nuno Assis who touched it on to Geovanni. The Brazilian winger sped goalwards, knocked the ball past Moretto and was brought down by the Vitória 'keeper, who got a yellow.
Simão slotted the penalty beyond Moretto's right hand.
Unfortunately for Benfica and their fans, that was the high point of their performance. Looking tired and uninspired, they were always second best to a Vitória who looked pumped up for it. Their midfield of Sandro,
Ricardo Chaves, José Manuel and Bruno Ribeiro were compact, cohesive and coherent, their defence, with Hugo Alcântara
an impeccable tower, unpassable, especially for a weak Nuno Gomes. Vitória resumed their pressure after the goal and it paid off on 26 minutes, Manuel José
driving through a crowded area and the ball deflecting off Ricardo Rocha and in. Benfica didn't appear again until the last five minutes of the half, culminating in a rare sweet move and shot by Simão that Moretto saved with his legs.
The second half was a mirror image of the first, with Vitória taking the game to Benfica. The Águias did have one good chance, a swerving shot from thirty yards by Manuel Fernandes that Moretto did well to keep out. Then on 72 minutes, Ricardo Chaves tried the same at Moreira. The Benfica 'keeper got down to the ball but could only push it out, and
Meyong was there on his own, with the Benfica defence static, to thump home from close range.
Trapattoni made some desperate changes after that, including lucky charm Mantorras, but this time the Angolan did not have his scoring boots on, and neither did he have any clear-cut chances. Vitória spent the
last quarter of an hour sitting on their lead and wasting time whenever possible, but it was also Benfica's impotence that kept them safe. And at the end, veteran captain Hélio, unused sub on the day, enjoyed
the moment of his long and much respected career as he lifted the cup for his Vitória.
18/05/05
UEFA Cup Final (Alvalade XXI, Lisbon)
Sporting 1-3 CSKA Moscow
Sporting Ricardo, Miguel Garcia, Beto, Enakarhire, Tello; Rogério (Douala, 79 m), Rochemback, João Moutinho (Hugo Viana, 86 m), Pedro Barbosa, Sá Pinto (Niculae, 71 m), Liedson.
CSKA Moscow Akinfeev, V. Berezoutski, Ignashevich, A. Berezoutski, Zhirkov, Rahmic, Aldonin (Gusev, 85 m), Oddiah, Daniel Carvalho (Semberas, 81 m), Olic
(Krasic, 67 m), Wagner Love.
Man of the Match (official): Danel Carvalho (CSKA)
Sporting's UEFA Cup dream ended ingloriously Wednesday when they went down 1-3 to CSKA Moscow in the Final at the packed Alvalade XXI stadium in
Lisbon. A Sporting changed from the weekend's reverse at Benfica, with Enakarhire, Rogério and Liedson starting, had the better of the first half, but there
was the notion that CSKA were simply biding their time. Even so, Sporting were in front on the half-hour, Rochemback feeding Rogério who turned on the edge of
the box and struck a perfect shot into the top right hand corner of the net.
But the second half was a disaster for Sporting. They had somehow lost all their sharpness during the break,.and ten minutes in, official Man of the Match Daniel Carvalho
sent a free-kick over from the right for central defender Alexei Berezoutski to get the better of Sporting's defence to head in from close range.
Another ten minutes later and Daniel Carvalho it was once again who threaded a through pass into the path of Zhirkov who easily beat Enakarhire and Beto for
pace and slotted the ball through the legs of the oncoming Ricardo. Sporting had to open up now, and they almost equalised a quarter of an hour from the end when
Tello shot/crossed low, Rogério met it at the back post and shinned it against the woodwork, only for the ball to rebound into Akinfeev's arms. The stroke of luck
they needed was not there, and from the counter attack, Daniel Carvalho, (who else?), was once again the key, shrugging off a challenge from Enakarhire on the
left before crossing low and beyond the hapless Ricardo for compatriot Wagner Love to tap in.
With added time, Sporting effectively had twenty minutes to get back in the game, but they were a demoralised shambles by this time and their football became increasingly desperate. The 45,000 Sporting fans
in the stadium sensed their grasp on the Cup loosening; the chanting stopped, and many left early. CSKA were UEFA Cup champions, and for their overall organisation and ruthlessness,
they fully deserved it.
14/04/05
UEFA Cup Quarter-Final
Sporting 4-1 Newcastle (Sporting win 4-2 on agg.)
Sporting: Ricardo, Rogério, Beto, Polga, Rui Jorge, Rochemback, João Moutinho, Carlos Martins (Pedro Barbosa, 66 m), Douala, Niculae (Pinilla, 74 m), Sá Pinto (Custódio, 88 m).
Newcastle: Given, Carr, Bramble (O'Brien, 56 m), Taylor, Babayaro, Dyer (Kluivert, 58 m), Bowyer, Faye, Jenas (Milner, 46 m), Shearer, N'Zogbia.
Man of the Match: João Moutinho (Sporting)
Sporting's dream of playing in the UEFA Cup Final in their own stadium was nudged closer Thursday when they beat Newcastle 4-1 ... in the Alvalade XXI
stadium. They had gone into the game 1-0 down from last week's first leg, and all looked very bleak on 20 minutes when Dyer took advantage of a mis-
understanding between Polga and Rui Jorge to run onto the loose ball and clip it between Ricardo's legs, giving Newcastle a seemingly unbeatable position.
Sporting had to score three because of the away goal rule, and from the way they were playing, rocked as they were by this early reverse, no one would have put money on them.
Slowly but surely, however, they recovered their cool, pushing back a Newcastle side that with a little more adventure might have put the tie well and truly beyond
Sporting's grasp. But on 39 minutes, Moutinho curled in a cross and Niculae, starting for the first time this season in the absence of suspended top scorer
Liedson, nodded home. It could have been 2-1 to Sporting just before half time, a volley from the impressive teenager Moutinho saved in spectacular fashion by
Given. But the teams went in at half-time evens on the night, and it still looked a collossal task for Sporting to turn it around.
Early in the second half, Newcastle could have sentenced the tie, but Ricardo saved brilliantly from Milner. Sporting were in the driving seat now, pushing
Newcastle back but wary of the English side's counter attacks. The injury to their most dangerous player, Dyer, which had him limping off on the hour, left them
hamstrung, and the entrance of Kluivert really did nothing for them. Then on 70 minutes, with Pedro Barbosa on to steady the Sporting ship, they went in front on the night, Niculae shooting and Sã Pinto
following up to tap in the loose ball after Given had only been able to parry.
Sporting now needed one more and needed not to let Newcastle in. They almost did on 75 minutes, however, N'Zogbia shooting wide. But a minute later, 30,000 Sporting fans were in delirium when Beto
crashed home a header from a Rochemback corner. Sporting were now winning the tie, and they intelligently played possession football, almost betrayed, however, by another
misunderstanding that had N'Zogbia nearly touchng the ball into an empty net with Ricardo way out of position.
It was only in added time that Sporting could breathe a sigh of relief, Rochemback shrugging off several challenges before prodding the ball past Given. It was a
thrilling end to a thrilling night of cup football, and Sporting's UEFA cup dream remains intact.
26/01/05
Taça de Portugal - 6th Round
Benfica 2-2 Sporting (aet 3-3 - Benfica won 7-6 on penalties)
Benfica: Quim, João Pereira, Luisão, Ricardo Rocha (Alcides, 31 m), Dos Santos, Bruno Aguiar (Fyssas, 82 m), Petit, Manuel Fernandes, Geovanni (Carlitos, 91 m), Nuno Gomes, Simão.
Sporting: Tiago, Rogério (Miguel Garcia, 82 m), Enakarhire, Polga, Paíto, Rochemback, Custódio (João Moutinho, 37 m), Pedro Barbosa (Rodrigo Tello,
114 m), Hugo Viana, Sá Pinto, Liedson.
Man of the Match: Ricardo Sá Pinto (Sporting)
For once, clássico meant just that as Benfica put Sporting out of the Taça. The first twenty minutes or so were heart-stopping. Both teams came out of their
corners with all guns blazing, but it was Benfica who took the lead on just three minutes, Nuno Gomes inventing a push on the edge of the area to get a foul, Simão curling the free against the left-hand post and
Geovanni following up to nudge home. Sporting looked the more together of the two sides, especially their excellent midfield, and their pressure paid off ten minutes later. A free kick was touched to
Hugo Viana and his rocket hit the net with Quim helpless. And three minutes later, Sporting were in front, Liedson lashing home from the edge of the box. Then on
22, Benfica levelled from another free-kick, this time from Petit with Tiago parrying and Geovanni once again beating the defenders to the ball to head in from close range.
The tension continued for the rest of the 90 minutes. There were no more goals but both teams hit the woodwork, and both 'keepers were called upon to make good
saves on various occasions. The game went to extra time and ten minutes in, Benfica's young full-back João Pereira made a meal of a tangle with Hugo Viana
and the Sporting midfielder was sent off. But Sporting held things together and went back in front five minutes into the second half of extra time with the goal of the game: full-back Paíto
won a ball from Carlitos midway in his own half, put his head down and charged. He flew past João Pereira, who was on a yellow and dare not foul him, approached the box at speed, nutmegged central defender
Luisão and kept his head to sweep the ball past Quim. A classic goal. The more sceptical Benfica fans began to file out, but neither they nor Sporting were reckoning on Simão Sabrosa
. Four minutes from time, the Benfica captain picked the ball up twenty-five metres out and launched a shot that dipped over Tiago, slightly out of his goal, and hit the underside of the bar before ruffling the net.
And so it went to penalties. Thirteen players scored theirs before Sporting sub Miguel Garcia stepped up and crashed his kick against the bar. It was the end of
a thrilling, epic battle that will go down in the Portuguese football history books. And cup-holders Benfica are through to the quarter-finals.
08/01/05
SuperLiga - 16th Jornada
Sporting 2-1 Benfica
Sporting: Ricardo, Rogério, Beto, Polga, Rui Jorge, Custódio, Carlos Martins (Sá Pinto, 77 m), Rochemback, Hugo Viana, Douala (Paíto, 46 m), Liedson.
Benfica:
Quim, João Pereira (Mantorras, 80 m), Alcides, Ricardo Rocha, Fyssas, Petit, Bruno Aguiar (Argel, 70 m), Manuel Fernandes, Geovanni (Carlitos, 70 m), Nuno Gomes, Simão.
Man of the Match: Rochemback - Sporting (The motor of Sporting's win).
As in all derbies, there was a high degree of tension surrounding this match, exacerbated by the three weeks it had to build up because of the winter break. But
this had given time for Sporting to recuperate the injured Rochemback and Carlos Martins, and Benfica Ricardo Rocha and Nuno Gomes. Meanwhile, there was a doubt about whether the Liga's top scorer,
Liedson, would start for Sporting after he had come back eight days late from the Christmas holiday and was facing disciplinary action.
After a shaky start to the season that saw them trailing way behind Benfica, positions have been reversed recently and Sporting have looked much the better team. This was reflected in a first half which
Sporting dominated completely. Their midfield of Custódio defending and Carlos Martins, Rochemback and Hugo Viana pushing forward, did not let Benfica have a minute on the ball, and when they
did and on the rare occasion that they managed to push into the Sporting half, Sporting's backs, especially Beto and Polga, were more than a match for a limp Benfica attack.
Sporting came close early on through Beto, who headed just over, Carlos Martins and Liedson, and it was the latter, inevitably, who put the Lions in front on 22
minutes. In a sweeping move, Beto passed across field for Rochemback on the left and his superb cross was met by Liedson who beat Ricardo Rocha to it and swivelled to head past the advancing Quim.
Sporting might have capitalised on the lead and the aimlessness of Benfca's play, but perhaps they allowed themselves a couple of minutes to gloat and that was
enough time for Benfica to get back in the game. Just four minutes after Liedson's goal, Manuel Fernandes slotted a through ball into the path of Nuno Gomes, who
looked suspiciously offside, and the Portuguese international made no mistake as he slipped the ball past Ricardo. It was Benfica's first serious shot at goal.
The next ten minutes saw Sporting applying the pressure again, Carlos Martins and Rochemback both having chances, but then on 37 minutes, Geovanni, chasing after a through ball, was brought down by Rui Jorge
, who saw a red card. Momentarily disorientated, Sporting allowed a mini-flurry of chances for Benfica, Geovanni and Simão both coming close.
With numerical advantage in their favour, Benfica were playing slightly tighter football, but on 67 minutes, the numerical advantage was wiped out: Liedson latched onto a through ball and was pulled back by Alcides
, but although there were two defenders between the attacker and the goal, the referee showed Alcides a red card.
Sporting took advantage of this new wobble in Benfica's concentration and two minutes later, Rochemback crossed from the left to the back post, Carlos Martins
struck the ball firm and low across the face of the goal and Liedson just had to make contact for the ball to fly into the net.
Benfica had shot their bolt and had nothing left to give, despite the spirited but ultimately ineffectual entrance of Mantorras for his first appearance in two years.
The finlaminutes were taken up with Sporting passing the ball to feet in midfield to the ecstatic olés from most of the 47,000 crowd. It was an accomplished display
from sporting that augurs well for these first months of the year. On today's performance, Benfica can only look into the future with trepidation.
17/10/04
SuperLiga - 6th Jornada
Benfica 0-1 FC Porto
Benfica: Moreira, Miguel, Luisão, Ricardo Rocha, Fyssas, Petit, Manuel Fernandes (Zahovic, 71 m), João Pereira (Karadas, 26 m), Geovanni, Simão, Nuno Gomes.
FC Porto: Vítor Baía, Seitaridis, Jorge Costa, Pepe, Ricardo Costa, Costinha, Maniche; Diego (Ricardo Quaresma, 84 m), Carlos Alberto (Bosingwa, 70 m),
McCarthy, Derlei (Areias, 63 m).
Man of the Match: Jorge Costa - FC Porto (A rock at the heart of Porto's defence)
Benfica huffed and puffed to beat the Champions and pull seven points clear, but ultimately they were outplayed by a team of a much higher quality to see their lead at the top whittled away to just one point
with respect to their northern rivals.
Porto were ahead as early as the 10th minute, Fyssas clearing badly and gifting McCarthy, whose instinct for goal guided a thirty metre shot swinging past Moreira. It was an uphill struggle
from then on for Benfica, and while no one can deny their effort, what they really needed was method. Their best chances came from long shots or free-kicks, but there was always Baía or bad aim to stop them
levelling. Up the other end, FC Porto might have gone further ahead but for the greediness of Diego and Carlos Alberto after mazey runs. Trapattoni brought on
Karadas as early as the 26th minute to give Nuno Gomes some help between the excellent Jorge Costa and Pepe.
Karadas, not the world's most talented striker, does have the advantage of a strong physical presence, and this did unsettle the Porto back four at times. Two
minutes into the second half, a swinging cross by Miguel from the right was met at the back post by Karadas, but at the moment of shooting he appeared to be pulled back
by Seitaridis. The shot flew wide, Karadas protested, but instead of a penalty, he got a yellow.
On the hour, both sides were reduced to ten when Pepe and Nuno Gomes were involved in a tussle after a free-kick had been awarded to Benfica and were shown red cards
. Benfica it was who suffered most from the loss as Porto reorganised smoothly at the back with the entry of Areias and Benfica lost a little bit of fire power.
Trapattoni looked at his bench and the cupboard was bare of anyone who might make a difference to events .... except for veteran Zahovic, who came on 71
minutes. He took just two to bring danger to Baía's goal, starting and finishing a move that involved Fyssas but heading lamely into Baía's hands.
Benfica claimed a goal on 80 when a fierce shot from Petit from 25 metres spun out of Baía's hands and looked to have crossed the line before the ´keeper could
scoop it out and away, but neither the referee not the linesman were willing to hear the Benfica appeals. Benfica's spirit waned after that point, and it was Porto who
had the last good chance of the game, Quaresma loping sdown the left in added time and squaring the ball for Maniche whose rocket was tipped wide by Moreira.
Benfica can have some reason to complain about the referee's decisions on the night, but fundamentally they weren't up to the challenge of a Porto team that has strength in depth
and appears to be finding itself after a disrupted start to the season.
13/10/04
2006 World Cup Qualifier (Alvalade, Lisbon)
Portugal 7-1 Russia
Portugal: Ricardo, Miguel, Ricardo Carvalho, Jorge Andrade, Paulo Ferreira,
Costinha, Maniche (Petit, 72 m), Cristiano Ronaldo (Luís Boa Morte, 84 m), Deco, Simão, Pauleta (Nuno Gomes, 66 m).
Russia
: Malafeev, Evseev, Bugaev, Ignashevich, Sennikov (Gusev, 46 m), Aldonin (Boyarintsev, 71 m), Smertin, Anyukov, Arshavin, Bulykin, Sychev (Kirichenko, 46 m).
Man of the Match: Cristiano Ronaldo (scored two, made two)
This was a Portuguese performance of consummate assurance, following an edgy first twenty minutes or so, when the home players seemed over-anxious after
the awful draw in Liechtenstein, so that shots and passes were not hitting the mark, and you could sense the crowd pursing their lips to start the whistling. Russia put a
couple of good moves together early on, foiled by good challenges at the death by Ricardo Carvalho and Jorge Andrade. But Russia had eight players behind the ball
all the time, and their strategy was clear. It was to prove disastrous for them.
On 27 minutes, the deadlock was broken: Miguel, back at right back after injury and showing all his customary aggression (in the positive sense of the word) and
adventure, found Cristiano on the right, and the Manchester United star (not an exaggerated term for his perfomance on the night) crossed low for Pauleta to tap
in for his 34th goal for his country. It could all have been a different story if Smertin's vicious volley fromt he edge of the box on 40 minutes had gone either
side of Ricardo, but it went straight at him, and the Sporting 'keeper instinctively punched it over. It was a vital moment, because a minute later the ball was up the
other end, Deco touched a corner to Pauleta and the first-goal combination was reversed, Cristiano Ronaldo rifling in.from close range.
It must be the first time it's happened in a Portugal game, but there were now "olés!" and Mexican waves ... before half-time. However, if Russia had managed to
hold out until the break, they might have snatched something later - Liechtenstein did, after all - but it was not to be. In the first of many moments of brilliance, Deco
won the ball on the halfway line, fed Paulo Ferreira, received the ball back on the edge of the area, looked up, waited for a defender to obscure 'keeper Malfeev's
view of the ball and curled it deliciously, low and just inside the right hand post. The players went off to a standing ovation ... from fans who would have had the knives
out if things had not gone right on the night.
On any other occasion, Portugal might have been forgiven for taking their foot off the gas, but they'd been burnt in Liechtenstein in similar circumstances, and the
second half proved to be the players' - and Scolari's - reunion with the fans. Russia came out strongly and pushed Portugal back momentarily, helped by the
entrance of Gusev and Kirichenko, who put a bit more urgency into their play. But by the hour mark, when no goals had gone in, Russia had shot their bolt, and
Portugal came back ... and how! On 70 minutes, Maniche found Cristiano Ronaldo on the left (he had been changing wings with Simão throughout - a useful
disorienting tactic) and the ex-Sporting youngster, returning home, took the ball inside, looked up, and with no pressure put on him by a disgracefully permissive
Russian defence, swung the ball into the top right-hand corner.
It was all assuming fish-in-a-barrel proportions, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Petit, on as sub, both going close. There was a minor hiccup on 80 minutes when Arshavin
scored with a replica of Deco's first half goal, but then the flood gates well-and-truly opened. Simão took a pass from that man again Cristiano Ronaldo
on 82 and found the top right hand corner from 25 metres. The Benfica captain passed to co-Benfiquista Petit on 88 for him to drive low into the left of the net, and in added time the same Petit
crashed a 25-metre free-kick into the top-left hand corner.
At the end of the game, the Portuguese players, who too often slink off when performances are less than perfect, stood in the centre-cricle and milked the crowd. And this time, nobody could say they didn't deserve it.
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