Sporting CP 3 Gil Vicente 1

Sporting CP v Gil Vicente 
December 4th, 2023
Estádio José Alvalade
Matchday 12

The Warm Up

Monday night football sees the visit of Gil Vicente following on from Thursday night’s 1-1 draw in Bergamo away to Atalanta which means Sporting now face a two legged play off if they are to progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League. It’s hard to not to feel in a state of incredulity post game when you watch back Pedro Gonçalves’ first half effort when one on one with Musso which looked like he’d thrown a tennis ball underarm to a toddler for catching practice. Then in the second half he managed to hit not just one but both posts with an effort that then spun out to safety. I’m not saying the Portuguese was to blame for the failure to win but you imagine if JFK was watching the game from on high he’d be wishing it was Gonçalves that took the final shot in Dallas 1963. However my trigger finger is firmly pointed at Amorim for once again getting his tactics all wrong in the first half in a game that mirrored the first. Atalanta could and should have been out of sight by the time the half time whistle blew. It didn’t work in the first game, clearly didn’t work in this and against Benfica where yes we went in 1-0 to the good at half time, but that owed to the brilliance of Gyökeres finish and the lack of quality from the pigeons in taking their chances. We rode our luck like a cowboy on a bucking bronco and at that stage had somehow managed to cling on. I’m not disputing we were the better side in the second half in both games against the Italians but in the first half it was like trying to shoot a cannon from a canoe to quote a line from the BBC radio programme Fighting Talk. OK so the original game plan was hampered somewhat by Edwards managing to flip his Range Rover on its side en route to training meaning he didn’t start the game as a precaution, but he wasn’t going to start in position of Reis or Esgaio so that’s clutching at straws. Amorim insisted the defence play a high line to try and catch the Italians offside rather than employ any sense of man to man marking and whilst it worked on the odd occasion Scamacca’s goal proved how ineffective a tactic it really was. For the disallowed goal you might as well have had Coates at the back running with his invisible caravan tied to his back for all the use Inácio was in trying to get back to stop the shot or put his man off. Yes it was offside but it was a marginal offside, probably by the length of the hard on Scamacca had in his shorts at not being man marked at that stage. We are continuing to merely paper over the cracks at this stage in the season and I’ll happily engage with any fan that thinks differently.

There’s talk of money to spend in the January transfer window. Morita and Diomande will both be missing on international duty. No one does good business traditionally in the January window and with spaces for loan signings surely that would be the better option at this stage especially if come the summer we’re looking for a new coach who will no doubt have his own ideas when it comes to players. If someone came in for Gonçalves in January I’d pack his bags and be on the phone to Wolves and say any chance of a cheeky six month loan deal for Sarabia considering you seem hell bent on not making use of his talents.

Following the pigeons 0-0 draw away to Moreirense last night a win tonight will carry us two points clear of them at the top of the table and three points clear of Porto in third. Visitors Gil Vicente are yet to record a solitary point on their travels having lost their opening five, scoring just 5 and conceding 12. They did however hold Sporting to a 0-0 draw in the last fixture played between the two back in April. Their last win against Sporting though came 11 and a half years ago in a 2-0 home win so history and current form favours Sporting. In season’s past you’d think it would be typical us to slip up but our home form coupled with their away from should see us home with plenty of fuel in the tank.

The money markets

Sporting in the early markets were 1/6 but have drifted back out to the shorter price of 1/7. Gil Vicente 12/1 and 8/1 the draw. Interestingly despite their five straight losses the visitors have scored in four of their five away games including against Porto, whilst Sporting have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last two home games. Both to score is 21/20. Sporting winning at half time full time is still only ½ which has hit the last three home games and four times in the opening six. So basically save your hard earned money for another day. I’d like to know who prices up the markets given you can get Fresneda 4/1 anytime to score from wherever he is currently recuperating post operation. 16 year old Geovany Quenda is evens money despite having never made a first team appearance and Rafael Camacho (remember him) is as short as 13/8 to score anytime despite having not even started a game since 2021 or even been named as a substitute once since his last loan spell ended. You had one job… one job!

Team News

Triple change from Thursday night, one from each row of the 3-4-3 formation. Feel like I’m on an episode of Countdown. Coates comes back in for St Juste and takes back the captain’s armband from Adán. Nuno Santos replaces Reis wide left as Sporting look to start the game on the front foot and up front Marcus Edwards managed not to flip his car en route to training prior to this game and replaces Trincão. As you’d expect on the substitutes bench, Bragança and Fresneda still on the injury list. No one currently suspended from active duty. Maxime Dominguez the man to watch for the opposition having scored five times from his central midfield position. Perhaps he could give Gonçalves some tips on current form. Sporting price shortens again with less 45 minutes to kick off at 1/8.

First Half

2 Last ditch block to deny Morita from making it 1-0 at the far post after a good ball in from Esgaio on the right flank. That was top drawer defending because there really wasn’t any margin of error. What makes it all the more impressive is it came from Correia their centre forward perhaps keen to show his defence how it should be done.

8 Gyökeres has the ball in the back of the net having been played clear 1 on 1. Great finish but the flag was up quickly for offside. VAR check over it’ll be interesting to see the maths replay to determine how far he was off.

11 Gyökeres confidence is sky high as he tries an audacious volley from wide on the right which flashes over the bar. Suspicion of offside again in the build up. The visitors are playing the same dangerous game we did on Thursday night trying to catch him offside. It’s worked so far but for how long?

15 Nice bit of skill from Esgaio sees him lose his marker on the right wing. He’s having his best game in a Sporting shirt so far this season

16 Nuno Santos shoots from 17 yards but its high and wide to the left of the goal. Claims it took a deflection but goal kick given. Maths replay confirms Gyökeres was 23 CMS offside so maybe not as tight as I first thought

20 Fifth corner of the night already for Sporting. Let’s hope the quality of the ball into the box picks up. Gil Vicente have been flooding the box with bodies. Sporting need to get a corner coach in. Hopefully someone can pick out the birthday boy Diomande so he can celebrate in style with a goal

22 Nuno Santos is cutting a frustrated figure out on the left and can’t find his rhythm. It’s like Tom Hanks in Big and him and Esgaio have swapped bodies

26 Whistles echo from the stands as the keeper starts the time wasting. Bit early my friend

29 Nuno Santos will be lucky to play 45 minutes at this rate. Whatever his issue is he’s having zero impact in this game.

32 Inácio leaves one on Correia giving Gil Vicente a free kick from a dangerous position on the right. I’ve seen cart horses look less clumsy

33 GOAL With their first shot on target Gil Vicente make it 1-0. Simple ball to the edge of the six yard box and Ruben Fernandes heads home. VAR checking for a possible offside. Again it’s going to be tight. Goal given. Sporting CP 0 Gil Vicente 1. They’ve clearly not read the script. Wonderful reminder possession counts for nothing, it’s what you do with the ball that counts

37 Esgaio goes into the book with a silly lunge on Correia. Maths replay for the opener shows he was 24 CMS onside. Not sure who played him onside in the centre as Sporting employed their zonal marking technique. Maybe try actually marking someone?

42 GOAL Sporting CP 1 Gil Vicente 1. Of course after saying what an awful night Nuno Santos is having his shot brings with it the equaliser as it deflected in off Pedro Tiba past his own keeper. Pretty sure that was going wide and it’ll be given as an own goal.

Plus five shown

+1 Gonçalves shoots from 9 yards. Regular readers won’t be surprised to know it went high and off target

Half time

Sporting CP 1 Gil Vicente 1

There’s an air of needle about this game although as viewers we’re not party to the exact reasons why. Sporting have been quite wayward with some of their challenges especially since the opening goal went in. For half an hour the visitors gave Sporting zero problems before a stupid free kick presented them with a golden opportunity which they grasped with both hands. Minus the deflected shot which led to the goal Nuno Santos has had no impact on the game. Edwards looks like that car crash was today and not last Wednesday. Gonçalves lack of form continues. Morita looks off the pace as well.

I’ve not written this all season but fair play to Esgaio. Other than Gyökeres I don’t think there’s anyone else to challenge him for the best performance of the half and yes that’s not a typo.

Second half

Looks like Reis and Geny are both taking instructions from Amorim at half time. He must do the quickest half time team talks ever. ‘Lads it’s Gil Vicente,’ has a wee and strolls back out to deliver instructions to his substitutes.

Is it me or do half times seem to go on forever in Portugal? Sporting players are all out on the pitch and there’s no sign of the visitors. Finally they arrive. Gamesmanship 1.01 which riles the home supporters up even more

Triple substitution Geny, St Juste and Reis. Nuno Santos, Inácio and Esgaio make way. You’ve got to feel sorry for Esgaio there, he’s had to make way for Nuno Santos’ lack of contribution and Amorim’s insistence on one wing defensive and one attacking. He could have just made the change on the left. Esgaio was our attacking option opening 45.

48 Edwards tries a shot from 12 yards but the keeper waves a hand at it and pushes it out for a corner.

49 In the opening four minutes Sporting have attacked down the left… where they’ve brought on Reis…the defensive option of the two substitutions no?

51 GOAL First ball in from the right and Gil Vicente have been rope-a-doped as Gyökeres pokes it home. Hjulmand with the ball in, bounced off the defender behind and he went tag! Don’t mind if I do. Referee has run over to the monitor. They’re looking for a foul by Gyökeres in the build up on his marker. Referee says fuck off that’s soft as shit. Sporting 2 Gil Vicente 1. Sporting go top of the table.

55 GOAL If you took the time out for the VAR check that’s probably two in two minutes for Gyökeres. Gonçalves squares it from the left and the Swede taps in from five yards. No idea what their players were remonstrating with the referee about there. Maybe how having Gyökeres is like a cheat mode on FIFA or whatever the fuck it’s called now and can they take him off so they have a chance. It's like having a 1’ year old playing against under 10’s. Sporting CP 3 Gil Vicente 1

57 Reis shown the yellow card. He looks utterly perplexed as to why. Not sure I can tell you either

58 GVs heads have gone totally as their players scream at each other, don’t rule out a fourth goal here

59 Edwards shown a yellow for a tug of the shirt. Two softest bookings I’ve seen all season in the space of four minutes. Asian betting syndicate anyone?

65 Got distracted and looked up to see St Juste sprint down the stairs and be replaced by Quaresma. Runny bum? Do you get a win bonus for playing twenty minutes?

66 Said don’t be surprised if there’s a fourth. Guess who? Yes that man again. Picks the ball up forty yards out and drives it low past the keepers right from 12 yards to … not complete his hat-trick. Offside. Least you know I don’t edit these to make myself sound cleverer. Great finish mind you.

71 Ironic applause from the home crowd as Ruben Fernandes booked for a foul on Edwards

74 Yellow shown to Coates for a foul on Touré. He shakes his head in disbelief. I’m shaking mine too. That was frankly fucking ridiculous. When I write he barely made contact with his body I think it might be understatement of the year, if he tickled him with a feather he’d have made a stronger contact. I shall write to Mrs Touré and tell her to send her boy to bed with no dinner for being a cheating toe rag.

79 Jesus Christ this game is over as a spectacle. Has been in fairness for about the last fifteen minutes. 17 CMS the distance Gyökeres offside for the third disallowed goal

80 Effort from 22 yards by Touré goes through the legs of Quaresma and out for a goal kick. Karma there for the cheating bastard

83 Paulinho replaces Gonçalves. I know he’s got an assist tonight but for me he’s done nothing again

85 Gyökeres is desperate for that match ball as he pulls a shot wide of the left post from 25 yards

86 Gyökeres goes close again from inside the six yard box as the keeper gets a leg to it and out for a corner. On 80 minutes I was hoping for no additional time now just keep playing until he gets his third of the night

89 Keeper saves from close range from Paulinho but he times his run all wrong and was at least a yard offside. Take one for the team you selfish bastard and try find Gyökeres

Five minutes for the Swede to find the third

+3 Paulinho hasn’t read the script either as he puts it high and wide from 20 yards. Wasteful. He’s doing a sterling impression of Gonçalves shooting ability

Full time

Sporting 3 Gil Vicente 1

The Final Word

Well like Highlander there can only be one…man of the match…Gyökeres. Sorry Esgaio. Not my fault you got pulled at half time. Shame you have to have a release clause in Portuguese football because his stock rises with every game he plays. He really is the real deal. Sporting climb back to the top of the table. If we can keep him fit then like the Monkees sang – I’m a Believer. Have I gone too early? Maybe recency bias playing a big part because I still don’t think we’re playing well. But winning when you’re not playing well is how you win titles. Enjoy watching Gyökeres whilst you can because he is destined for the top and he’s not going to be in the green and white for long on his current form. However despite another three points far too many players were missing tonight; Inácio, Nuno Santos, Gonçalves, Edwards, Morita. That win let’s not gloss over it was down to the brilliance of one man. You can however only so long on one person. Where’s the plan B? Anyway for now who cares.