CD Tondela 1 Sporting CP 2 (Taça da Liga Matchday 2)

CD Tondela v Sporting CP
December 23^rd, 2023

Estádio João Cardoso

Taça da Liga Group Phase Matchday 2

The Warm Up

Feliz natal to all Sportinguista’s. Fresh from Monday night’s Clássico win at home to Porto, Sporting play Tondela in the first of a double header having drawn the Liga 2 side in both versions of the Taça. Our opponents lest we forget were a top flight side up until as recently as the 2020/21 season when they were relegated having finished second bottom. Any hopes of a quick return were dashed with an 11th place finish last term and they currently sit 8th with 20 points, 9 points off a promotion qualification spot. Despite being the league’s third top scorers they also have the league’s third worst defence which should be good news for whoever starts for Sporting up front. This is a competition in which Sporting tend to turn on the style in the opening rounds. Last season they recorded two 5-0 wins against Braga and Marítimo and a 6-0 to Farense so the travelling support will be hopeful of a second early Christmas present in a week. Tondela fans will be pinning their hopes on a repeat of our only other 6pm kick off on a Saturday this season which ended in the 3-2 away loss to Vitória.

Coates definitely misses out as he tries to regain full fitness. St Juste is still on the injury roster as he targets a return against Estoril. Quaresma after an inspired first half performance in the Clássico must be in with a good shout of starting once more.

I’ll be interested to see if Tondela start with South African Stephelo Sithole largely because his surname reminds of Tondela’s ground the Estádio João Cardosa. As we sing in England to the tune of Sloop John B. by the Beach Boys “You’re grounds a shithole I wanna go home.” Maybe there’s a Portuguese equivalent. I’m still bemused by the chant to the Chariots of Fire theme tune. Niche!

Off the field some good news as Geny has signed a renewal until 2028. Diomande should be available for the game against Portimonense before he departs for a month to the African Cup of Nations. Speculation continues to be rife over the futures of Gyökeres, Inácio and Diomande as the Premier League vultures allegedly continue to circle overhead. As mentioned previously with Sporting chasing the title and qualification for the new Swiss style Champions League you don’t envisage any of them going anywhere … well in January at least. Inácio is also reported to favour a move to Real Madrid over the Premier League. I guess we’ll hold our breath until the window shuts and see what happens.

The money markets

Tondela 17/2 10.53%
Sporting 1 /4 80%
BTS 11/10 47.62 

First Half

Fucking hell it’s like the 1980s in England here with Life is Life and Here we go being played over the Tannoy’s.

5 It’s no exaggeration to suggest the only couple of times Tondela have even touched the ball in the opening five minutes is to put it out of play. Paulinho effort strikes the bar. It’s going to be a long night for Tondela

7 Bragança strikes a low effort from 20 yards easily saved by the keeper after good work from Trincão on the right

8 They’ve just shown a close up of Tondela’s shirt. Looks like someone’s trying to knock off Venezia’s kit in a hope it’ll be worn as a fashion piece. Like the ground and the music choices here it falls somewhat short.

10 Ricardo Alves goes into the book for sweeping away Trincão’s legs.

12 Ambitious effort from 22 yards centrally by Nuno Santos goes wide of the left post.

15 Farias second name in the book as he mistimes a challenge on Hjulmand I think and stamps on his foot. They only showed his foot in the replay in case you’re thinking how could I not ascertain who it was.

17 GOAL Bragança makes it Tondela 0 Sporting CP 1. Nuno Santos chipped a delicate ball towards the 6 yard box where he controlled it on his chest before hitting it first time through the legs of the keeper. Good technique from the youngster AND, AND both his shots have been on target tonight having hammered him earlier this season for some woeful finishing. Good to see. Now we know his level we can send him out on loan

25 I’m never sure what it is always flying around in Tondela be it moths, bats, or birds but I’m not sure I’d want to be the camera operator with the sheer volume of things flying around. It’s like a BBC wildlife documentary only without Attenborough there to tell you what these things are.

31 GOAL Tondela 0 Sporting CP 2. With no fans behind that goal I didn’t realise that had even gone in at first. Paulinho plays a beautiful one two with Bragança and hit the sweetest of strikes from the edge of the D into the bottom right hand corner. I doubt he’s scored many better than that in his career.

36 Gonçalves lofts a ball towards the head of Paulinho but there’s no pace on the ball and he has to try generate his own power. Keeper won’t have an easier catch to make all night

39 Trincão seemed to beat about five players en route into the box there. Maybe it was four watching the replay again. Had his legs taken in the box but nothing given. Think the defender may have just got away with one there. Seems incredible to think you can have VAR in Liga 2 but that they don’t have it at Championship level in England. The VAR kit is probably worth more than the stadium.

42 Mezenga cynically takes out Reis five yards outside the left of the 18 yard box. Free Kick in a dangerous position. Close up of Inácio at the far post – I’d genuinely forgot he was even playing. Tondela clear.

44 Neto clattered into Luan with a late challenge and rightly booked. That is probably his only telling contribution of the entire first half. If Israel doesn’t keep his second clean sheet of the season here serious questions needs to be asked.

Half time

Tondela 0 Sporting CP 2

If the half time whistle couldn’t come quick enough for the home side you imagine on that first half showing they’ll be glad when the full time whistle blows as well. They’ve not managed a shot on target, they’ve chased shadows with zero reward all half and deservedly go in two down. Our defenders won’t have had an easier 45 minutes all season. You hope they come out with more fight and gusto second half and give the little people who follow Tondela something to cheer about at least. I’ve spent many a season watching shit served up from a dilapidated Wendy house of a ground so I do pity their fans and I do have some festive cheer about me. Not much admittedly and it would be non existent had we lost the Clássico Monday night. Impressed by Bragança tonight, something I’ve not often said if ever at all. He’s probably found his level against Liga 2 opposition.

Second half

Edwards is stripped and ready to come on as we await the players from both sides to come out for the second half. ‘We are the Champions’ blares out over the Tannoy – that’s comical. Gonçalves the player to make way.

53 Mezanga clips the legs of Edwards and is shown the yellow. In truth that’s probably all he could do to stop the diminutive Englishman in full flow.

59 Triple change from the home side. They’ve got to find a spark from somewhere. Sporting really should be coming away with four or five come full time but they’ve not offered much either second half. I said at half time the Tondela players would be hoping for the full time whistle on their first half showing. I’m hoping for it based on the quality of this second half so far.

62 Double substitution for Sporting. Neto replaced by Quaresma who gets a loud cheer from the visiting fans following his performance in the Clássico. Bragança replaced by Essugo.

64 Trincão just loses his footing as he tries a shot from 16 yards following a good ball from Essugo. Keeper will be grateful he hit that falling over as he makes the save.

65 Sporting have suddenly woken up as Paulinho stings the hand of the keeper from 20 yards. Good save low, one handed

67 If this was England they’d be singing score in a minute, we’re gonna score in a minute. It’s coming…like someone has flicked on the kettle switch and suddenly we’ve come to life.

75 GOAL Oh. Tondela 1 Sporting CP 2. Goal of the night with an acrobatic overhead kick. Cross in from Xavier bounced over the head of Reis and Tavares probably couldn’t believe his early Christmas present when it came to him. Not sure how tall Reis is but you imagine Coates would have cleared that had he been in the same spot. Could and should Israel have come up and punched that clear? I’ll be fair to him until I see it again later on. Suspect I’ll rip him a new one later.

78 Trincão so close to making it three but a defender lunges to get a foot on it to deflect it out for a corner. Gyökeres looks like he’s being readied to come on maybe as he warms up now on the touchline.

82 Trincão loses his marker and dumps him on his backside and cuts the ball back for Nuno Santos who somehow doesn’t even hit the target from 8 yards. Should have been three for Sporting

83 Edwards tries from Centrally 20 yards out but it’s a tame effort

84 Aba shown the yellow. Not sure what that was for in all honesty

85 Final two changes as Nuno Santos and Esgaio are replaced by Geny and the youngster Bastardo. Never have I been determined to call a player by his real name since Fuka-Arthur Masuaku played for West Ham

84 Rui Gomes will have left Israel’s bum twitching as he fires wide of the left hand post from five yards. Sporting need to be careful here. The cameras keep cutting to a sullen looking Gyökeres on the Sporting bench.

Plus four shown

Final whistle blows. Well in truth that ended much harder than it should have been.

Full time

Tondela 1 Sporting CP 2

The Final Word

Note how in the market prices for any game involving Israel in goal I always quote the price for both sides to score I’m that enamoured by the Uruguayan between the sticks. On paper that should have been a landslide victory but football isn’t played on paper and fair play to Tondela, they dug in and it only takes one chance to score a goal. Sporting weren’t clinical enough in the second half. Man of the match, for me anyway, goes to Trincão. Granted Bragança scored one and assisted the other and had he played for’the full ninety he’d have probably edged it but I thought Trincão was majestic on the ball at times tonight. When he’s running full pelt at defenders it’s a sight to behold and I could watch a montage of those runs happily on repeat all day long. Paulinho channelled his inner Bas Dost with a goal and little contribution aside. I don’t mind that from a forward as long as he’s scoring. It still blows my mind that Bas Dost scored 45 consecutive goals with his first touch. Gonçalves I think this season might have gone 45 efforts consecutively without hitting the target at all.

I am happy that somewhere in Tondela there are little boys and girls making their way home talking about their side scoring a beautiful overhead kick and despite losing their Christmas won’t have been totally ruined by the loss. I’m a soft touch really. You need a bit of magic watching football every fortnight in that utter shit hole. Onwards and upwards Sportinguista’s. Feliz Natal.