Famalicão v Sporting CP - Postponed

Famalicão v Sporting CP
February 2nd, 2024
Estádio Municipal 22 de Junho 

The Warm Up

And so finally the winter transfer window has drawn to a close and quelle surprise, as expected no players of note have left despite all the media speculation in the English press for the past couple of months. Brace yourselves now as we go for round two before the summer window opens and they double down – Even a broken clock is right twice a day. There were outgoings, just none that had been the source of continued speculation. Before Afcon started Jovane had been present in Italy on loan to Salernitana. Let’s hope he packed light as he now travels on to Greece to join Olympiacos on loan until the summer. Essugo as expected has completed his loan move to Chaves to bolster his game time and learning experience but will return at the end of the season. Rodrigo Ribeiro was the one player who did leave for the Premier League having signed on loan for Nottingham Forest. They have an option to make the youngsters move permanent.

Back to matters on the pitch, having laid the ghosts of the Braga defeat to bed with the 8-0 win at home to Casa Pia we face a Famalicão side who have recorded just 3 wins in the last 15 games in all competitions. Earlier this season Sporting won the reverse fixture 1-0 in what was a tight game most notable for some awful officiating. Their last win against Sporting came in March 2020. Goals have so far been at a premium for them at home with just ten scored in their opening nine games. By comparison Sporting have conceded a total of 12 on the road in their nine away fixtures to date scoring 21 times. Much will be expected and rightly so after the 8-0 win but we would do well to remember that was against a Casa Pia that utterly capitulated after the first goal was scored and under a coach who stubbornly refused to stop defending with a high line. Sporting will not be the beneficiary of such displays every game so complacency cannot be allowed to creep in as they remain a solitary point ahead of the neighbours. The gambler would lay the smart money at the title heading to Lisboa but whether that’s the green and white side or the red side remains to be seen. At the time of writing speculation is no more than guess work. 15 games remain, injuries to be overcome, suspensions to be served, referee decisions that will be debated and put under the media microscope. Will the post be your friend or your enemy? When does a draw become two points lost or a point gained? Endless questions awaiting a multitude of answers. One answer we do now have is when Morita will return as he signed off with a goal in a 2-1 defeat to Iran to ends Japan’s hopes of adding another Asia Trophy to the cabinet. Will Diomande feature at all as Afcon hosts Cote d’Ivoire take on Mali in a game that kicks off an hour before this one?

The money markets

Famalicão 7/1 = 12.5% probability of win
Sporting 2/5 = 71.49% probability of win 

Team News

Two changes from the Casa Pia win. Paulinho replaces Marcus Edwards in the front three whilst Geny comes in for Esgaio on the right flank.

Delayed kick off until 7pm owing to lack of police officers

Game postponed

So having been informed the game would kick off after an hour delay at 19:00 hours, the game was finally cancelled owing to a lack of policing with local officers alleged to be striking owing to an ongoing dispute about pay. Evidence has emerged of fighting between the two sets of fans around the ground. I do wonder what some people have between their ears – strawberry jam and not much else it would seem.

In the Cote d’Ivoire game no sign of Diomande once more. Maybe we should get Interpol on the case. Incredibly having been 1 goal to the good and playing ten men Mali conceded in the 90th minute which took the game into extra time and the 122nd minute to crash out of the Afcon. The Mali coach is in tears. I share his frustration we just want our boy back and playing.