Rio Ave 3 Sporting CP 3

Rio Ave v Sporting CP
February 25th, 2024
Estádio dos Arcos
Matchday 22

The Warm Up

Her name is Rio and she plays at the Estádio dos Arcos. There’s an obvious reason why Duran Duran never recorded that version of the lyrics. Or maybe they did for the Portuguese market and we just never got to hear it here.

Going into the weekend the Vilacondense’s sit fourth bottom level on points with Estrela who occupy the relegation play off spot. Their 22 games have brought just 4 wins which have all come at home. They have only lost 3 of the 11 played at home, though it should be noted after Sporting they still have to play Braga, Vitória and Benfica before the end of the season so you imagine at present that record is slightly skewed.

The opening fixture between the two clubs saw Sporting winning 2-0 through first half goals from Paulinho and Edwards. My report noted the first half was one of the most one sided you were likely to see all season so let’s hope for more of the same this game. Since the fixture Rio Ave have seen investment from the Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis who continues to try to grow his stable of clubs. Whether long term that means Forest will park some of their younger players in Portugal remains to be seen.

Post draw with BSC Young Boys fresh reports suggested that Amorim is the preferred candidate for Liverpool if they fail with an approach for Alonso. Sounds better than being linked with Brighton which I was bemoaning in my last post. As long as someone pays his full release clause I don’t think I really care where he goes. I’m more concerned as to who they’d bring in to replace him if and when he actually departs the Lions. Friday morning saw the draw for the Europa League – Atalanta again. Third time’s a charm, fourth time’s routine. The Serie A club proved hugely problematic in the first half of both the group games but tailed off in the second half of both so Sporting will need to massively up their effort and concentration right from the off in both legs if they’re to stand a chance of qualification to the last 8. I did predict the Italians would go far in this competition which is somewhat ironic now being drawn against them again. Atalanta ominously have really found their form in Serie A of late. As good as Sporting are in Portugal I can’t help but feel Atalanta are massive favourites to progress. For me the Europa League is a distraction we can probably do without. You look at the names still involved in the competition with the likes of Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen who top the Premier League and Bundesliga at the time of writing and any notion that Sporting could win the tournament would be fanciful at best. They said during the draw that Sporting were the club with the most appearances in all guises of this competition having reached the 200 mark as if it was some sort of achievement. For me it’s just a bad reminder of how we’ve missed out on qualification for the European Cup / Champions League playing second fiddle to the neighbours and Porto over the last couple of decades especially.

Sporting’s performances the last two games haven’t been the best it’s fair to suggest. Importantly in the league game against Moreirense it finished with three points. In fairness the Young Boys draw owed more to a lack of finishing and on another night it could have been 4 or 5-1. Whether it’s fatigue setting in remains to be seen. For full disclosure I’ve diagnosed OCD which most assume to either be hand washing or having a need for all your ducks in a row. In reality it’s an anxiety based condition so fair warning as the weeks go on these reports will become more panicked in nature so I apologise in advance.

The money markets

Rio Ave 7/1 = 12.5% probability chance of win
Sporting 4/11 = 73.33% probability chance of win

Team News

Coates is restored as captain in the centre of the back three, Diomande shifts to the right with Quaresma making way. In the midfield four Esgaio drops out for Geny, Reis for Santos and Bragança for Morita. In the front three Gonçalves comes in for Edwards. Paulinho remains the only current injury concern.

First Half

Christ it’s the hope that kills you isn’t it. Last week Vizela held out for all of 16 minutes before getting stuffed 6-1 by the neighbours. This week Portimonense lasted until 55 minutes before going down 4-0. Fingers crossed that Sporting’s players nerves are made of stronger stuff than mine are before every kick off. If you’re looking for good omens I had the same sick feeling and raised heart rate before every game in the run in to the last title win. If these blogs suddenly stop it'’ because I’ve probably dropped down dead of a heart attack. Who’d be a football fan? I mean really? Is it worth the pain and aggregation? Ask me at full time. No ask me at the end of May? No just ask me if I’m OK. Just don’t just the word Hun at the end of the question.

Well someone’s clearly trolling me because I’ve missed the opening seven minutes because they were showing pigeon TV and to compound matters it’s Rio Ave 1 Sporting CP… 1… I was going to write 0 but…

8 GOAL Hjulmand fires into the bottom right hand corner to make it Rio Ave 1 Sporting CP 1. I’m still fuming for having to scramble to find a channel and everything I switched on was fucking Pigeon TV. Pricks. Let’s hope for karma to bite come Thursday. Someone’s head needs to roll.

13 Double save from Johnathan, first from Gyökeres from 18 yards and then the follow up by Trincão from 8 yards

17 Sporting are kicking right to left by the way in what looks like torrential rain

19 Gyökeres fires in a low shot which the keeper spills but it’s cleared away to safety

20 Well of the 13 minutes I have seen it’s been one way traffic on the Rio Ave goal. Still no replay of the opener.

24 Well done V Sports for posting the opening goal to YouTube. Hopeful punt forward left. Geny failed to get touch tight to Embalo who found himself a yard of space and pings it past Adán from 16 yards into the far corner. Great finish – poor marking

30 Sporting’s defence all at sea (every pun intended given the surface water on the pitch). Adán came out to claim the ball but couldn’t keep hold of it. Pulled back to Embalo who with an open goal skews the ball inexplicably wide of the left post. Given how well he took his goal you’re wondering how the fuck has he missed that. Really should be 2-1

36 Ronaldo hits the post from 8 yards out. Sporting really are leading a charmed life.

40 Trincão lays down looking like his night is run. He kicked the bottom of a defenders boot about 15 minutes ago and looks like he’s not been able to run the effects of the injury off. Edwards desperately stripping off on the far side. Trincão rejoins limping for now

43 GOAL Rio Ave 1 Sporting CP 2. Mistake at the back picked up by Gyökeres who scores with an utter thunder bastard from 20 yards into the top right. It made such a noise when it went in I thought it had hit the post. The clue it was in the net however was the trademark Hannibal Lector celebration as he ran away

+3 indicated

+1 Rio Ave player goes down in the box holding his face. He’s fucking dives there over Nuno Santos surely. He can’t award a penalty for that can he? He fucking has. Un-fucking-believable

+3 GOAL Rio Ave 2 Sporting CP 2 if that was a penalty I’m a fucking monkeys uncle. Yakubu sent the keeper the wrong way

Half time

Rio Ave 2 Sporting CP 2

Well what can you say about that half? Looked like it was being played in the actual Rio Ave. I’m not sure what I’m fuming about more, the award of that penalty or the fuckwits that treated us to seven minutes of pigeon TV. In these conditions you might as well keep chancing your arm from long range because handling for the keepers is a complete nightmare. You’d think they’d design a goalkeeper glove that worked in the wet really. You’d be better off playing in a pair of marigolds.

Despite not agreeing with the penalty award I can’t say Rio Ave don’t deserve to go in level. Embalo should have made it 2-1, Ronaldo should have made it 3 at which point we’d really have been fucked. I wonder if the wind has been behind Rio Ave this half? I asked before kick off who’d be a football fan? Can’t say I have the answer right now this is tortuous.

Second half

Rio Ave get us underway

Edwards seemingly replaced Trincão whilst the player was down receiving treatment for the penalty. Missed that in my anger. Quaresma is on for Inácio at the start of the second half.

47 Yellow shown for foul on Gyökeres to Sá? Pretty sure the referee raised a card his way. Embalo was apparently also booked in the 6th minute as was St Juste despite not being on the pitch. Maybe I imagined it because it’s not showing anywhere else online as a booking. European football on TNT is such a blessing; Commentary, the ability to rewind action and no dickhead showing seven minutes of fucking Pigeon TV.

59 Reis being readied on the sides presumably for Iggy Pop

60 Yellow to Gracia for rugby tackle on Geny

60 Gonçalves pulled back on the goal line. Referee not buying it and waves away the penalty appeals

61 Reis now on for the passenger that was Nuno Santos. It’s been a chaotic couple of minutes

64 What the fuck Adrien has just come on for Rio Ave. My heart just broke in two. I didn’t know he was back in Portuguese football.

65 Another penalty to Rio Ave. Adán rushed out and missed the ball completely. Well if my heart wasn’t broken enough after seeing Adrien in a Rio Ave kit…

66 GOAL As I was saying, it’s the hope that kills you. Adán sent the wrong way again as it’s Rio Ave 3 Sporting CP 2. Yakubu the scorer again. Damage control now for Sporting as we look for at least a point with 22 to play.

70 Oh apparently Geny was booked on 63. I’m making a shit show of this tonight exactly like what’s on the pitch

72 GOAL Coates you fucking big sexy Uruguayan bastard you! Fucking get in. Rio Ave 3 Sporting CP 3 as he heads in from close range. Please don’t fuck this up a 4^th time. Can we find a winner? That came from the most hopeful of balls into the centre by Morita who just swung a leg at it as he turned and helped it on its way. Coates used all his strength to get beat his marker and head in from six yards

74 Diomande shown a yellow for a foul on Ronaldo just outside the Sporting area. Free kick in a dangerous position. Defence sees it clear for a corner

76 I had my blood pressure taken at the doctor’s yesterday – 121/73. I’ll have €5 it’s not that this evening.

79 Pantalon yellow for foul on Gyökeres

82 Gomes shown yellow for foul on Quaresma

88 The home side have made all five substitutions so there should be four or five minutes additional time minimum. Stick the big Uruguayan up front

89 Ball finds its way to Gonçalves but his shot is on its way to the south side of the moon to join whatever they landed on there the other night.

Five minutes shown

+1 Second yellow shown to Pantalon as he’s given his marching orders. He brought his knee up into the face of Gyökeres so not sure what he’s complaining about there

+3 Costinha fouls Reis for another yellow. Free kick ends up in the grateful hands of the keeper.

Full time

Rio Ave 3 Sporting CP 3

The Final Word

I fucking hate football. That’s proper pissed on my chips, stolen the jam out of my doughnut, ripped my heart out and stamped all over it. A point gained or two points lost? No point getting philosophical over it, it is was it is. Two points off the neighbours but crucially for now with a game in hand still to come against Famalicão but given how many games we have coming up there’s no guarantee of three points there.

Hjulmand and Coates are the only two players other than Gyökeres who can really leave the pitch with their heads held high. The Swedish Panzer once more carried all of the attacking threat and whilst it’s getting boring now he’s my man of the match. Reis for me has earned a starting place in the XI. A Bola ran an article over the weekend on Nuno Santos which was gushing praise at him. He’d not get anywhere near my starting XI right now. Actually throw Reis and Trincão in with those names. Whilst they didn’t play a full match I can’t pick much fault with either player’s performance.

Adán has had one of those nights. I was expecting it in Europe. Problem is even when he has a bad night Israel is nowhere near his level and we need a decent backup goalkeeper who can really push for the starting XI. Play that game another 10 times and you’d not come away with another 3-3. It was a draw marred by the weather. It was like watching an old fashioned pinball machine in action at times, the ball going everywhere, players smashing into each other. Would Esgaio have gotten touch tight for the opener? Maybe. Was the referee influenced by the theatrics following the Nuno Santos challenge in the box? Definitely. That being said we rode our luck at times in that first half. A better opponent would have put it past the reach of Sporting and that’s the worry ahead of the Dérbi on Thursday night. This could be the week where it all unravels pretty quickly. I was critical of the last two performances and said we’ve gotten away with it on both occasions. Well we didn’t get away with it tonight and if the players had one eye on Thursday night then it’s showed. Clutching at straws now as Gil Vicente at least bagged a late equaliser against Porto earlier tonight.

I am fucking dreading Thursday night.

I’m also going to pretend I’ve not seen Adrien back in Portugal in something else other than a Sporting shirt. Sad times all round.