SC Farense 0 Sporting CP 5

SC Farense v Sporting CP 
Friday August 23rd, 2024
Estádio Do Algarve 
Matchday 3

The warm up

Mateus Fernandes becomes the latest youngster off the Sporting production line to leave the club as he signs for newly promoted Premier League side Southampton. Shades of the departure of Fatawu last season in that it's really hard to gauge what sort of player the club are losing because we've barely seen him in a Sporting shirt. In total he made six league appearances and I'm guessing a deep dive would show the majority of those were minutes off the bench. Fans of Estoril will be in a far better position to suggest whether Sporting or Southampton are getting the better deal with the sale. We saw Chermiti depart for Everton last summer and he failed to find the net in 18 Premier League appearances which didn't surprise me as I never really rated him in a Sporting shirt. Whereas going back to Fatawu at Leicester City, he played a massive part in helping them get promoted back to the Premier League by all accounts. I remember watching Matheus Pereira at West Brom pulling up trees and thinking we'd missed a trick selling him but he appears to have gone chasing the money first at Al Hilal and then Al Wahda and we'll never know how good a player he could have grown to be. At the end of the day the Fernandes deal looks good on the balance sheet and sadly as we all know football is now a business and Portuguese football cannot shake that reliance on transfer income for clubs to survive. The hope is you get to at least see a season from your promising youngsters before they depart. However for every Nuno Mendes you'll have a Rafael Leão and that's just the reality of the situation. It's not going to change, especially not in Portugal so you learn pretty quickly that it's not worth mourning your losses. Above the darkest of clouds during the day the sun is always shining. Footnote on the deal, having grown up in a Portsmouth FC supporting household Mateus Fernandes is now officially dead to me now he's plying his trade at Scumhampton. I hope he enjoys Championship football next season. 

I briefly touched on Evanilson signing from Porto to Bournemouth in my last post. I guess the next question to ask when players depart is how much they weaken the sides in and around us. He'll be a big miss for Porto who let's be fair are in a huge financial mess and desperately need to raise funds. Across the road Neres has just departed for Napoli having scored 5 and assisted 7 times in 24 appearances last season. That follows the departure of the highly rated Neves to PSG so you'd definitely say they've been weakened but in truth for them it's about being weakened in the Dérbi or the Clássico. They'll have enough still to compete against every other side in the league even minus those two players. So maybe that's the crux of the matter. Can you generate enough to balance the books but still have enough to win you four key games a season? Same of course applies for Sporting.  Seems crazy when you write it down like that. Let's be honest here not even the most ardent of Sportinguista's or fans of Porto and Benfica are expecting their sides to win the Champions League. At some point we're going to say goodbye to Gyökeres and that's the one sale in Portugal whenever it happens that will have the biggest impact and that's why the club are holding fast on their position that he only goes for his termination clause despite what any reports coming out of England might suggest to the contrary about being willing to accept a lower fee. Every Fernandes to Southampton type sale strengthens Sporting's hand in keeping the Swedish sensation. If he stays he'll be given a better contract to reflect his contribution. The question is whether the termination clause stays the same or Sporting are allowed to move the goalpost to €120m for next summer. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Manchester City pulled the trigger. They have the financial muscle and their main rivals Arsenal have made no secret of their interest. That's me surmising I hasten to add, I have no insider knowledge of the inner workings of Manchester City but they've lost Alvarez and you imagine Haaland isn't going to stay with the club to be playing his testimonial game one day. 

Sporting take on a Farense side yet to pick up a point having lost last week to Rio Ave 1-0 away and Moreirense 2-1 at home in their season opener. The two sides met three times in league and cup last season with Sporting winning 3-2, 4-2 and 3-2. Gyökeres found the net a total of six times including a hat-trick in the 4-2 cup win. The fixture before that finished 6-0 to Sporting and whilst past history isn't always a guarantee of goals as fixtures go, given last week saw Sporting put six past Nacional you'd imagine this fixture will follow that pattern. Sporting of course are yet to keep a clean sheet conceding 6 and scoring 12 in all competitions to date. 

Referee for tonight's game is Tiago Martins who I confess to not know anything about but according to his statistics officiated in 9 top flight Portuguese games last season in which he dished out 44 yellow cards. 4 of those bookings were in 3 games so that's 40 in the remaining 6 including a staggering 12 in the Porto v Estoril game. Regular readers will testify to the fact I'm sure that I'll give the match officials credit in my reports when it's due my I'm not adverse to calling out those match officials who want to make the game all about them so they can go back to their hotel room and wank themselves silly over the amount of TV time they've gotten. I hope someone has a little word in his ear prior to kick off and reminds him that no one is paying to watch him and to let the game flow. Those sharp minds amongst you will read that and know that's not what I think will happen. Please prove me wrong Tiago.

In the markets 

Farense 11.00

Draw 8.00

Sporting 1.18

BTS 2.00

Gyökeres anytime 1.66

Over 2.5 1.36

Team news 

Starting XI

Kovačević, Inácio, Diomande, Quaresma, Geny, Bragança, Morita, Quenda, Gonçalves, Gyökeres and Trincão.

Substitutes 

Israel, Reis, Debast, Santos, Essugo, Fresneda, Esgaio, Edwards and Ribeiro 

First half

Sporting attack left to right in the opening 45.

3 Gonçalves strikes from the corner of the left hand side of the 18 yard box but his shot is deflected out for a corner

4 Diomande heads straight into the arms of the keeper from close range

5 Geny pulls a shot through the defenders legs from the same position as the Gonçalves shot a couple of minutes ago and it goes well wide of the right hand post. Still, a bright start for Sporting

5 Gyökeres collects the ball near the goal line on the left hand side of the area. Dribbles back to make room for an attempt but his shot is blocked. This is like a game of basketball but Farense aren't getting past the halfway line let alone getting a shot off on target

7 Trincão is taken out wide right. Free kick to Sporting which eventually finds its way to a grateful keeper who smothers the ball. At this rate this could be my longest blog post of the year and the Supertaça went into extra time

9 Bragança showed the yellow for a foul on Matias on the centre spot. Said in the warm up this referee likes to flash the yellow card. That's number one.

10 Bragança flattened 2 yards outside the box. Just before then there was a suspicion of a shirt pull in the box on Quenda but nothing given

11 Gonçalves effort from 20 yards beats the wall but goes a yard over the bar

12 Gyökeres shot from 16 yards blocked. Farense are living a very, very charmed life right now. This is surely a case of when Sporting score the opener not if

13 Yellow to Falcao for a foul on Bragança. That's two and we're not even a quarter hour in.

15 How has the keeper got a hand to that? Brilliant save from Gyökeres. Velho had rushed off his line and the Swede looked to have slotted the ball past him from 8 yards out but he saved with his right hand. He's kept his side in it for now.

21 Trip down memory lane as a Rory Delap style long throw is flicked on inside the box straight into the hands of Kovačević. Not sure that counts as a shot on target but it's the closest they've come

22 Double chance for Sporting as Gyökeres and Quenda have shots blocked inside the box. I've no idea how this ball is staying out of the Farense net. That's the 11th attempt so one for every two minutes played. This is a Farense side remember who've scored 2 against Sporting in each of their last three outings. They look like they'd be lucky to register two shots on target right now

26 GOAL Finally the deadlock is broken. That all started with Quenda wide right who has the turning circle of a London cab. He swivelled and lost his marker. Passed to the edge of the box to Gonçalves who lobbed the ball forward to Bragança whose shot on the turn was blocked and rebounded to Gyökeres who makes it Farense 0 Sporting CP 1 from 8 yards out. I don't think I'm being rude in suggesting right now this is going to be a case of how many goals Sporting get. Nacional last week were making a genuine fist of things. Coach José Mota has some real problems on his hand as his side stare at a third straight defeat

36 Shout for handball in the box. Question is whose hand it hit first Gonçalves or the defenders? VAR check ongoing. Not the greatest of camera angles it's fair to say. No surprise to see the referee run to the monitor. I think it would be a little harsh from the reverse angle but on the forward one he looks like he leans into it so maybe it'll be given. Who'd be a referee!

39 I understood one word from the referee with his explanation and that was the last one - penalty.

40 GOAL Gyökeres loves scoring against Farense as he buried it past the keeper into the bottom left hand corner to make it Farense 0 Sporting CP 2

43 Quenda drives on from out wide but fires wide from 18 yards

44 Gonçalves rather unceremoniously chopped down by the corner flag. Free kick to Sporting. Geny's shot blocked for a throw

Plus four shown

Half time

Farense 0 Sporting CP 2

It's so rare to see Amorim start the same XI for two games on the trot and in fairness Bragança’s inclusion may merely be because Hjulmand is still out injured but on the showing in the last two games of these players there's no reason to change. The second half of the Nacional game and the opening 45 of this have been next level in an attacking sense and there are not many clubs that are going to be able to live with this side. The proof in the pudding will of course come in the Clássico and Dérbi. For now Sporting look all set for another three points to make it 3 wins from 3.

I was genuinely impressed by Nacional in the opening 45 last week. I'd be lying through my teeth if I said the same about Farense. How they go in just the 2 goals down is beyond me. They are going to be in real trouble if they don't enter the market for a spark of magic before the window closes next week and that's probably being kind to them. I make a point of always trying to credit officials and the opposition where it's deemed worthy. If you want a biased read I'm sure there's plenty about and moreover in Portuguese as well. Sorry Farense fans but this has been one way traffic all half and I've seen nothing to suggest they have any sense of fight or tenacity to even make a game of it in the second half. The only hope is Sporting take their foot off the gas. Gyökeres has one match ball already against Farense from the cup last season and you'd not bet against him taking another home tonight. If Sporting don't score a minimum of four there will be some long hard looks in the mirror when they get back to the hotel tonight.

Second Half

You wonder if Marcus Edwards was allowed to pick the halftime music as Simple Minds - ‘Don't you forget about me,’ echoed around the stadium. The Estádio Do Algarve is pretty much a home away from home for Sporting anyway as they play their pre-season games here so Edwards might have a little sway with the club DJ. If Google translate is horrific at Portuguese to English Christ knows how it butchers my ramblings the other way around. No surprise to see Farense are making a change at half time with Barbosa set to come on with the type of haircut fashionable the last time Simple Minds had a number one record.

Sporting get us back underway.

46 Kovačević comes out with a strong claim from a floated ball in from the right. He's had very little to do all game but he knows there's a few eyes on him after conceding in each of the opening games to date

49 Gonçalves ghosts in from the left and his low shot from 12 yards is blocked and out for a corner

49 Gonçalves goes over in the box but no penalty given. The defender just nips the ball away and his motion carried him over the top in fairness.

50 Marco Mareno booked for a pull back on Gonçalves. If you've read the warm up this will be no surprise with this card happy referee

53 Farense have so far enjoyed more possession and time in the Sporting half but in truth that's because the first half was played at 90 mph and Sporting have taken their foot off the gas

54 There are a lot of perms in the Farense squad. That's my hot take from this team. That's the quote.

55 Bragança tries his usual Hollywood nonsense from 20 yards. He's going to have the greatest NFL career if he ever switches sports as he gets another conversion over the bar for the extra point. Actually he could play Gaelic football to a really high standard.

58 Double substitution for the home side. Nearly an hour in and they've still just a blocked shot to show for their efforts tonight

62 This game has lost it's fizz like the glass of Pepsi sat in the sun for two long. Other beverages are available. Just practising in case the BBC ever wants to give me a job

62 Large round of applause as Quenda is replaced by Nuno Santos. You assume Geny will now switch wide right

62 Gyökeres is pulled down inside the box and looks to the referee who turns his back and runs off not interested

64 God I hate camera angles as I was up and celebrating for the second week only for it to not be a goal…

65 GOAL I wasn't sat back down for long as Gyökeres makes it Farense 0 Sporting CP 3. He picked the ball up 30 yards out, drove into the box and smashes it home from 12 yards low into the bottom right hand corner. He is the cheat mode on FIFA. Anyway I was about to finish by saying Trincão curled an effort somehow wide of the far post from about 7 or 8 yards out before I was rudely interrupted by the Swedish battering ram. I forgive you Viktor

67 Trincão pulled back en route to goal. Free kick awarded but no yellow

68 GOAL Farense 0 Sporting CP 4. Own goal. Free kick to the far left found Nuno Santos who volleyed the ball hard into the ground back across goal and it bounces up and smacks poor old Africo in the face and cannons past his goalkeeper onto the net. You've got to feel sorry for him there. Not only must that have really hurt but it'll go down as an own goal.

71 ➡️⬅️ Debast for Quaresma and Edwards for Bragança.

72 No doubt about where the three points are going, can Sporting keep a clean sheet?

73 Gonçalves tries from 16 yards but his shot goes inches past the left hand post. I always want to write as if it was close but in reality it still needs to beat the distance of the post as well to go in. Note to self on that one

75 Close up of Varandas doing an impression of his wife from pre season in the same stadium

76 Shot on target from the home side. Spilled by Kovačević but no one following up. Belloumi with the effort from outside the box. Sounds like something you'd find in an Italian deli

76 Geny flashes a ball into the corridor of uncertainty but it's 2 yards in front of Gyökeres who makes no secret of where he thought the ball should have been delivered. He's not done with just the 3 goals tonight.

78 If you want to guarantee a clean sheet have me bet both sides to score in a game that's what I'm learning so far tonight. I gave you odds on over 2.5 and Gyökeres to score anytime as a little hint. If you took my hint about BTS I'm very sorry. We're in it together.

80 GOAL As I was saying just before the half restarted they were playing Edwards choice of song. Farense 0 Sporting CP 5. Don't you forget about me... He's gone from the halfway line with the ball and into the box. Leaves his marker for dead and slots home from 8 yards. A somewhat subdued celebration there because I'd have been off and running after that superb solo effort. There's an irony that I've been saying for months Trincão should have that deeper role to run into space. Then I've said Edwards should start ahead of Trincão tonight and now he's in the space I felt Trincão would benefit from and I'm waffling … I'll shut up.

83 Africo yellow for a foul on Gyökeres

84 Gyökeres this time gets on the end of Geny's cross but somehow manages to head wide of the far post. Maybe just too much pace on the ball in... no maybe not on the replay. Not sure whether Gyökeres was angry with himself of Geny there.

85 ➡️⬅️ A rare appearance for Essugo as he replaces Gonçalves and Reis comes on for Diomande.

89 Gyökeres isn't done as Edwards played him clear on the right and he tried a shot from a tight angle that flashed across the box

Plus three shown

+1 No Morita no party. Tries a shot from 16 yards but his effort is blocked.

+1 Nuno Santos takes a wild kick to the leg and no booking shown. Check the Asian betting markets with this guy in charge.

+3 One last chance as Gyökeres drove in from the left and pulled the ball back to Trincão who made a weak connection to send it trickling to the keeper from six yards

Full time

Farense 0 Sporting CP 5

The final word

Even taking their foot off the gas in the second half Sporting found the net 3 times and could have easily had another couple of goals through the course of the 90 minutes. Were Sporting magnificent or Farense appalling? First half it was definitely a bit of both but I'd come down on the side of Sporting being magnificent. Second half in truth they probably just got the rub of the green they didn't get in the first 45 minutes. Five goals is great but maybe more importantly was the clean sheet tonight. I think Farense managed the one effort on target all game. They're in big trouble after three straight losses. Sporting on the other hand are really starting to look imperious. Eleven goals in two games. Fourteen in three games. Seventeen in four games. Frame it however you want. Those figures are all real.

This Sporting side has started where they left off from the second half of last and they're going to be living rent free in the heads of a lot of Portuguese coaches on this type of form. This current iteration is where I finally stop asking if Amorim is the emperor's new clothes. All doubts are subsiding. He's not been given a team of superstar purchases but he is making them into a team of superstars led as always by that man Gyökeres. He truly is something else. He can play left wing, right wing, as a 9, a 10, a false 9. He could probably play in goal as well I'd not put anything past him. He's the Swedish army knife better than anything the Swiss have ever made. I'm running out of superlatives for him and we're only three games into the league season. You imagine he'll be the Betclic man of the match but I'm going to go elsewhere as always. I'm going to give it to Gonçalves, he really impressed me tonight and this time last season he wasn't anywhere near my starting XI. He was calm, composed, at the heart of everything good. He's got his shooting boots back, his link up play was spot on and I'm genuinely thrilled to say I was wrong. His reaction to decisions still leaves a lot to be desired but he does finally seem to be maturing. Anyway I digress, I was talking about Amorim and then got sidetracked. Note how he always comes out at half time way before his side. Sometimes it's not going right and he's delivering instructions to a substitute but when it is going right you can tell he's done his job on the training pitch. The players are delivering what he's asked and he's not reason to do a Pep at half time. He trusts them implicitly and that faith is being repaid with change right now.

Great cameo from Marcus Edwards. Another reminder that he is hugely talented. He would walk into 14 of the sides in Portugal. When he plays like that he should walk into the Sporting starting XI in fairness to him. He played well in the opening 17 last season, you just can't fit him and Trincão into the same team and both deserve to play. He wants Premier League football. Sporting won't sell him on the cheap. You can see him scoring goals in the Champions League if he starts although I say that without knowing who we'll play but I'd still back him. Will he still be here this time next week? Would he accept a move to Juventus? There are worse moves to make in the world let's be fair.

The only question mark still hangs over Kovačević and that's probably unfair on a night he keeps his first clean sheet. He wasn't really tested but did spill the ball in the second half even if it didn't present any danger at the time. He's clearly got talent, his reactions are faster than that of Israel. I don't buy that he's good with the ball at his feet though. When you're scoring 5 or 6 it doesn't matter. I'd does matter in a Clássico, a Dérbi or a Champions league game. But in truth for now it remains a tiny speck in what have been two truly exhilarating performances in a truly awful kit. At least under the floodlights you could at see the players tonight unlike in Madeira last time out.

I'm still confident Gyökeres is going nowhere. I don't think Inácio will go either. It's one thing spending the money when you can spread the payment, it's another when Sporting hold the trump cards and go it's €100m up front and €60m up front. Premier league clubs can amortise the fees over the length of a contract but do they have the cash reserves to finance the deal and the answer I think is no. They're not PSG when they signed Neymar for the world record fee when they just paid his termination clause in the one transaction and that's what no English media outlet is reporting. It's all click bait. All nonsense about smaller fees being agreed. Sporting don't want to sell. They don't have to sell. They've Champions league money. Their biggest earners are all off the books. They didn't want to take Gyökeres in the Premier League for £20m last summer and you imagine Sporting will get him to sign on hugely improved terms and extend the buyout clause to €120m for next summer.

Please just let the transfer window shut I'm bored of the continual rounds of made up bollocks.