Portimonense 1 Sporting CP 2
Friday October 18th, 2024
Taça de Portugal 3rd Round
The warm up
Sporting return to domestic duties after the international break as they travel away to second division Portimonense in the Taça de Portugal. Last time out we saw a 2-0 win against Casa Pia in which Gyökeres got back to scoring ways with his 12th goal of the season. Sporting completed 783 passes in that game, 595 of which were in the opposition half. Despite the perceived dominance Casa Pia weren't without chances to come away with something from the game and showed with a 6-3-1 formation whilst defending that it is possible to frustrate this Sporting team but they are relentless in their pursuit of victory. At present they are able to keep grinding opposition down which has definitely been something missing for most of the time I've followed the club. The worry will remain for all the promise, what happens if we suffer further injuries to key players especially in the forward line? Sporting finished the Casa Pia game with Esgaio and Fresneda in the back three either side of Debast centrally which twelve months ago would have left me breathing heavily into a brown paper bag. It's easy to suggest that at present we're not missing Coates but at some point during a game the shit is going to hit the proverbial fan. It would be foolish for us all to think that it won't happen and that if it does that someone will simply step up a la Coates and steady the tiller through the oncoming storm with a calm head. Time will tell.
I appreciate this isn't a Republic of Ireland blog but I needed a football fix during the international break and they play in green and white so it's close enough. I sat and watched the 2-1 win away to Finland and as a comparative study to Sporting it was quite interesting because despite winning, their shape as a team on and off the ball was quite literally non existent as they navigate their way under a new coach and that could realistically be us again in 12 months time. For a about a minute on the hour mark I could see they were defending with a 3-4-3 but before and after if my life depended on it I couldn't have told you what formation they should have been playing. Some might have criticised the Casa Pia 6-3-1 but you weren't left in any doubt as to what their formation was. I heard some pundits say they might as well have attacked given they got nothing from the game and I'm thinking they did attack, they just didn't take their chances and they'll have learned more from a 2-0 loss than an 8-0 one. If you take confidence from a system whatever it is then at one point it can get you over the line. There's got to be 8 to 10 teams in this league that potentially couldn't break down that system if chasing a one goal deficit with 15 minutes to play. Back to the Ireland game and there were points where it looked like the parents race on sports day at your kids school with bodies all over the place trying to run forward towards goal or desperately trying to get back into position. If you've watched Sporting for a period of more than five years then you'll have seen us play in a similar way. Maybe what I'm trying to issue is a storm warning way in advance. Enjoy the calmer season because there's a storm potentially brewing in the North Eastern shores of England which could play havoc in Lisboa in the next ten months.
One departure confirmed during the international break is that of director of football Hugo Viana who will be off to Manchester City in the summer to take over from Txiki Begiristain in the same capacity. Viana's current role at Sporting will be removed and replaced with the role of general director of football with Bernando Palmeiro the sports lawyer who previously worked for the club between 2020 and 2023 already confirmed for the position. He will report direct to Varandas and work alongside current scouting director Flávio Costa, presuming he's not about to leave to join Viana anytime soon.
How much of Viana's perceived success in his time at Sporting is down to Ruben Amorim and vice versa is clearly open to debate. The €10m paid to Sporting Braga for the then untested coaches services certainly looks like money well spent given he's delivered two titles in the past four seasons and could well add a third this season. Viana started his current role with Sporting in 2018. I don't know if he would have been behind the hiring of José Pesiro on July 1st, 2018 but he only lasted until November 1st, a grand total of four months. Tiago Fernandes held the reins for 9 days before Dutchman Marcel Keizer took over on November 12th, 2018. His tenure was over less than 10 months later. Leonel Pontes had a 19 day stint as boss before Silas came in on September 27th, 2019 not even lasting six months before Ruben Amorim's appointment on March 4th, 2020. To say it was a shit show during that period would actually be putting it politely. That should be caveated by the fact that despite a win percentage of just 59.52% Marcel Keizer did somehow manage to deliver both the 2018/19 editions of the Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga. Amorim's appointment was a roll of the dice. You could only argue otherwise in hindsight with the knowledge of what he has subsequently achieved. That success was by no means a given. The fact they paid €10m for his services worked in his favour. It brought him one thing the previous full time appointments weren't and that's the time to implement his philosophy.
Let's be honest there have been some good signings and there have been some truly awful signings under his watch. Jesé made Ricardo Esgaio look like a baller. The €2m loan fee paid to PSG for his services has got to go down as the single worst signing for me. They couldn't even cut short the loan as PSG said we don't want him back. I've got a good memory but there's an awful lot of players who I read the names of and I don't even remember them at all which is not the most telling trait of Viana's abilities in the transfer market or my memory I guess.
I've seen a few places do the top ten signings under his watch but I don't need to be blowing smoke up his arse and I've not agreed with them, so let's do a deep dive at the record.
2018/19
Raphinha is the stand out name and I've gone on record as saying he was a large factor as to why Bruno Fernandes looked as good as he did at points during the season they combined. Worryingly he'd be the only one of two players out of 15 (16 if you include Ribeiro on loan and then making the move permanently) I'd say were any sort of a success, the other being Stefan Ristovski. Abdoulay Diaby, Bruno Gaspar, Idrissa Doumbia, Christian Borja, Nemanja Gudelj, Tiago Ilori (dog shite), Emiliano Viviano, Renan Ribeiro, Luiz Phelyppe, Nani, Marcelo, Filipe Chaby and Stefano Sturaro (seriously who?). Was Stefan Ristovski actually that good or am I being kind? Let's allow him 2 hits from 15 so far.
2019/20
OK we maybe all got misty eyed over Luís Neto's departure last summer but he was never great for Sporting if we're all being truly honest with ourselves. Luciano Vietto did OK but out of the 9 players in that summer I'd personally not rank any of them as a success. Alongside Neto and Vietto, this was the summer of the previously mentioned loan signing of Jesé. Andraz Sporar, Valentin Rosier, Rafael Camacho (spectacular waste of money), Eduardo Henrique, Yannick Bolasie and Fernando. Who the fuck was Fernando on loan from Shaktar? So that's 2 from 24 in two seasons.
2020/21
If Viana is to hang his hat on any season in terms of transfer business then this could is the one. I'll quickly discount the names of Ruben Vinagre, Antunes, Bruno Tabata and João Pereira. That leaves 8 of 12. Antonio Adán - the first title winning version of the Spanish goalkeeper and the fact he was a free transfer you could argue makes him Viana's best signing. However it gets better because you've got Pedro Gonçalves in there who again is in for a shout at the best ever signing under Viana's watch. Pedro Porro, Matheus Reis, Zouhair Feddal and João Mario are all solid signings or loanees. Nuno Santos and Paulinho also joined and I'd give each one blinding season during their tenure but please don't try the argument with me that either have been truly great signings. Had Paulinho not departed a title winner last summer it would have been good riddance and you'll not ever convince me otherwise and the season before last Nuno Santos peaked and fell away like his barnet into relative obscurity. I'm going to allow Viana a 75% success rating for this season. That compared to 8.33% combined in his first two. Rome wasn't built in a day.
So far I've put just Pedro Gonçalves, Adán and Raphinha on my list of stand out signings. I'm a hard man to impress clearly.
2021/22
Pablo Sarabia's loan move from PSG for €2m is right up there. An incredible bit of business and it's a shame they couldn't have afforded his wages to make that signing permanent. So he makes my top ten as does Matheus Reis whose loan move was made permanent. Reis is how I want my willy to be by the time I'm 60 years of age - solid and dependable and still more than capable of causing some mischief and getting stuck in at the end of the day.
Eight players in total. Let's get rid of João Virgínia straight away. Gonçalo Esteves promised much but ultimately never quite had enough to satisfy Amorim that he could fulfill his potential. Islam Slimani's return was a train wreck. That leaves Manuel Ugarte who was no Palhinha and selling him to PSG for €60m was one of the heists of the century and retribution for the €2m loan fee paid for Jesé. James Brown would have definitely called it the big payback. He did OK and would make the list of good signings because of the profit when selling him on. Marcus Edwards as we all know flatters to deceive. Overall he still has enough credit in the bank to be considered a good signing but that thread is being tugged at and coming undone rapidly since the second half of last season. That leaves Ricardo Esgaio and I'd lose any credibility (if indeed I ever had any with readers) if I tried to argue the merits of success with his signing so let's say a 50% overall success rate. However 12 players in two seasons would make a starting XI and a substitute.
I'll add Sarabia and Reis to the three so far.
2022/23
Twelve signings in total. Rúben Vinagre's move was made permanent for €10m. That's right up there with the worst signings given that level of investment. Ditto for Jerry St Juste at another €10m having suffered a horrific string of injuries. The irony being if he could stay fit he'd probably have made my top ten, but he can't so sorry JSJ. Mateo Tanlongo (won a competition maybe to play for Sporting?), Sotiris (Coldplay because he was all yellow), Franco Israel (pre this season not having him at all), Héctor Bellerín (shit tash), Rochinha (see Tanlongo) and Arthur Gomes (there was a player in there somewhere). That's eight off the list straight away. Trincão makes it nine because he's on loan at this point. So that leaves Ousmane Diomande (can't write his name down quick enough), Pedro Porro and Hidemasa Morita. So that's a 25% success rate.
I'll add Diomande, Morita and Porro to make it eight.
2023/24
Into the second title winning season. Viktor Gyökeres who has to be the number one signing even after just one full season. I don't need to write any more words about this man, I've barely any new ones to write as it is. Morten Hjulmand makes the cut but again he's no Palhinha but I like his passion and desire to win. Trincão was now a permanent signing and he was superb second half of last season and has started in this in the same manner so he gets the thumbs up. Iván Fresneda at €9m looks like Viana had his pants pulled down. Awful bit of business as it stands. That leaves Koba Koindredi and Rafael Pontelo and the less said about those two the better. So back to 50% but helped by the smaller number of signings made.
Gyökeres and Trincão just pushing out Hjulmand to make my final two on my top ten signings.
So to recap: Gyökeres, Trincão, Diomande, Morita, Porro, Sarabia, Reis, Adán, Raphinha and Gonçalves. I bet those ten don't match anyone else's top ten List. Let me know yours. Oh and hands up I'd included Feddal at one point, forgot I'd put Reis in and had a top eleven. So that's probably even more controversial.
2024/25
This brings us right up to date and it would be poor form on my part mid October to rate them as a success or a failure. Conrad Harder certainly gives me the impression he is capable of filling the boots of Gyökeres next summer. If he got half the goal tally of the Swede we'd all call that a success. Zeno Debast - Jury is out. I think we'll double our money before some other club discovers he's not actually that great. Kovačević in goal - He's being kept out by Franco Israel which should probably tell us all something if we're being completely honest with ourselves. Finally Maxi Araújo - I'd take Arthur Gomes over him in the same position at one third of the price. A combination of conjecture on my part and definitely too early to say.
Conclusion
Well I think that's conclusive proof that the shits far outweighed the hits. To be fair he's been playing with Sporting money not oil money and his approach has at least adapted from lobbing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. Viana has been afforded time, trust and most importantly Ruben Amorim. Amorim's in turn is benefitting from an academy system which is akin to sticking your hand down the back of the sofa and keep pulling out £50 notes; Nuno Mendes, Gonçalo Inácio, Eduardo Quaresma, Geovany Quenda… Amorim's trust and careful nurturing has meant time and time again he's not had to go to the market. Sporting don't sign players on loan anymore either in case anyone had failed to notice. I'd have to work out the total number of academy players Amorim has played but I'm sure at one point last season it was reported as 21 and growing. Let's imagine that Manchester City were found guilty of breaching Premier League rules, Pep says bollocks to this and they were handed a transfer ban as punishment. You can imagine the phone call between two old friends in the summer. 'Do you fancy coming to look around my new sweetshop?' Our academy is great but City's is going to be like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory for Amorim. Even the oompa loompas would get a run out wide left and right. I'm still not totally convinced by Amorim but he gives kids a chance to prove themselves, he's clearly a great motivator and leader of men / boys. In Portugal you can afford most weeks to not be at the races when you're a Sporting, Porto or a dirty pigeon and still be good enough to take all three points. He's constantly found out in Europe but then again so is Pep in the really big games. Difference is Pep overthinks things and Manchester City have lost because Pep beat Pep. Amorim on the other hand in Europe and a string of Dérbi's and Clássico's hasn't got it right. He's not Pep but then again let's be honest no coach really comes close. They have different skill sets both of which produce results in the league's they currently ply their trades. If Amorim went to City you would bet on one thing alone and that would be that he'd happily be giving their academy prospects an awful lot of game time. Whether he'd win trophies would remain to be seen.
You don't have to agree with my ten but unlike the lists shown elsewhere I can at least lay claim to having watched all the games during that period to have formed my opinion and looked for ten players their readers might have heard of. I'm not entirely sure I'd not have Feddal over Porro. Moving on…
In my PSV post I highlighted the fact that none of those players in the two matchday squads the last time the clubs met were still at the club five years on and wondered whether in five years time we'd see a repeat or was there anyone in the current squad that could still remain? Call me a boring bastard but as I've pointed out it's the international break. Give me a pass this time. Regular readers know I like a game of Guess Who as I flap down the faces on the board trying to work out my man of the match. So who might still be here? Gyökeres, Quenda, Inácio, Hjulmand…flap, flap, flap, flap. Esgaio…flap. Discount those for skill level or the age they'll be or say their injury record with a St Juste and what could you be left with? I had two names; Quaremsa and Bragança and if I had to put money on one of the two it would be Bragança. I'd love to know if you agree or would have another player in mind or if any at all and that history will repeat itself.
Bloody well done if you're still here after 3,000 words.
I suppose I'd better say something about tonight's opposition finally? Maybe Portimonense fans would be happy with me skipping over it. Following relegation last season from the top flight, having lost the playoffs to AVS, it's safe to say their fortunes haven't got any better this season. After seven league games they've a solitary win to their name which came in a 5-1 home win to Maritímo. Their only other win maybe unsurprisingly came in the Taça given they're now in round 3 which was a 3-1 away win to Vianense who currently sit bottom of their league so that's probably no great feat either. So their record to date reads played 7, won 1, drawn 2 and lost 4 conceding an average of 2 per game and scoring just the 9 times. Sporting at the same point just to remind ourselves had won 7 scored 25 and conceded twice.
Portimonense do not have a great record against Sporting as it is recording 2 wins to 17 defeats overall. Last season Sporting won 3-0 at home with goals from Paulinho, Trincão and Gyökeres. Away from home it finished 2-1 again with goals from Paulinho and Gyökeres. I'd like to offer Portimonense fans some crumbs of comfort in that Sporting still have injury woes going into this game but I don't think there's enough for us to start to have to worry about travelling south to Portimão.
In the markets
Portimonense 16/1
Draw 13/2
Sporting 1/7
Team News
Starting XI
Kovačević, Ramos, Debast, Inácio, Nuno Santos, Hjulmand, Bragança, Esgaio, Quenda, Trincão, Harder
Substitutes
Israel, St Juste, Morita, Gyökeres, Araújo, Geny, Fresneda, Arríeol and Taibo
No surprise to see a change in goal for the cup competitions although maybe a surprise if you were to have predicted in August that come the Taça it would be Kovačević coming into the side and Israel the one making way. With injuries to Quaresma and Diomande there's a debut for Ramos. First start of the season for Esgaio. Bragança gets the chance to score in four consecutive games for the first time in his career with Morita having reportedly clocked 30,000 kilometres over the international break travelling the one to miss out though still named amongst the substitutes. No Edwards in the squad after a week of Amorim saying he was going to start the game. Reports of an eye injury are as yet unfounded after he was photographed during Lisbon fashion week in a pair of white shades with heavily blacked out lenses. That would however at least account for the fact he looked like he'd got dressed in the dark sporting a quite fucking atrocious whistle. Who says footballers have more money than sense? I digress - Harder gets the nod over Gyökeres who added another goal to his seasons tally during the week with Sweden. With Champions league football looming into view once more on the horizon it would be nice to not see him at all. Get us all used to next August and give him some rest. It's the return of the, wait did he just say, you must be kidding … St Juste - please stand up. Arríeol and Taibo who trained with the squad all work get a place on the bench to try impress. You have to wonder whether Fresneda departs on loan in January to kick start his career given he can't even get in the starting XI against a second division side and Esgaio gets ahead of him.
In a week of speculation (OK when is it not with Sporting) it was at least refreshing to hear Amorim and his coaching staff say their aim is to win this competition so in theory they'll stay until May unless Kovačević throws one into his own net and we go down 1-0. I say hear. I of course mean read after it was translated. I've not done a Bart Simpson over night and learned a new language fluently.
First half
Portimonense get us underway. Sporting will attack left to right in another new kit. Another new kit that I don't like. Mind you the pink one was for charity so I'm letting that go.
2 First chance of the night falls to Harder from eight yards whose effort is tipped around the post for a corner
4 All the noise is coming from the visiting fans, unsurprisingly given the somewhat sparse crowd despite the visit of the top flights league leaders.
5 Quenda receives the ball wide right, jinxes inside to beat his marker but shoots wildly over from 20 yards
7 Sporting racked up 700 plus passes last week and you imagine they won't be far off those numbers again despite the changes as the home side struggle to get any foothold in this game.
13 Portimonense who've not kept a clean in sheet in 7 still holding firm for now. Sporting's main outlet has been Nuno Santos on the left but a succession of crosses have found nothing but a crowd of yellow shirts
15 Esgaio cross deflects off a defender and onto the roof of the net causing a moment of panic for their keeper
16 Sporting with a free kick 30 yards out. Played short to Bragança whose chipped ball into the far post is headed out for another corner
19 Geovane penalised for a little nibble on Trincão. Free kick to Sporting centrally from 26 yards. 4 man wall plus draft excluder.
20 Dreadful effort from Nuno Santos who blasts it past the wall and into the stand behind. If I criticise him enough maybe he'll score later and shut me up. Reverse psychology.
22 Another Nuno Santos cross plucked out the air from the keeper. His service has been woeful so far. Mind you Quenda has the touch of a trampoline wide right so far.
25 Amazingly I've written 300 words in a half where the only thing of note has been a Harder shot after 2 minutes. Everything since is white noise. I'd spent all week worrying I'd not be able to watch it and now I've found it I'm starting to wish I had the night off
27 Quenda drills a ball onto the six yard box, Harder launches himself at it but can't connect and it goes all the way out for a throw the other side
28 Debast and Ramos are so far apart they remind me of a couple that had a barney and can't stand the sight of each other. Thankfully Portimonense can't get over the half way line to test the space you could fly a jumbo jet through
29 Corner to Sporting flicked on by Hjulmand on the edge of the six yard box saved by the keeper. Best chance so far
30 Another save. Coming thick and fast now but still no goal. Nuno Santos with the effort wide of the 18 yard box but it could have easily been a miss hit cross as it was slightly cutting away from goal. Certainly wasn't on target. Vinnicius the name of the keeper. Tried to find the lineup on the Portimonense official X account and nothing posted. Even the social media team have better things to do it appears with their Friday night.
31 Hollywood with his usual attempt from 20 yards
34 Debast pretends he's Bragança and also knocks one into the stand from 25 yards or more to suggest the PSV strike was a fluke
34 Shouts for a penalty as Trincão goes down. Nothing given. Correct call from the referee as they show the replay. Trincão shakes his head. I'd hope that's not at the referee because I'm not sure he was even touched before he went down
37 Quenda bundled over in the centre when frustratingly Esgaio was free on the overlap. Could have done with having his head and releasing the ball faster
38 Blocked shot trickles harmlessly to the foot of Kovačević
39 GOAL I was about to write the 5-3-2 is really paying off so far but fuck that as Harder went hold that thought. Nuno Santos plays a ball into the left hand side of the box for Harder to turn and run onto and he smashes it first time from 12 yards to make it Portimonense 0 Sporting CP 1.
41 Esgaio with the overlap takes the defender with him which allows Quenda to cut inside and try get a shot away which was blocked. Good play from Esgaio. Twice he's been in the right place and Quenda hasn't made the right choice which I mention just because he's a cleverer footballer than anyone gives him credit for. Esgaio that is not Quenda just to clarify.
One minute additional time indicated
+1 Trincão bends a shot from 18 yards towards the top right corner but it sails a good couple of yards wide in the end.
Half time
Portimonense 0 Sporting CP 1
It's not been easy for Sporting but it has been one sided. You imagine Portimonense had watched Casa Pia last week and got the game plan on how to frustrate Sporting. Whilst not a 6-3-1 I was going to say the 5-3-2 was equally as effective just as Harder scored. Normally I at least get the line down before one of them makes me look an idiot. At least I own up to what I'm thinking. Regular readers know it's not about sounding clever. I'm quite happy for people to laugh at my expense. If you can't laugh at yourself how can you laugh at others?
I've been impressed by Esgaio with his movement tonight. Harder and Trincão have had little flashes when attacking and the finish for the goal was one of real quality. Debast, Ramos and Inácio have been sat on deck chairs. Kovačević had to charge out to the edge of his area on 34 minutes but otherwise nothing to have gotten his heart rate up at all during the opening 45. Hjulmand has run the midfield. Nothing suggests so far Bragança will find the net again but putting on my favourite half time record - Portimonense have to attack now in the second half which as we all know - will open up space…
Wonder what I'd write at half time if we go in drawing or behind. Guess we'll find out at some point during the season. Oh we did against Porto. 74% possession for Sporting that half which lets not forget is only the total percentage of passes made in the game but it does indicate if nothing else that Portimonense have been content to sit back and defend.
Second half
Changes afoot from the home side as they look to spark some magic. Sporting as you were and get us back underway
47 Harder has started the second half like a rocket. Runs to the byline and pulls it back to Trincão who cannot connect properly to turn the ball home from a couple of yards.
48 Trincão with a tame effort from 16 yards straight at the keeper. Portimonense have been cut open twice with space that just wasn't there in the opening 45. See my half time comment
49 Geovane knocks a free kick into the stand from 24 yards. Cheap free kick from Inácio who tugged at an arm.
50 This game has the feel that the players have been told at half time this is now being broadcast to all of Portugal and to go out and entertain on a Friday night
52 Portimonense defenders were just keeping a high line 12 yards from the half way line. Couldn't get a more contrasting half. Free kick conceded by Ramos. From the free kick the ball was chipped into Tamble who got it all wrong and his effort ends up in the stands. Youngster Ramos with a little bit of inexperience there as he jumped over the top of the attacker and he just let him bring him down and said thank you very much I'll have the free kick 30 yards out. At least he's got something to learn from as the game goes on.
56 A lull in the Sportinguistas chants allows you to just hear a shout of Hjulmand… HJULMANDDDDDDD. Not sure who was getting annoyed at him but reminded me of Covid times in empty stadia.
57 Mix up on the defence sees Vinnicius dive low to stop a cross with his hands, hit a defender and deflect back goal wards and then scooped back up by the somewhat relieved keeper
59 Movement on the sidelines. Looks like Geny and Gyökeres getting ready to come on.
59 Yellow shown to Tony for a clumsy challenge from behind on Quenda. Didn't leave the referee with much choice
60 Good movement and pass from Debast to Quenda. He continues his run looking to find space for the pass back. Quenda once more has other ideas. You imagine his night is about to come to a close pretty quickly. Sometimes it's about that simple pass and not beating your defender. I'll let him off at 17.
63 ➡️⬅️Esgaio off. Didn't see who else came off but Gyökeres and Geny on. Quenda it was. For fits and shits let's say Gyökeres on for Esgaio which is a sentence you'll never ever read. It wasn't but it tickles me to do it that way.
68 I'd like to tell Harder that curtains were last fashionable before he was even born but he looks like he'd break me in half and strikes me as quite an angry young man
71 All excitement has gone from this game. We need a second Sporting goal
72 Portimonense midfielder kops one in the face from Geny. Trincão juggles the ball whilst he waits for the physios to finish. Please don't let this game go to extra time. I can barely sit through another 18 minutes let alone the thought of another 48. Get Nuno Santos off for Araújo. He's been fucking dreadful again. Oh assist aside. Apart from that one thing.
78 Thanks to the Sporting fans I'll be singing Hitler's only got one ball for the rest of the night. What an odd tune to put a football chant to.
79 Shot of the fire Marshall behind the goal on a night we've seen no flares inside the ground. Only mentioned so I can bring up the near €80k fine from UEFA for I think 93 flares (don't quote me) set off in the home game against Lille. That's fucking ridiculous given the last two fines levelled at clubs for racist abuse didn't come to that combined.
81 ➡️⬅️ Ramos withdrawn for Fresneda
83 Well my theory about slating Nuno Santos might mean that he shuts me up hasn't worked.
84 Inácio pulls his man down and conceded another free kick. He's looked like a Sunday league player this half as well.
85 Corner conceded by Hjulmand
85 Relvas header unmarked deflects for another corner. Heart in mouth job there
86 GOAL Portimonense 1 Sporting CP 1. I said we didn't need a other half hour of this shit. Elijah won't score an easier goal in his career. Corner came into #43 who heads it towards the far post and the youngster was there to knock it past Kovačević who barely even made an effort and just stood and watched it go by.
89 Corner Sporting. Geny finds Bragança unmarked at the far post who does a starfish impression that was really good. Finish not so much.
90 Free kick conceded for a foul on Harder 24 yards from goal centrally.
Plus four shown
+1 Trincão beats the wall but the replay from behind shows he was five yards wide of the right hand post
+2 Confusion in the home box sees the ball out for another corner. Woeful from Nuno Santos again as Portimonense clear their lines.
+4 GOAL Harder you big sexy Danish bastard! Fucking get it. Portimonense 1 Sporting CP 2. Gyökeres one touch assist played it into the youngsters path. He clearly likes to run onto the ball and he dinks it outside of the boot past the keeper
+4 ➡️⬅️ Debast off for Taibo who'll get all of six seconds on the pitch.
Final whistle blows
Full time
Portimonense 1 Sporting CP 2
The final word
Well right result, maybe not the right scoreline. I'm presuming there's no replays in the Taça and that it would have gone to additional time. Thankfully it didn't. None of us needed another half hour of that. If you didn't watch it and you watch the highlights, see two great finishes from the youngster Harder then count yourself lucky.
I think Kovačević forgets he's the goalkeeper sometimes especially when he has that little to do in a game. It's like he's thinking about anything other than what's going on in front of him which is worrying. Did I leave the front door unlocked? Inácio looked like he was blowing out of his arse all second half. Ramos got the monkey of his debut off his back. Season in league 2 would do him the world of good. Esgaio had a solid game before he was withdrawn. Bragança flattered to deceive. If L'Equipe were giving match ratings Nuno Santos would get a 2. I'd maybe be more generous and give him a 4 if only because he got an assist and give Quenda a 5. Debast had his best game in a Sporting shirt and looked good in defence and transition into attack. Someone needs an iron and just smooth out the ricks in his game. Gyökeres had one solitary decent touch after coming on but that one was enough. Trincão was a handful at times but flattered to deceive. Hjulmand I'd give a solid 8 and would have been my man of the match but you can't look past Harder with his first brace for the club. €20m for Gyökeres was euro for euro the best business in European football last season. I know this is Portimonense and not Porto say but the kid is 19 and is a natural finisher. There's players with ten years more experience that wouldn't have scored those two chances. He's looking at Gyökeres and going 'OK you fuck off to the premier League next season I'm having your shirt and don't bet against me taking it from you at some point this season either.' I mean he won't don't be daft but it doesn't mean he's not thinking it. Brighton will be kicking themselves on his early showing that they didn't get the deal across the line before Sporting did. I've not bothered to keep tabs on the Greek bloke we spent all summer trying to get into the club and I'm certainly not disappointed with what I've seen from Harder so far. I asked the question of who'd we'd still see in a Sporting shirt five years down the line and he's another one destined for a career in one of the bigger leagues and won't still be here with us. If he's Viana's parting gift then thank you very much Hugo.
Did Sporting deserve to win? Yes. Did Portimonense deserve to lose with a last minute kick in the teeth? No. But that's football. As the old cliché says the most dangerous time in football is when a side have just scored. Their two best chances in the 90 minutes came in the same passage of play. The defender should have made it 1-1 with his header that deflected for the corner and then they scored to make it 1-1 so they can't claim a moral victory and say it could have been 2-1 because you take the first chance and you don't get the second.
Be interesting to see what happened to Edwards. Amorim said he'd gotten a knock in training but would be OK to play. Perhaps he was wrong. He needs time on the pitch in his legs as does St Juste. Neither got any frustratingly but Sporting by hook or crook have gotten a place in the 4th round draw and if nothing else the late equaliser and even later winner provided some added drama in what was overall another poor spectacle to watch. I guess that's a sign of how good this Sporting is when last week they've played against a 6-3-1 and this a 5-3-2. The opposition have chosen to play on the back foot. Race horses need space to gallop into. You pity the poor side in advance that's stupid enough to let them do it.
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