Sporting CP 6 Amarante 0

Sporting CP v Amarante 

Friday November 22nd, 2024

Estádio José Alvalade 

Taça de Portugal Round 4

The warm up

Sporting begin their new chapter ushered by the stewardship of the mister João Pereira welcoming Liga 3 Zona A side Amarante in the 4th round of the Taça de Portugal. Sporting qualified for the this round following a 2-1 away win at Portimonense with the pretender to the Gyökeres throne Conrad Harder scoring the winner in the 4th minute of additional time, his second in the game. The visitors made lighter work of their 3rd round tie beating JD Lajense 6-1 at home with Ká Semedo scoring a hat trick, two of which came from the penalty spot. This followed their second round victory away to Electrico 2-0. Sporting will of course prove to be a very different sort of opposition and the side from Porto will be hoping to avoid the same level of punishment meted out to Dumiense/CJP II at the same stage of the competition last season in which Sporting finished 8-0 winners with six different goal scorers and Paulinho completing his hat trick on the 71st minute. 

The visitors come into the game having lost their last 1-0 away to Trofense who had been reduced to ten men mid way through the second half. Other than a 1-0 home loss to Anadia and a 4-1 thrashing away to the hands of league leaders AD Fafe, the club are enjoying a good start to their domestic season currently occupying second place in the league table having won 7 of 11 and drawing the remaining fixture. Amarante had topped the table before the defeat to Trofense. They boast the second best defensive record in the league and are certainly faring much better than Sporting B who compete in the other Liga 3 division currently occupying 5th place with 4 wins, 4 draws and 3 losses. Their coach up until last week was of course one João Pereira. The new mister in theory couldn't have asked for an easier introduction to his spell in charge but as we all know games are played on the pitch and not in theory. Nice touch by the club to charge €8 in some sections for the game so the hope is his debut is made in front of a large crowd at the José Alvalade. Once Amarante are out of the way his first real test comes in the form of Premier League Arsenal four days later in the Champions League. 

Top scorer is the 30 year old Cape Verdean forward Ká Semedo with 5 goals in all competitions. He currently averages a goal every three games for the club with 22 in 66 appearances following his move in 2022 from Clube União Idanhense. A busy summer transfer window saw eleven new arrivals including the Guinean forward Buby. Given Guinea's connection as a former French colony one has to wonder if Buby's performances have caught the attention of Ligue 1 side Brest and whether jokes like that will get me cancelled finally. 

Pedro Gonçalves is set to miss ten games after leaving the field in tears during the Braga win as Sporting's injury woes continue.

Some good news for Sporting fans this week as Viktor Gyökeres confirmed his intention to stay with the club until the summer after Sweden beat Slovakia 2-1 with the forward scoring the opener after just 3 minutes. He is quoted as saying “Of course I want to finish the season at Sporting, I enjoy it there. I don't feel anxious to make a change in the future, we'll see when the time comes,” 

For Sportinguista's looking for their football fix during the international break check out the highlights of the women's 8-0 thumping of Clube Albergaria. The pick of the goals was a stunning half volley from Ana Capeta from inside the area. 

https://youtu.be/mZbDO9Q_I0s?si=38Ty

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In the markets 

Sporting 1/28

Draw 14/1

Amarante 40/1

Team News

Starting XI

Kovačević, Esgaio, St Juste, Inácio, Reis, Fresneda, Hjulmand, Bragança, Edwards, Trincão and Harder 

Substitutes

Israel, Morita, Gyökeres, Araújo, Geny, Quenda, Simões, Quaresma and Arreíol 

No real surprise to see a raft of changes from the last game against Braga with players coming back off international duty and the perceived level of opposition relative to that of the hosts. Kovačević is back in goal. No place in the squad for either Debast or Diomande who I believe both picked up knocks whilst away with Belgium and the Côte d'Ivoire. Bragança starts once more ahead of Morita who scored for Japan whilst away. The former certainly owes a performance after his poor display away to Braga. Fresneda gets another chance after a hugely impressive 45 against Portimonense. More of the same please from the young Spaniard. Araújo finished his international break with an assist in Uruguay's 1-1 draw with Brazil. He drops to the bench. No Gonçalves who left the field in tears last time out. He's not expected to be seen again until 2025. That provides opportunities for both Marcus Edwards and Conrad Harder. No one else I've missed is there? I'm of course joking as João Pereira finds a way to stop the currently seemingly unstoppable Gyökeres adding to his four midweek goals for Sweden - Letting him put his feet up before Arsenal. I said against Portimonense my hope is we don't see him and he played second half so maybe reverse psychology will work. This time I really hope we see him. 

First half

1,600 away fans have made the 360 kilometre trip from Porto for an 8.45 kick off. Off the top of my head that's around 219.6 miles which means the Portuguese FA care about fans as much as the English FA. Sporting in fairness playing midweek in the Champions League. Expectations clearly low from the Liga 3 side with interviews this week from staff pointing out this is the sort of game they'd win once in every hundred. Their first game plan; to stop Sporting scoring. Dumiense/CJP fans will confirm how well that went for them last season. 

Amarante get the game under way. Sporting in their two tone green vomit kit will attack right to left. 

3 Trincão with the first effort of the game fires over from 16 yards. In terms of shape Fresneda starts wide left as he did against Portimonense. Reis on the left of the back three, Inácio central and St Juste to the right. 

9 GOLAZZO Sporting CP 1 Amarante 0. Edwards picks up the ball 12 yards inside the visitors half, drives to the box, cuts inside his marker and fires the ball past the keepers left from 16 yards thus proving my point from last season he'd make a much better player if he was allowed to drive at the defence from deep. 

13 GOAL Sporting CP 2 Amarante 0. Who had Esgaio down to score tonight? Bragança drove to the byline, cuts the ball back for Sporting's elder statesman who tapped it home from 7 yards like he's Viktor Gyökeres. 

15 In the week Sporting announced they've been fined €245,000 to date for things like use of pyrotechnics, the claques hold up a banner saying lado e lado mister, offset with… more pyrotechnics. 

17 A moment of excitement for the away fans as Amarante manage a foray into the Sporting box but Reis clears after Inácio had blocked a shot. 

22 Trincão rounds FOUR Amarante players before firing a shot from 26 yards straight at the keeper. The gap in class between the two sides is all too apparent 

26 MISS Trincão fires onto the right hand post from 8 yards and the ball comes straight to Harder who somehow shoots wide from two yards with the goal wide open. Trincão is loving life out there tonight. Putting Gyökeres on second half would be like kicking a puppy. 

27 GOAL Sporting CP 3 Amarante 0. Well Harder didn't have long to think about that miss. Trincão knocks the ball through the defenders legs and finds Harder who slots the ball home from 16 yards as the keeper can only watch. 

28 Beautiful curled ball from the left cut out by Reis for a corner. Key defending and timing because Sporting were in trouble there otherwise. 

33 Bragança shown the first yellow for a poorly timed late challenge. No surprise Hollywood does his hair as the camera zooms in on the youngster. 

37 Fresneda goes close to making it four as his first time volley from ten yards following a long ball to the left of the area grazes the bar. 

44 GOAL Sporting CP 4 Amarante 0. Shake of the head from the keeper as he retrieves the ball from the net. Bragança toes pokes the ball between the legs of the defender and finds Edwards unmarked at the far post to complete his brace.

45 Half time whistle blows with no additional time. 

Half time 

Sporting CP 4 Amarante 0. 

You imagine the new mister João Pereira will go in at half time more than satisfied with his first 45 minutes as Sporting coach out of the way and on the pitch as you were despite the change at the top. Two goals for Edwards but the real star of the half was Ricardo Esgaio. Oh no wait my bad, the real star of the show was Trincão who has run the Liga 3 side ragged that half. The fear of course for the visitors is as they tire the gulf could get even worse in the second 45. I don't wish 8-0 defeats on any side. OK I lie I'd wish it on Braga and Benfica but it wouldn't surprise me if it's same again in the second 45. If ever there was a good game to give minutes to Simões and Arreíol this surely has to be it.

Second half

Double change for Sporting as Morita and Quenda come on for Hjulmand and St Juste. Pereira showing the national mister Martinez how to bring Quenda on as sub after he failed to become Portugal's youngest ever player during the week. 

Sporting get us back underway. Presumably Esgaio drops back into the right of the three. Bragança will take over the captain's armband. 

51 Harder somehow again transpires to fail to even hit the target as he fires over from the edge of the six yard box. 

52 Trincão equally as guilty as the young Dane as he fires over form inside the D. You get the feeling Harder especially profits more from balls from the right hand side and to be fair he needed his attempt on his right foot. 

54 Inácio goes down clutching his leg after a late challenge by Semedo. Another Sporting player just back from injury 

55 As one of the Amranta players is down for treatment we see Diomande and Gonçalves watching on from the stands and Gyökeres warming up on the sidelines 

56 Sporting CP 5 Amarante 0 as Trincão finally gets his goal he's performance has deserved. He played a quick one two with Harder and slotted the ball home from the edge of the 18 yard box into the bottom right hand corner 

62 Simões finally set to make his debut as he takes instructions on the bench 

64 Amarante's evening is about to get a whole lot worse as Gyökeres is also about to come on. 

65 Inácio and Trincão depart. Gyökeres, Simões on. The fans get to their feet for Trincão who has run the show tonight. 

70 Didi does his best Superman impression as he flies out of his six yard box and punches clear. Really doesn't help when apps don't give the lineups for these games. I thought I'd found their account on X but there's no posts since 2020 so perhaps the old admin got fired and took the login with them. Seems like something I'd do 

72 Bragança passes the captain's armband to Esgaio as he goes off for the baby faced Arreíol. I've no idea how old the youngster is but Christ I feel old

73 Yellow to Felipe as he tries to get Gyökeres shirt off his back before the full time whistle. 

75 POST Gyökeres fires through the wall from 25 yards and smashes the right post. Again I ask the question of why it's taken so long to figure out he can take a free kick

77 Henrique Arreíol 19 years of age for those interested. 

80 Mica fires over from 8 yards but the #11 on the left looked a good yard offside when the ball came in

81 Gyökeres tries a free kick from 30 yards and incredibly hits the right hand post again. The Swede let's out one of those laughs as if to say he can't quite believe that 

82 Edwards with a free kick a couple of yards from the goal line on the right. Two man wall in front of him. Somehow gets a shot away at the near post from the narrowest of angles which Didi scrambles to get away 

83 Kovačević scrambles to keep the ball in from a clearance. Pretty sure that was a yard over the line and a corner to Amarante but when it's not your might it's not your night 

85 Kovačević plucks a cross out of the air. This is the busiest he's been all night. Five away from his first clean sheet for Sporting. Was he three minutes away in the last round? 

88 Yellow card shown to Mica. Penalty to Sporting for the foul on Gyökeres

89 GOAL Sporting CP 6 Amarante 0. Gyökeres sends Didi the wrong way as the keeper guesses to his left and the ball goes to the right to cap a miserable night for the Porto minnows. 

Two minutes additional time shown 

Full time 

Sporting CP 6 Amarante 0

The final word 

João Pereira won't be judged on the result of this game, neither will he be judged on the Arsenal result. His real work starts in his first league game against Santa Clara next Saturday. This was a free hit and the expectations were let's be fair that Sporting would win and win comfortably which they've done. The Champions League game will be for Pereira at least a huge learning curve. For those on the pitch their mentality remains unchanged. To a man they know they're going to take some beating whoever is sat in the dugout. 

I said in the first half putting Gyökeres on would be akin to watching someone kicking a puppy. He got a goal but a couple of inches to the left on his two free kicks and he's walking away with the match ball under his arm. I don't want to rubbish the opposition, it was their cup final and it is what it is. I always try hard to find something positive to write about smaller opposition when we face off against Portuguese minnows but I'm really struggling. I don't remember Kovačević having a save to make in 90 minutes. There was the cross diverted behind by Reis in the first half that caused some level of consternation at the back for Sporting but that was pretty much it. Their performance was as good as my understanding of the Portuguese commentary in which the only two words I can say I knew for definite other than golo and the players names were when one of them said English and then Arteta. In fact their performance was like the RTP app which kept crashing largely I suspect so I had to watch a series of adverts again which will have no bearing for me in England. So credit goes to the 1,600 fans who will make a 720 kilometres round trip. I applaud you all on a Friday night and may you all get home safely and I wish you well for the remainder of your league campaign.

So instead positives for Sporting; Kovačević with his first clean sheet. A brace for Edwards and two assists for Bragança. Fresneda wasn't quite at the same level he was in the last round but again looks a good option on the left and his inclusion meant rest for Catamo after his two games during the international break. Another goal for Harder who'll be kicking himself that he didn't get more. A hugely impressive display from Esgaio and genuinely thrilled for him to get onto the score sheet. More minutes for St Juste as he continues to work his way to full match fitness. Every game he plays however many minutes without being injured is always a huge positive for him in what has been a horrific spell for the Dutch defender since his move from Mainz. 

Game time for Simões and Arreíol which means Pereira only needs to give debuts to another 23 odd youngsters to draw level with Lord Voldemort. I've never watched Harry Potter but I'm sure that's the name of the character whose name we're not supposed to mention. I'm sure you can see where I'm going with that. 

The final words are reserved for Trincão who gets my man of the match. Yes in context he's playing against opposition from two leagues lower but despite the odd attempt off target was an utter joy to watch at times tonight. He went past four players in the first half like it was the easiest thing in the world and had he found the net at the end of that run we'd have been talking about that goal for years to come. We even had a Nuno Santos style Rabona in the second half and the applause he got when substituted was well deserved. Comfortable win for Sporting and a great start to life under João Pereira and long may it continue. 

Like the banner in the first half read lado a lado mister.