footballportugal

11/05/02

Sporting 1 - 0 Leixões (Final of the Taça de Portugal)

Sporting : Nelson, Quiroga, Beto, André Cruz, Rui Jorge, Rui Bento, Paulo Bento (César Prates), Pedro Barbosa (Quaresma), João Pinto, Nalitzis (Hugo Viana), Jardel

Leixões: Ferreira, Barros (Cerqueira), Nuno Silva, Sérgio, Zé António, Odé (Tó Zé), Besirovic, Abílio, Pedras, Antchoet, Detinho

Man of the Match: Abílio (Leixões)

Sporting made the Dobradinha (the double of Liga and Taça) Sunday when they won the Taça de Portugal, beating a very classy, spirited Leixões side from the Segunda B. Sporting looked a tired side after a long season and a stressful run-in to the championship, but Leixões perhaps had more excuse for being physically the weaker - the pace of the game and general fitness in what is in effect the third division should never be able to match a team that will next year be playing in the Champions League, but match Sporting Leixões did, and more than that, they gave them a lesson in professionalism, organization and will to win. For long stretches of the match there was only one team in it, and that team was not League Champions Sporting.

Leixões looked composed from the very off, despite an early scare when André  Cruz swung in a free kick from way out on the right only to see the excellent Ferreira palm it over. After 10 minutes, the first of several casos in the game: Leixões' lanky striker Detinho found his way into the heart of the Sporting defence, touched the ball into a dangerous position in front of goal but was brought down by the same André Cruz. The question was this: was Detinho in the area  when the foul happened? It was a close call, and the ref decided for Sporting and gave only a free kick to Leixões and a yellow to Cruz when perhaps a red was called for, Detinho stopped on the way to goal.

The middle of the first half belonged to Sporting, Rui Bento and Quiroga both coming close with long shots. But their game was based on long shots and long crosses hoping for the head of Jardel, crosses that were being lapped by an impressive Leixões back line. Even so, the last ten minutes of the half belonged to Sporting. On 35 minutes, Rui Bento picked up a badly-cleared ball on the edge of the area and cracked a shot goalwards. The ball hit the bar, bounced down inside the goal-line and out; no goal was given by the linesman, who was the person best positioned to see the ball cross the line. Five minutes later, he atoned in favour of Sporting when he didn't give Jardel offside as the Brazilian took a pass in front of goal from Pedro Barbosa and slotted the ball past Ferreira, who still got a touch.

Leixões, then, went in one down, and we might have considered a collapse from the northern team inevitable after the break. The first quarter of an hour once again had its scares for the minnows, Nuno Silva lucky not to have a penalty awarded against him on five minutes for a reckless challenge on João Pinto. On six, Zé António headed off the line after Beto had met an André Cruz corner in front of goal, and another André Cruz corner looked to be going directly in before Ferreira once again palmed over.  From 15 minutes, though, the game belonged to an heroic Leixões team that tried everything to pull the game back.

On 15, Besirovic was perhaps surprised to find himslef free on the penalty spot, and his header was wide. Then Sporting's legs began to stiffen and Leixões began to find spaces to express their neat passing game. On 20, Abílio blasted a free kick that crashed off the crossbar, but for all their possession, their clear chances amounted to this and a header on the stroke of time from Anchouet, after a lofted free kick from deep by Besirovic which found the bottom of the right-hand post with Nelson stranded.

At the end, the body language told it all. The Leixões players and fans, obviously disappointed at losing their moment of glory, were still delighted with a display that had humbled the mighty Sporting. The Sporting players slumped down on the podium, knowing that they'd been in a game and that they hadn't at all come up smelling of roses.

All in all, though, this was one of the most exciting finals of recent years. And on this showing, there is no way that Leixões can justly be considered a Segunda B team, nor that Sporting can be considered a team that can put up a show in the Champions League next season.