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FC Porto went to the top of the Liga Monday with a narrow 1-0 win at Gil Vicente. On a sodden pitch due to torrential rain, Porto went in front after just 30 seconds, Lucho Gonzalez heading home. They were not without their scares during the rest of the game, but managed to hold on to join Nacional in first place. Sporting went equal fourth with Vitória de Setúbal Sunday when they beat Vitória de Guimarães 2-0 at home. Carlos Martins had a hand in both goals, crossing for Deivid to head the first on 51 minutes and scoring the second ten minutes later from a frontal free-kick. Vitória, oddly given their value on paper, remain second from bottom. Benfica remain sixth after an impotent 0-0 draw at home to Belenenses, for whom 'keeper Marco Aurélio was the star. Vitória de Setúbal have gone 413 minutes without conceding a goal. This time they left it late to score themselves, Auri netting on 89 minutes, but it was enough to beat Rio Ave at home and take them to fourth on 23 points, four behind Nacional at the top. Rio Ave remain in mid table. Naval continue to sink. Paços de Ferreira scored as early as four minutes through Ronny but Saulo equalised for Naval. Five minutes into the second half, Júnior put Paços back in front from the spot, then Naval's Léo Guerra was sent off, and Ronny got his second minutes later to leave the score 3-1. Also in trouble are Estrela da Amadora , going down this time at Académica, who lifted themselves out of danger with the win. Marcel got the only goal of the game a quarter of an hour from the end, his eighth of the season. Within minutes, recidivist Amoreirinha and Manú had seen second yellows meaning that Estrela finished the game with nine. Bottom club Penafiel managed a point at União de Leiria. The home side went in front on 77 minutes through Fábio Felício, but on the stroke of time Bibishkov levelled the score. Marítimo and Boavista drew 1-1 Saturday in, it must be said, a rather lame game. Indeed it was half an hour before either side got a shot on goal, the 'keepers Marco and Carlos being good enough to keep out respectively João Pinto and Kanu. It was the latter that got the first goal on 42 minutes, collecting a low cross from the left by Evaldo and turning to place his shot in. Three minutes into the second half Boavista were level, Fary netting from the spot after Souza had been fouled. Boavista are 6th on 19 points, while Marítitimo are four points back in 8th. Nacional 's sensational season continues. An Alonso goal on 28 minutes was enough to beat hitherto leaders Sporting Braga 1-0 at home to take over the top spot on 27 points, one ahead of Braga. It was only Braga's second defeat of the season. Belenenses' slump continues, the team going down 0-1 at home to Marítimo Monday. It was their eighth game in a row without a win, and they lie three places off the bottom when the objective all at the club assumed at the beginning of the season was Europe. It was Madeiran side Marítimo's first away win of the season, and they're presently safe in mid-table. Manduca scored the only goal of the game from the spot after Belenenses 'keeper Marco Aurélio had fouled Kanu. Nacional went equal second with FC Porto Sunday after winning 2-0 at mid-table Rio Ave. André Pinto and Miguelito got the goals in the second half. Sporting go fourth with a 1-0 win at Penafiel, Liedson taking advantage of a blunder by 'keeper Avelino at the back post following a Moutinho free kick. Penafiel remain rock bottom with just six points. Joining Sporting on 20 points, six off Braga's pace, are Vitória de Setúbal, who continue to impress despite delays in salary payments that might have disrupted lesser teams. This time they beat Rio Ave 3-0 away on their 95th birthday, all the goals coming late in the game through Pedro Oliveira and Fábio (2). After a bright start, Naval have begun to stumble. Boavista joined Benfica on 18 points after doing enough to defeat União de Leiria 2-0 in front of mostly empty terraces at the Bessa. Central defender Hélder Rosário went rampaging down the right on 51 minutes and fed João Pinto who tucked the ball through Fernando's legs. Sub William Souza swivelled to poke the ball in on 72 minutes for Boavista's second. União were hindered by the sending off of striker Ferreira on 38 minutes after head-butting Tiago. Estrela da Amadora failed to help themselves out of the relegation zone by managing only as 0-0 home draw against Paços de Ferreira. Sporting Braga won a thrilling top-of-the-table clash against Benfica 3-2 Saturday. Brazilian central defender Anderson headed Benfica ahead on 21 minutes from a cross by Petit. It was the first goal that Braga had conceded at home all season. The Lisbon giants controlled most of the rest of the first half, but in the second, Braga came out with all guns blazing and showed why they are sitting pretty at the top of the table with some excellent attacking football. Cesinha equalised for them on 67 minutes, flicking a shot from a Jorge Luís cross that ex-Braga 'keeper Quim should have kept out, but it bounced over his body and in. Then Braga were in front, Maxi heading in five minutes from time. The referee João Ferreira 'conveniently' invented a penalty for Benfica in added time, Nem adjudged to have handled, but the ball clearly came off his chest. Nuno Gomes sent Paulo Santos the wrong way, and Benfica were level, expecting a point. But then Maxi popped up again to head the winner, but from an offside position. The referee gave seven minutes of added time, presumably to see if Benfica could get back; they couldn't. Braga will now remain top for at least another week, stretching their lead over Benfica to eight points. There is no getting away from the fact that they are serious candidates for the title. One of their main challengers will be FC Porto, chronic candidates themselves. Porto thrashed Académica 5-1 with two goals apiece from Argentinians Lucho Gonzalez and Lisandro Lopez and one from César Peixoto. Virtually Académica's lone voice of dissent, striker Marcel, got a consolation goal for Os Estudantes. FC Porto meet Rangers in midweek in a crucial Champions League match, and will be encouraged by this effortless romp. In contrast, Rangers suffered a heavy 0-3 defeat at the hands of 'Old Firm' rivals Celtic. Porto move into second in the Liga , two points behind Braga and, for the moment, three ahead of Nacional, who play at Rio Ave Sunday. The Liga resumed Friday, after a rest for internationals, with Vitória de Guimarães easing the pressure on coach Jaime Pacheco, notching up a 2-0 home win over Gil Vicente, although both clubs continue to wallow near the bottom of the table. A goal by Benachour late in the second half and another from Paulo Sérgio early in the second gave Vitória the three points that puts them on ten, one behind Gil. Vitória were helped by the sending off of Gouveia after just a quarter of an hour for striking Flávio Meireles, but Cléber might have seen the same colour red in the second half for striking Braima. Académica closed the 10th jornada with a 1-0 home win over pitiable Vitória de Guimarães. Os Estudantes climb out of the relegation zone while UEFA Cup survivors Vitória remain second from bottom with seven defeats to their 'credit'. Marcel got the all important goal after a quarter of an hour, and his team's cause was helped by the sending-off of Medeiros on 39 minutes for elbowing Paulo Adriano. Académica had the chance to put a cherry on the cake in the dying minutes, but Nilson saved Nuno Luís' spot kick. After the game, Vitória coach Jaime Pacheco offered his resignation, taking on his own shoulders the blame for Vitória's disastrous start to the season. Tuesday will tell if it is accepted or not by the Vitória board. It's getting pretty exciting at the top of the Liga, with unpredictable results and minnows rising. Rio Ave scared a Simão-less Benfica in front of 35,000 at the Luz, but only managed to come away with a draw. Cleiton put the vistors in front on 24 minutes with a veritable golaço, volleying in at the back post a lofted cross from the right by Zé Gomes. Petit equalised seven minutes later with a free-kick from a frontal position. But Rio Ave were far from being in awe of the Lisbon giants and went ahead again ten minutes into the second half, Chidi clipping home from ten metres, although the ball had been laid off by Gaúcho in an offside position. It looked like all the points might be going Rio Ave's way, and deservedly so for their organised play and team spirit, but then on 85 minutes, Benfica won another free.kick in a frontal possition, and Petit once again got it past the wall and in to leave the score 2-2. Later, FC Porto had fewer problems at a dispointing Paços de Ferreira, and won 1-0 with a goal on 11 minutes from Ricardo Quaresma, a volley from the edge of the box after a run to the line on the left and cut-back by Ibson. Going strong and sticking with the leaders are Nacional of Madeira, goals in the last twenty minutes by Anic and Goulart (penalty) giving them all three points at home to Naval. Estrela da Amadora had central defender Maurício sent off after only ten minutes at Vitória de Setúbal, which understandably conditioned their play. But Vitória still could only manage one goal, albeit the decisive one, through Fábio on 42 minutes. Gil Vicente haven't won for five games, this time drawing 2-2 at home to Penafiel. Carlos Carneiro put Gil in front on 27 minutes, but Gil grabbed the lead within fifteen minutes of the second half, N'Doye and Bibishkov getting the goals. Carlitos saved a point for Gil wth the final strike of the day on 66 minutes. On the tenth day the record finally fell; Sporting Braga, the last unbeaten team in the Liga, are unbeaten no more. On the always-difficult visit to Marítimo, they went down 1-0 to a Kanú goal on 37 minutes, Van de Gaag heading on a Briguel throw-in for the diminutive Brazilian forward to hook in from just inside the area. It was only the second goal that Paulo Santos, newly called up to the national side, has let in all season. Braga will still remain top until the next jornada, with at least a two-point lead. The teams lined up: Marítimo:
Marcos, Evaldo, Mitchell Van Der Gaag, Nuno Morais, Briguel, Fahel, Wénio, Mancuso, Marcinho, Manduca, Kanu (Júnior Bahia 84). Sp. Braga:
Paulo Santos, Paulo Jorge (Paulo Monteiro 34), Nem, Jorge Luiz, Davide, João Tomás, Jaime, Luís Filipe, Abel, Madrid, Vandinho. Belenenses have yet to win under José Couceiro, drawing 1-1 at home to Boavista. It was a game which was far from bad-tempered but in which Boavista saw seven yellow cards (!) and an extra one to make red for Areias after the full back handled in the area leading to Belenenses' first goal on 72 minutes, top scorer Meyong netting from the spot. (Areias had, however, saved Boavista with a double clearance of certain goals late in the first half). Meyong also saw red three minutes later after lashing out at Cadú, which left the teams equal numerically. Three minutes from time, João Pinto cracked a fierce shot from way out that bamboozled Marco Aurélio in the Belenenses goal, but the veteran ´keeper made amends at the death with a superb save from a Cafu header after a pinpoint cross by João Pinto. José Couceiro lamented the sending off of Meyong, which he believed influenced the result. He also regretted the racist chanting from a part of the meagre crowd (2,000 at most) specifically against Boavista's Fary and Cafu, declaring himself anti-racism from wherever it comes. Boavista coach Carlos Brito considered the result unjust given Boavista's better second half, but it's a fact that he seems to be the king of the draw: last season his Rio Ave clocked up 17 draws, and Boavista already have six so far this season. The teams lined up: Belenenses:
Marco Aurélio, Sousa, Pelé, Gaspar, Vasco Faísca, Silas (José Pedro 62), Pinheiro, Sandro, Fábio Januário (Romeu 78), Paulo Sérgio, Meyong. Boavista:
Carlos, Manuel José, Hélder Rosário, Cadú, Areias, Tiago, Lucas, João Pinto, Paulo Jorge (Diogo Valente 82), Fary (William Souza 55), José Manuel (Cafú 76). Sporting notched up their first win under coach Paulo Bento Friday with a fortunate 2-1 home defeat of União de Leiria, in a game dictated by some truly awful refereeing decisions. Sporting took the lead on seven minutes, Beto curling a free-kick past an out-of-position Fernando in the União goal. On 29 minutes came the first of the decisions that would corrupt the result. União striker Ferreira headed against the bar and Renato headed the rebound into the goal. Ricardo, on the ground palmed the ball out, but it was a good foot over the line. In absence of any decision by the linesman, referee Augusto Duarte waved play on. In the dying moments of the half, João Moutinho moved the ball across the edge of the area, spotted Rogério, laid it off and the Brazilian full back drove the ball past Fernando, who might again have stopped it. Eight minutes into the second half, União were back in the game with central defender João Paulo rifling home a poor headed clearance by Sá Pinto. Later, it was Sporting's turn to have a grievance against the referee when Fábio Felício's nasty studs-up challenge on João Moutinho went unpunished. Sporting battened down the hatches for the run-in, taking the ball to the corner flags to waste time - not a popular move for the home fans. But they got the three points that take them provisionally to level on points with local rivals Benfica. União, who lost for the first time in four games, remain in mid-table on 11 points. Sporting Braga extended their lead at the top of the Liga to five points Monday with a comfortable 2-0 win at home to Belenenses. Apart from the first half hour, when Braga put some lovely fluid football together, it wasn't the best we've seen of them this season, but it was certainly enough to see off a Belenenses side in free-fall: this was their fifth successive league defeat, plunging them into the relegation places, and the arrival of new coach José Couceiro has done nothing as yet to steady a strangely creaky ship. Couceiro himself admitted after the game that the psychological state of his team is the factor most urgently in need of repair. It was during Braga's purple patch in the first half that they got the key goal, an unmarked João Tomás heading in at the back post on 17 minutes from a perfect free kick by Jaime wide and deep on the right. They needed to be more ruthless in their finishing as the result was in the balance, despite Belenenses' limp efforts to react, right until added time when Belenenses defender Sandro kicked the ball off Castanheira's toe and straight over an unsuspecting Marco Aurélio. Sporting Braga march on - unbeaten and with just one goal conceded - and although coach Jesualdo Ferreira won't admit it, they must be serious candidates for the title, even at this early stage of the season. Results for the 9th jornada and tables
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