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Sporting completed the set of Grandes losing points this jornada with a 2-2 draw at Boavista , the same score as their first game under new coach Paulo Bento at Gil Vicente last weekend. Sporting were two up at half time, much against the run of play, through Nani (a cracking individual effort that started in his own half) and Liedson from a corner, but within ten minutes of the re-start, Boavista were on level terms, thanks to two interventions from Zé Manuel, on as sub at half-time: first he crossed for the most delicate of glanced headers from João Pinto to find the net, then his shot could only be parried by Ricardo with William Souza lurking to head in the simplest of goals. Nacional moved up to third with a 2-0 win at Estrela da Amadora. Some woeful defending gave André Pinto on 42 minutes and Alexandre Goulart on 76 the goals that gave Nacional three points to take back to Madeira. Nacional's neighbours Marítimo stole a point at Rio Ave with a 2-2 draw. Manduca put the Madeiran side in front on 24 minutes, but sub Evandro equalised just before the break. The same Evandro crossed for Chidi to swing the game Rio Ave's way still before the break, for Mancuso to secure a point for Marítimo ten minutes into the second half. União de Leiria were two-up at half time at home to Gil Vicente thanks to two goals from striker Lourenço, and they finished off the job in added time of the second half with another from winger Maciel. Vitória de Guimarães were victims of the shock of the day, losing 0-2 at home to Paços de Ferreira. Vitória's mini-revival of form and fortune was squashed by second-half goals from Didi and Edson. Bottom club Penafiel stay there, but enjoyed their first win of the season, 1-0 at home to Académica, Bruno Amaro netting fifteen minutes from time. FC Porto and Benfica both dropped points on a soggy Saturday evening, giving Sporting Braga the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Liga if they can beat Belenenses Monday. FC Porto had 70% of possession at home to cash-strapped but plucky Vitória de Setúbal, but they couldn't make the possession pay against a concrete defence in which central defender Auri and goalkeeper Moretto starred, the game ending 0-0. Vitória's players continue to perform heroically despite months of wages in arrears. On a pond of a pitch in Figueira da Foz, Benfica were also up against plucky opposition, the difference being that Naval also attacked and attacked well, Bruno Fogaça standing out with his strong running. It was Fogaça who put Naval in front on 72 minutes, turning Leo on the left and rifling in from an angle. But the lead lasted only eight minutes: Benfica's Nélson splashed down the right and fed Nuno Gomes who chose his spot and slotted in to draw the game 1-1. Benfica were without injured captain and winger Simão Sabrosa, and they missed him. FC Porto moved to second, three points behind Sporting Braga, with a 1-0 win at Nacional. The goal, when it came two minutes into the second half, was a beauty, Ricardo Quaresma taking a long pass from McCarthy on his chest on the right and curling a cross over with the outside of his right foot for Hugo Almeida to thunder a header in, the ball hitting the crossbar, post and crossbar again before spinning in. Sporting once again struggled, drawing 2-2 at Gil Vicente, despite a new face in the dugout: Paulo Bento, who has taken over from José Peseiro. Sporting scored at the death of each half; first Douala on 45, seemingly off side from a pass by Nani, and then Liedson deep into added time of the second half, ramming home a loose ball close in. The goals sandwiched by two headers from set pices: Gregory from a free on 49, and Carlos Carneiro from a corner on 69, both showing up Sporting's defensive frailties. Marcel put Académica in front on just eight minutes at home to União de Leiria, but União stormed back and won it 3-1 with goals from Ferreira (2) and Fábio Felício. Vitória de Guimarães continue to improve and got three points on their trip to troubled Vitória de Setúbal, Saganowski scoring on 36 minutes. Kanu and Manuduca within the first half hour settled it for Marítimo at home to Naval, who got a consolation on 75 minutes through Gilmar. Two goals from Edinho for Paços de Ferreira and two from N'Doye for bottom club Penafiel meant the points were shared at Paços. Sporting Braga guaranteed retention of the Liga top spot Saturday with a 1-0 win over northern rivals Boavista. The first half was an even affair, marked only by the only goal of the game on the half hour, Andrés Madrid sweeping in a loose ball after Boavista 'keeper William and central defender Cadú had lost sight of a corner. The second half was all Braga's, especially after the sending off of Boavista sub William Souza on 66 minutes for a reckless two-footed tackle on Luís Filipe, and they might have been further in front on several occasions. It was Boavista's first defeat of the season, and the only game in which they have failed to score away from home, but on this showing they cannot aspire to much more than a scraped European place. Later in the evening, Benfica were troubled in the first half by a lively Estrela da Amadora in front of 37,000 at the Luz, but they blossomed after the break to take the points with a 2-0 win, both goals headers, both from crosses from the right by the new Luz favourite, the full back Nélson: on 49 minutes, an unmarked Karyaka headed in from close range, and on 62 minutes, Nuno Gomes timed his jump perfectly at the far post to make contact and set the final result. Benfica move provisionally into second place in the Liga. Belenenses slumped to their fourth consecutive league defeat Friday, 1-2 at home to Rio Ave. In a scrappy match, it was Belenenses that went in front through Meyong, driving in from the edge of the box for his seventh of the season. But on the hour, Sousa 'appeared to bring down' Gaúcho in the box and saw a second yellow, Milhazes scoring from the spot. On 70 minutes, a free kick from Cleiton deflected off Pelé to confuse Marco Aurélio and give Rio Ave the three points. New Sporting coach Paulo Bento will not be able to sport the 'Treinador' armband for the match at Gil Vicente - Bento has not got the Grade 4 coaching badge required and must take his place in the dugout as an Assistant Coach. The Liga is set to annouce a new sponsor Wednesday, after the current one, the on-line gambling site betandwin.com, caused so much controversy (the only entity legally permitted to advertise gambling services is Casa Pia, organisers of the national lotteries). The estate agents Era are expected to be anmounced as the new sponsors. Boavista climbed to fourth in the table Monday, four points behind leaders Sporting Braga (who they play next weekend), thanks to a 2-0 home win over Gil Vicente. The referee Elmanpo Santos was in a generous mood on the night, giving Boavista two questionable penalties and sending off Rodolfo Lima with two yellows, the first, for a virile challenge on João Pinto, very exaggerated. That was on just 16 minutes, and Gil were already one-nil down, Senegalese striker Fary slotting hom from the spot after Jõao Pinto made the most of former Boavista player Braima's outstretched arm to win the penalty. Although Boavista had numerical superiority for 70 minutes, it often looked the other way round, with Gil winning most ball in the midfield, especially in the second half. But they weren't really doing much witht he ball they got, and in the last ten minutes Boavista seemed to come round from a trance and start attacking the Gil goal, helped especially by the entrance of midfielder Paulo Jorge, who looks very useful. It was during this late flurry of activity that Boavista got their second, another dubious penalty decision after sub William Souza fell in what looked like a 50/50 tussle with Rovérsio. Souza brushed himself off to side-foot the spot kick in. The crisis at Sporting deepened Sunday with a not altogether unexpected 0-1 home defeat to Académica, the Lions' third defeat in a row and the first time Os Estudantes had beaten Sporting at Alvalade in 40 years (!). A well organised Académica had little trouble containing a flaccid Sporting throughout, and on the break they scored one and could have had at least two others.:The admirable Marcelo got the vital goal on the half hour, Filipe Teixeira feeding him after Custódio had lost the ball in midfield; the same Marcelo hit a post on 42 minutes; and late in the second half, he was through on goal after yet another counter attack but was foiled by an oddly secure Ricardo. There were white handkerchiefs at the final whistle, some the size of tablecloths, suggesting mischief aforethought. And after the game there was trouble around the ground as irate sportinguistas gave vent to their spleen. A banner hoisted by the claque Juve Leo before the game left no doubt as to the fans' mood: "Mediocre Directors, Incompetent Coach, Soul-less Players - This is not our Club!" Coach José Peseiro could be the first to suffer from the backlash that is bound to come from this defeat, but his players are not responding, and they must take their share of the blame. There were white handkerchiefs at Penafiel, too, where Luís Castro's side went down 0-1 to Vitória de Setúbal, whose players continue to be model professionals despite the less than professional way they have been treated by the management, with no salaries paid since the beginning of the season. Binho got the solitary goal ten minutes from time. Elsewhere, Naval leapfogged over mid-table rivals Belenenses by beating them 2-1 at home. Lito put the newly-promoted side in front on 26 minutes, bundling over from close range. The inevitable Meyong equalised just before the break, his sixth of the season. But Cazarine got Naval's winner seven minutes into the second half. União de Leiria beat Paços de Ferreira 3-0 in front of a 'crowd' of just 500 at the local Estádio Municipal, one of the 30,000-seat stadia custom-built with mainly public funds for Euro 2004. The teams went in at half time drawin 0-0 thanks to a penalty miss by União's Harison on the half hour, but they came out with all guns blazing for the second and stuck it to Paços with goals from Renato, Ferreira and Maciel. Maurício put Estrela da Amadora in front on 35 minutes at home against Marítimo with a huge drive from a full 35 yards, and they were two-up six minutes later with a neat solo effort from promising winger Manú. But just before the break, Kanu headed Marítimo back into the game, and on 52 minutes Pedro Simões put through his own goal to say goodbye to two points for his team. Marítimo's Wénio was sent off for a second yellow five minutes from time. Benfica won at FC Porto for the first time in 14 years Saturday (see match report) thanks to two goals from in-form Nuno Gomes, dedicated to Benfica legend José Torres, suffering from Alzheimer's. Porto fans were streaming away from the ground a full 15 minutes from the end, and there was whistling and white handkerchiefs waved after a limp Porto display and what is becoming routine chaos in defence, with no direct blame to birthday-boy 'keeper Vítor Baía, 36. Porto coach Co Adriaanse was reported several weeks ago as saying that he would be off if he ever saw white handkerchiefs in the crowd (the Portuguese way of fans demonstrating their disapproval of the team). But in the flash interview after the game, he claimed that he had never said such a thing. And at the post-match press conference, he said that the handkerchiefs were being waved by "Benfica fans". Benfica coach Ronald Koeman has now won seven and drawn two of the nine head-to-heads the two Dutch coaches have been involved in. The result puts Benfica one point behind Porto at the top of the Liga, which is headed by Sporting Braga as Nacional, with the chance to join them, could only draw 0-0 at Vitõria de Guimarães, who had full-back Mário Sérgio sent off. Sporting Braga jumped to the top of the Liga Friday with a 2-1 win at Rio Ave. Going into added time, it seemed as though the equilibrium of the game would be reflected in the scoreline, but then Braga's excellent full back Jorge Luíz crossed from the left, Rio Ave 'keeper Mora flapped at the ball and it dropped for Vandinho to lunge in and bundle it over the line at the back post. Braga had taken the lead on 28 minutes, a shot by Nem banged into his own goal by Milhazes, and Rio Ave had equalised on 54 minutes with another own goal, this time André Madrid from a free-kick, spoiling Paulo Santos' record of no goals conceded in the first six-and- a-half games of this season's championship. 12/10/05 Saturday's Clássico between FC Porto and Benfica at the Estádio do Dragão is a sell-out (52,000). The last 1600 tickets went Tuesday. Sporting Braga joined FC Porto and Nacional at the top of the Liga Tuesday with a 1-0 win at home to Naval. Vandinho got the only only goal on just four minutes, and it was enough to give the Arsenalistas all the three points. Benfica won their third consecutive league game Monday with a rather fortunate 2-1 win over an improving Vitória de Guimarães. Benfica were the first to nudge in front on 19 minutes, Nuno Gomes misheading a cross into the path of Miccoli, who needed only to push it into the net from close range. The next minute saw the moment of the game but no goal: Neca spread a long ball out tto the right, Benachour crossed it first time on the volley, Targino swivelled and met it also first time on the volley from 15 metres, and Moreira dived low to his right to keep it out. It was the same Targino who equalised for Vitória on 33 minutes, diving unmarked and low to head home a Mário Sérgio cross from point blank range. And it was yet again the same Targino who was raked callously in the calf by Petit on the hour and had to go off injured, while the Benfica midfielder, incredibly, remained on. Five minutes later, Simão cut inside from the left, as is his wont, and shot goalwards, the ball taking a wild deflection off Medeiros and wrong-footing Paiva. Guimarães could curse their bad luck: they created more chances than Benfica, especially in the first half, the impressive Tunisian international Benachour hitting the bar and seeing another shot cleared off the line by Nélson with Moreira beaten. The fact is, though, that this was their fifth defeat in six games. But they can look at their performance on the night with optimism; the results will surely come. FC Porto missed the chance to go clear at the top of the Liga Sunday when they could only draw 2-2 at Marítimo. The Madeiran side, under the guidance of Brazilian coach Paulo Bonamigo in his first game at the club, were a revelation in the first half, pushing Porto back and creating all sorts of problems for their extremely creaky defence. After only six minutes, Marítimo were in front, Manduca glancing a header past Baía from a free-kick. A minute later, Mancuso headed in, only to be denied by the referee for a blatantly inexistent off-side. So Porto were lucky to go into the break just one down, but they came back with more vigour and a stronger midfield, and the withdrawal through injury of Manduca, who was causing Porto the most problems in the first half, left Marítimo with far fewer resources to resist Porto's push. Then in a two-minute spell midway through the second half, first sub Lisandro Lopes lashed home a loose ball, then César Peixoto strode through on the break to drive home under Marcos' body, and it looked as if Porto might have turned it around. And it looked even more likely when Nilson Sergipano was sent off ten minutes from time for a second yellow, but then five minutes later, Marcinho took the ball forward unchecked and sent a long shot dipping low past Baía's left hand. There was still time for Marítimo's Valnei and coach Bonamigo to see red cards, but there wasn't apparently time for Porto to take advantage of the by-the-end depleted Madeirans, and in fact, all things considered, Porto may be grateful to have got even a point. Sporting are definitively going through a crisis. After crashing out of the UEFA Cup Thursday, they were well and truly trounced 0-3 at Paços de Ferreira, thereby missing the chance to leapfrog over FC Porto and Nacional at the top and go into first place. Sprting were skewed defensivley from the start by a strange decision by coach José Peseiro to put Anderson Polga at left back, and they spent the firat half living on their wits. But as the half came to a close, they were two down: Ronny drove home from a short free-kick in front of goal on 42 minutes, then in added time, Didi prodded home after central defender Beto had only been able to divert a low cross against his own post. Sporting adjusted the back four in the second half with the entrance of Paíto to left back, and their play was slightly more coherent, but Paços were on a roll, and their overall superiority was undelined with almost the last kick of the match, Júnior loping off down the right and cracking a shot high and past the left hand of Ricardo, on for Nélson in thje second half. Coach Peseiro's position at Sporting is now looking increasingly fragile, and he may go sooner rather than later. All the other games of the day had the same result: 2-0. Nacional's Goulart and Chilikov got the two in the second half to beat Penafiel at home and go equal top with FC Porto on 14 points. Fernando on 20 minutes and Joeano near the end gave Académica all the points at home to Gil Vicente. Ricardo Chaves on 37 minutes and Fábio ten minutes from time gave Vitória de Setúbal the result over União de Leiria. On the hour, União's captain João Paulo collapsed and a Féher-type incident was feared, but the heat (30º+) was later blamed and the player is 'comfortable' in hospital. Rio Ave and Boavista cancelled each other out of a possible second spot in the Liga Saturday when they drew 1-1 in Vila do Conde. In a dull first half, influenced very much by an awkward wind, Rio Ave were the better side but could not make their 'superiority' count. The game brightened up in the second half and Boavista took the lead on the hour, Manuel José diving to head in from close range a cross by his near namesake José Manuel. It seemed as if Boavista coach Carlos Brito would be bringing the points away from his former club, but in the very last minutes, sub Agostinho slung a ball into the area from deep and Gaúcho got a head to it to send it past William. And so the points were shared between two teams that, on this showing, deserve no more than mid-table safety and the consequent obscurity. Belenenses missed a chance to go second in the Liga and will very probably lose ground on the top places after going down 0-2 at home to Estrela da Amadora at the Restelo Stadium in Lisbon Friday. Estrela jump, at least momentarily, to eighth from 14th. Belenenses have been producing some fine football so far this season, but here they seemd to seize up and under-performed in just about every department. On the other hand, Estrela looked like they knew what they wanted to do, did it and kept their heads afterwards. Both the Estrela goals came in the first half, both from defensive blunders and both from the feet of the same man: Semedo. He struck first on 12 minutes, intercepting a weak headed back-pass from Faísca and hooking it in past Marco Aurélio. And he was on hand again at the curtain of the first half, pouncing when full back Amaral lost control of the ball on the edge of the area. Belenenses needed to come out after the break with more cohesion and objectivity. They showed neither and the game inevitably went Estrela's way, with the added mishap for Belenenses of having their centre back Gaspar sent off in added time for a second yellow.
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