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23/12/05
FC Porto finished 2005 on a high note, winning 2-0 on their visit to strugglers Vitória de Guimarães. In-form Ricardo Quaresma
got the first with a superb shot from wide on the left on 21 minutes. Jorginho, on as sub, missed an open goal on 52 minutes when he tripped over his own bootlaces, but made up for it five minutes later with
Porto's second. Porto remain top.
Nacional coldly dispatched Boavista on their own turf, the Porto club's first home defeat of the season. Fomer Bessa player Goulart
got the first on four minutes, a Viveiros through ball finding him unmarked in front of goal. Boavista's Fary allowed the formidable Diego to save his penalty kick on 26 minutes, and although the home team had most of the play, they could not transform their pressure into goals, down to Diego, the post (a Diogo Valente free kick) and lack of ruthlessness in front of goal. Ruthless was Nacional's top scorer
André Pinto, on as sub on 56 minutes; within ten minutes his two goals had put the game beyond Boavista. Nacional go clear second, four points behind FC Porto.
Penafiel look more and more doomed, bottom with only seven points. This time it was Estrela da Amadora and a goal from Semedo on five minutes that did the damage.
The Liga takes a break now until 8 January.
22/12/05
Benfica went provisonally second in the Liga Wednesday with a 1-0 win at plucky, depleted (with five players leaving the club this week) Vitória de Setúbal in new coach Hélio's
first game in charge. Vitória had themsleves to blame for choosing defence in the second half, and their giant 'keeper Moretto to thank for a number of fine saves. but in the dying minutes, a delicate Geovanni lob
was taken down by Nuno Gomes
to the left of goal and he in turn lobbed into the only spot in the goal that Moretto couldn't get to for just the fifth goal to be conceded by Vitória all season. But Vitória looked a little ragged on the night, understandable perhaps with the traumatic season behind the scenes they've had so far this season. It was their second reverse in a row and drops them to fifth, and they may be wobbling. On the other hand, this was Benfica's fourth consecutive 1-0 win and they are now just three points behind FC Porto, who visit Vitória de Guimarães Thursday.
Sporting Braga are certainly wobbling, but they can point a finger at the referee for having a hand in their 1-2 defeat at Gil Vicente, who climb out of the relegation zone. Braga went in front
on 27 minutes, João Tomás crashing in a typical header from a corner by Jaime, but early in the second half, a long range shot from Gouveia
hit the bar and came down on the line. The referee Elmano Santos gave a goal, and the decision shook Braga and heartened Gil. Braga's game fell apart, and they could not even take advantage of numerical superiority after Gregory was sent off on 67 minutes; on 85,
Nandinho's free kick was deflected off the wall and past Paulo Santos. Sporting Braga, with their fourth successive away defeat, loka shadow of the side that was threatening to run away with the Liga a month ago; they are now in sixth, on equal points with Vitória de Setúbal and five points behind FC Porto.
The Cameroonian striker Meyong is back amongst the goals; he got the only one in Belenenses victory at Académica, his 11th of the season, lifting the Lisbon side above the Coimbra side in
mid-table.
União de Leiria were 1-0 down at home to struggling Naval, Glauber scoring from the spot on the half hour. But five minutes before time, Maciel put União level, and on the stroke of time,
Harison gave the home side a 2-1 win and all three points. União climb to eighth while Naval, second from bottom on 11 points, already look favourites for the drop along with Penafiel.
Two second-half goals from Rincón gave improving Marítimo all three points on their trip to Paços de Ferreira. Paços had gone in front with a goal in the first half from Júnior
. Marítimo join Paços and União de Leiria in mid-table on 21 points.
21/12/05
Sporting finished the year with a bang, beating Rio Ave 3-0 at Alvalade Tuesday. Liedson was back in form, scoring two vital goals, with Tonel getting the other. Full back Rogério
is leaving for Fluminense, but he earned a standing ovation when he was injured in the first half and left the field in emotional tears. Sporting go provisionally second, four points behind FC Porto, who
have a game in hand. Day 16 of the Liga was brought forward to midweek to avoid Christmas and to give the players an extended break until the weekend of 08 January.
19/12/05
Boavista drew for the eighth time this season Sunday, at home to struggling Vitória de Guimarães. Boavista took the lead on 34 minutes, central defender Cadú
scrambling in at the back post after a looping cross from José Manuel on the left. Vitória came out fighting in the second half and proved that their position in the relegation zone is not a true one given the value of their squad. Five minutes into the second half,
Saganowski
picked up a loose ball 25 metres out and let fly, giving Carlos no chance. Twenty minutes from time, Zé Manuel saw a second yellow which left Boavista depleted for the run in, but paradoxically, it was they who caused the most trouble for Vitória's defence. Boavista remain in seventh, Vitória are fourth from bottom.
18/12/05
FC Porto consolidated their position at the top of the Liga Saturday with a 3-1 win over 'red lantern' Penafiel. It was the bottom club that went in front before a minute was up through
Bruno Amaro. But with Penafiel trying to defend their lead from the word go, and Porto putting on the pressure, it was only a question of time before the home side were back in it, and so it was. In the five
minutes before the break they were 2-1 up, with goals from Lucho Gonzalez, the second a penalty after Weligton had fouled Quaresma. Ten minutes into the second half it was all over, Quaresma crossing low from
the left for Lisandro Lopez to tap in.
Nacional remain second despite losing 0-1 at Benfica. It took a controversial goal from Nuno Gomes
twenty minutes from time to secure the points. Petit lofted a cross in from the left, Luisão clearly fouled 'keeper Diego in the challenge and Nuno Gomes swept in the loose ball from the edge of the six-yard box. A generally unadventurous Nacional had been close to taking the lead on the hour but Nuno Viveiros hit the bar when he might have scored. Benfica defender Alcides was sent off in the closing miutes for a second yellow. Benfica are fifth.
Sporting Braga returned to their winning ways after three straight defeats with a 2-0 home win over Académica. Both goals came from dead ball situations, the excellent Nunes
heading in from a Jaime free kick on 32 minutes and João Tomás thundering in to head home from a Hugo Leal corner on 65. Braga are fourth.
Vitória de Setúbal's heroic march up the table faltered with a 0-1 reverse at Marítimo, Rincón getting the only goal twenty minutes from time. Vitória remain third.
Belenenses dragged themselves out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win at home to Paços de Ferreira. Rolando put them in front on 33 minutes, and Meyong
made it safe with his tenth goal of the season on 75.
Gil Vicente remain in the drop zone after going down at regular Rio Ave, José Gomes scoring on 63 minutes.
Estrela da Amadora are hovering near the bottom and missed a chance to give themselves some breathing space when they went down 1-2 at home to União de Leiria. Paulo César
put the visitors two-up within half an hour, the first goal coming from an awful error by Maurício, losing the ball in front of goal. Anselmo
pulled one back in added time of the first half, but Estrela could not pull it round. União had Paulo Gomes sent off fifteen minutes from the end for a second yellow.
17/12/05
Sporting brought back all three points from their visit to Figueira da Foz (Naval) Friday, but in a scrappy match they needed a first-half penalty from Moutinho
(his first goal for the senior side, after he had been brought down by 'keeper Taborda) and a second-half own goal from China to do it. Sporting climb provisionally to third, while Naval, under new coach
Álvaro Magalhães, remain second from bottom. This was their sixth straight defeat, and their eighth consecutive game without a win.
13/12/05
A goal on 49 minutes from central defender Auri against Belenenses put Vitória de Setúbal into third in the Liga Monday. The feat would be great enough, but it becomes greater when the inability of the Vitória administration to pay overdue salaries is taken into account. The Belenenses slump continues under José Couceiro, and they are now just above the waterline.
12/12/05
Benfica overtook Sporting and moved into fifth Sunday after comprehensively beating Boavista in front of over 50,000 at the Luz, although there was only a goal in it, Alcides
in the dying seconds of the first half crashing in a header at the back post from a Petit corner on the left, Benfica's twelfth.
Sporting Braga continue to slip, conceding their third defeat in a row, their fourth in five. This time it was at Paços de Ferreira, Rui Dolores netting in added time of the first half.
Mid-table teams Académica and Rio Ave slogged out a 2-2 draw, but it took a Marcel penalty (his ninth goal of the season) on the stroke of time to secure the point for Académica. Chidi
had put Rio Ave in front on 22 minutes, Danilo had equalised on 54 and Gaúcho
had given Rio Ave hope of the three points on 55. Rio Ave played the last half hour reduced to ten after full back Milhazes saw red.
Vitória de Guimarães, in their first game post-Jaime Pacheco, scrambled a little away from the bottom with a 1-0 win at bottom club Penafiel, who are firmly rooted there with just seven points,
four behind Naval. Benachour got the only goal a minute from time. Penfiel's N'Doye got a red card ten minutes from time.
Gil Vicente got a sniff of safety with a 2-0 win over slowly sinking Naval. Luís Coentrão in added time at the end of the first half and Nandinho
with a penalty near the end were the scorers.
11/12/05
FC Porto secured their top spot Saturday with a 3-1 win at irregular União de Leiria. União were one-up after 35 minutes through Fábio Felício, but before the break they were two-one
down, the goals coming from Larangeiro (through his own goal) and Lisandro Lopez. Diego put the cherry on the cake with a third on 90 minutes.
Nacional remain in second just a point behind Porto after winning the local Madeiran derby 2-1 at the Choupana. They went in front against Marítimo on 36 minutes through Bruno
, their local rivals equalised on 66 through Kanu, but Bruno got his second and the Nacional winner in added time.
10/12705
Sporting lost their first game under coach Paulo Bento when they went down 0-1 at home to lowly Estrela da Amadora Friday. Manu
scored the only goal of the game to give Estrela three valuable points in their struggle to stay up, while Sporting's top striker Liedson, back after an internal suspension on disciplinary grounds, had a
penalty saved by Estrela 'keeper Bruno Vale. Sporting stay fifth but may be overtaken by Benfica or Boavista if either team win the match between them at the Luz on Sunday.
06/12/05
After going out of the UEFA Cup Thursday, Vitória de Guimarães made a pile of their woes Monday, going down 0-3 at home to União de Leiria. They were two-down within seven minutes, through
Touré and Paulo César, and the latter got a second just before the break to effectively finish Vitória off. Vitória's Saganowski was sent off on 36 minutes, União's Tixier on 92. The northerners languish
second from bottom on ten points, and coach Jaime Pacheco, who said after the game that he is not one to walk away from a job, may not get the chance to do anything voluntarily. União are in 11th.
05/12/05
Sporting Braga suffered their second league defeat in a row, and their first home defeat of the season, when they went down 1-0 to the surprising Vitória de Setúbal
. A goal early in the second half from Fábio did the trick and put cash-strapped Setúbal, who join Braga on 26 points, two points behind FC Porto at the top.
In a superb first half against bottom club Penafiel, Boavista
scored the two goals that decided the game to keep up with the pace with Benfica in 6th/7th on 22 points. Senegalese striker Fary was involved in both goals, setting up Diogo Velente and João Pinto
for their first half goals. A back-post header early in the seond half from Odair kept the result open until the end.
04/12/05
Nacional, previously unbeaten away, missed a prime opportunity to go clear at the top of the Liga when they slipped up at struggling Belenenses, for whom this was the first win in ten games.
Cameroonian striker Meyong, with his ninth goal of the season, got the winner five minutes from the end. Nacional remain one point behind FC Porto.
Nacional's Madeiran neighbours Marítimo lost by an identical score at home to Benfica, who remain sixth. Pedro Mantorras, on in the second half for Karyaka, took advantage of a mistake by
defender Valnei twenty minutes into the second half to score the only goal of the game and give Benfica a heartening three-points ahead of their vital Champions League game at home to Manchester United Wednesday.
03/12/05
Sporting extracted a point from their visit to the Dragão Friday. They went in front early in the second half through Deivid, but Porto equalised on 65 through Jorginho
, and that's the way it stayed.
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