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28/09/04 Belenenses missed their chance to go top of the table Monday with a 0-1 defeat at nearby Estoril. Forward N'Doye, who had scored
in the recent draw at FC Porto, got the winner here, a close-range shot that deflected wildly off Andersson and in with just two minutes to go. Brasilia hit the bar with a free-kick in added time, and that was just
Belenenses' luck. 27/09/04 Benfica failed to win for the first time Sunday, held 0-0 at home by a well- organised Sporting Braga
side who might have come away with more than just the point but could not finish the several chances they had. Benfica remain top but are now only one point ahead of Marítimo. Benfica's Lisbon rivals Sporting
continue to backfire and only managed the same score as Benfica 0-0 at Rio Ave. Sporting's play was disjointed and increasingly desperate, although the game could have gone either way near the end when
first Mora saved high from Pinilla and then Ricardo saved low from Evandro. But pressure will continue on coach José Peseiro; Sporting have just four points from four games. Gil Vicente
won their first game of the season to lift them off the bottom, 3-1 at home to Moreirense. Carlitos put Gil in front shortly after the break, but Manoel
equalised for Moreirense on 77 minutes. Gil needed an own goal by Luís Vouzela and a penalty by Paulo Alves to take the points. Also with their first win, which also lifted them off the bottom,
Penafiel, 2-1 at União de Leiria. Folha and Clayton gave the visitors the impetus to win, slowed only on the hour by Renato. So who are the new 'red lanterns'? Académica
, who fell 1-2 to Nacional in Madeira. Serginho Baiano and Ferreira goals sandwiched Académica's single from Luciano, all in the second half. 26/09/04
FC Porto notched up their first win of the season Saturday, but it was a difficult one at Vitória de Guimarães. Porto went practically the whole game threatening to score and had two goals (justifiably)
disallowed, by Jorge Costa for a previous foul on a defender and by Costinha for offside. Porto dominated, however, and it was with justice that they took the lead on 83 minutes, Costinha
doing his trick of scoring for Porto when things are looking hairy. This time he hooked in from close range after Vitória failed to clear a Quaresma corner. And 0-1 was how the score remained.
Earlier in the evening, Marítimo continued their positive recent spell (which has conicided with the sacking of coach Manuel Cajuda) to beat Boavista 2-1
in Funchal. Marítimo went in front on 25 minutes, William parrying a Leo Lima shot to Tonel
on the edge of the box, whose shot went in off a post. Boavista looked to be turning the game around in the second half until Marítimo scored from the spot a quarter of an hour from the end through Alan
(who had simulated a foul by Lucas). Boavista kept their hopes alive with a Cadú header from a Carlos Fernandes cross in added time, but time had run out for them. 25/09/04
Vitória de Setúbal came down to earth with a bump Friday when they lost 1-2 at home to Beira-Mar. Vitória were second in the table and could have gone top, albeit temporarily. But Beira-Mar started
strongly and should have had a penalty after only three minutes when Sandro brought down McPhee, but they got their compensation on 26 minutes with a screamer of a free-kick by midfielder Beto
from a full 35 metres that flew into the top left-hand corner of the net. Vitória reacted well and put pressure on the Beira-Mar goal, but their equaliser was an untidy one, Tininho clearing against the body of
José Rui, the ball rebounding into the net. If the first half had been an open affair with chances at both ends, the second was marked by scrappy play in the midfield. But Vitória paid for their inability to turn
their superior possession into goals when Beira-Mar's Paul Murray, on as sub, threaded a ball through to McPhee
who hit it first time past Marco Tábuas. There were ten minutes to go, butVitória had lost their direction and the game. Benfica's home match with Sporting Braga
Sunday is generating huge interest and a bumper crowd is expected at the 65,000 capacity Luz. Benfica are on the crest of a wave, with three wins out of three. They're top of the SuperLiga
while arch rivals Sporting and FC Porto are floundering in the bottom half of the table. But not all teams have the drawing power of the mighty Benfica. Lisbon neighbours Belenenses, whose 85th birthday it
was this week and who ironically played Benfica
Thursday in a friendly, could only draw 2,000 to that game (in a 40,000 capacity stadium). In desperation at the low gates, the club is offering a special deal to its sócios
(club members): if they bring along two companions to upcoming SuperLiga
games, the three can get in for a total of 10 euros. Last season, the club was reduced to sending invitations to the customers of a gas company, one of the club's sponsors, in a desperate bid to get spectators through the gates.
23/09/04 FC Porto are going through a minor crisis. The current champions of Portugal and Europe have chalked up four draws from their last four matches, three in the SuperLiga
and one in the Champions League. Wednesday's draw, 1-1, was at home to União de Leiria, a game postponed from the first jornada because of FC Porto's then European commitments. Porto are a
team without fire, without self confidence and without luck. They were 1-0 up after only seven minutes through Quaresma, but stuttered after that, although they had chances to kill the game. Then a quarter
of an hour from the end, União's striker Krpan got the goal that would prove to be the equaliser. "We need some time but also some luck," said coach Victor Fernandez. Porto remain
firmly rooted in the bottom half of the table, already six points adrift of Benfica and now with no games in hand. The teams lined up: FC Porto:
Vítor Baía, Seitaridis (Pedro Emanuel, 64 m), Jorge Costa, Pepe, Areias, Diego (Raul Meireles, 58 m), Costinha, Maniche, Ricardo Quaresma, Luís Fabiano, Derlei (Maciel, 81 m).
U. Leiria:
Helton, João Paulo, Otacílio, Renato, Torrão (Laranjeiro, 83 m), Paulo Gomes, Caíco, Fangueiro (Freddy, 60 m), Alhandra, Geufer (Fábio Felício, 43 m), Krpan. 22/09/04
A single goal by João Tomás on 34 minutes, knocking in at the back post from a free-kick that was only half saved by Palatsi, was enough to give Sporting Braga
their first win of the season, at home to regional rivals Vitória de Guimarães. There were scuffles in the crowd during the second half as Braga fans clashed with police. The result lifts Braga to sixth
in the table, one place higher than Vitória. Television dominates the football scene in Portugal, while grounds continue to go unfilled. TV coverage of the third jornada
started on Friday with Boavista v Vitória de Setúbal and finished on Tuesday with Sporting Braga v Vitória de Guimarães. Then on Wednesday, television will show the game postponed from the first jornada, FC
Porto v União de Leiria. Thursday is rest day, and football returns to the screens Friday with Vitória de Setúbal v Beira-Mar. 21/09/04 Sporting
condeded their second defeat from three Monday, at home to Marítimo. By the end of the game, Sporting's fans (there were 28,000 at Alvalade XXI) were whistling and waving handkerchiefs in protest at the poverty
of Sporting's play. This is not unheard of at Sporting, but after only three games it is. Sporting were rattled by an early goal, Manduca
tapping in at the far post a lofted free kick from the right that cleared all the defenders. Only in the second half did Sporting manage to put some football together, when Pedro Barbosa and Hugo Viana came on to shore up a weedy midfield. But Sporting's cause was not helped by a nervous Liedson, who had seen a yellow ijn the first half for protests and saw another a minute into the second half for faking a foul. Later, Marcos put in a number of excellent saves to keep Marítimo in the game, especially from Beto and Viana, but Marítimo could have sewn it up earlier, Manduca netting cleanly on 56 minutes; the referee disallowed it for a non-existent off-side.
The teams lined up: Sporting:
Ricardo, Enakarhire, Beto, Polga, Rui Jorge (Pinilla, 53 m), Rogério, Tinga, Carlos Martins (Hugo Viana, 46 m), Douala, Liedson, Danny (Pedro Barbosa, 46 m).
Marítimo:
Marcos, Ferreira, Van der Gaag, Tonel, Briguel, Wénio, Chainho, Alan, Leo Lima (Bino, 76 m), Manduca (Souza, 87 m), Bibishkov (Luís Filipe, 58 m). Sporting and Porto
are languishing in the bottom half of the table while their arch rivals Benfica
sit proudly on top. The way Sporting and Porto are playing, this may not change in the very near future, and should Sporting lose their next match, at Rio Ave, coach José Peseiro, previously Carlos Queiroz's
right hand man at Real Madrid, may need to send his CV out. 20/09/04 Benfica went clear top of the SuperLiga Sunday with a third straight win, this time 1-0 at
Académica. The bad state of the pitch did not allow for much coherent football, but Benfica had the most of what was going and Académica rarely tested Moreira in the Benfica goal. Simão was fouled on 55 minutes and
Danilo should have seen a red card, but Académica were doubly favoured as Simão
himself hit the post from the spot. He atoned twenty minutes later when the ball found its way through the defence to him, unmarked at the back post, and he had time to clip the ball with his left foot past Dani.
Belenenses went equal second (with Vitória de Setúbal and Boavista) after beating União de Leiria 2-1 at home. It was a story of all the sixes: Antchouet put Belenenses in front on six minutes,
Lourenço extended the lead from the spot on 60 and Krpan pulled one back for União on 66. Penafiel managed their first point of the season, drawing 1-1 at home to Rio Ave, who now have
three draws to their name. Both goals came in a ten-minute period midway through the second half, Franco putting Rio Ave in front and Wesley equalising. Nacional
ended a bad week badly. After three players' run-in with the police and a 0-2 defeat in Seville, the Madeiran side went down 3-2 at Moreirense. The Northern club were 3-0 up before the hour was up, thanks
to a beautiful curled shot from outside the box by Filipe Anunciação and two from lanky striker Manoel, but plucky Nacional came back through Marcelo and Cleomir. It was not enough to get any
points, however. Still without a point are Gil Vicente. They went down to a Kingsley goal after only six minutes at Beira-Mar, whose first points these were. 19/09/04
FC Porto dropped another two points Saturday when they could only draw 2-2 at home to modest Estoril Praia. In a lively first half, Estoril fearlessly took the game to Porto and looked the more
exuberant of the two sides. On 13 minutes, N'Doye
dispossessed Seitaridis near the halfway line, took the ball on and rifled it low past Baía. The lead lasted just four minutes, Carlos Alberto cutting in from the right and feeding Luís Fabiano
who scored his first goal for the club. But just before the break, Pinheiro gave the visitors back the lead with a superbly executed free kick that swung away from Baía and into the top right-hand corner.
Porto came at Estoril with all guns blazing after the break and should have gone level on the hour when they were awarded a penalty for a suppsoed foul on Postiga, but Derlei, on as sub, hit the spot kick weakly and
allowed Jorge Baptista to save. Porto did claw one back ten minutes later through central defender Pepe, and might have got all three points but for a heroic display from Baptista. But the champions are slow to
get their game together, and with four points dropped, they are already five points adrift of the top, although with a game in hand on Vitória de Setúbal and Boavista. Benfica and Sporting play Sunday.
The teams lined up:FC Porto:
Vítor Baía, Seitaridis, Pedro Emanuel, Pepe, Areias, Costinha; Hugo Leal (Ricardo Quaresma, 46 m), Maniche, Carlos Alberto (Derlei, 56 m), Hélder Postiga (McCarthy, 79 m), Luís Fabiano.
Estoril:
Jorge Baptista, Rui Duarte, Buba, Dorival, João Pedro, Pinheiro, Paulo Sousa, N´Doye, Fellahi (Maurel, 71 m), João Paulo (Arrieta, 64 m), Hugo Santos (Abadito, 55 m). 18/09/04
The top two sides (along with Benfica) met Friday at the Bessa and came out of it level. Boavista, unexpectedly playing attractive football given their reputation and a horrifying last game at Gil Vicente,
went in front on 15 minutes against a surprisingly accessible Vitória de Setúbal, man of the match Martelinho
striding through onto a head-on by André Barreto to drive home past Marco Tábuas. But the home side couldn't consolidate their domination and lead, and on 53 minutes a free kick to the back post was headed across goal by Hugo Alcântara and
Jorginho, coveted by the top Portuguese teams, was there to head past William. There would still have been time for Boavista to re-take the initiative, but they weren't clear-headed enough.
At the end of the game, Boavista coach Jaime Pacheco
was, unjustifiably so it must be said, critical of the refereeing. At the beginning of a new season, and in the wake of the euphoria of Euro 2004, it might be expected that those responsible for the Portuguese game might try to be a little more reasonable in their comments.
14/09/04 Rio Ave and Beleneses closed the second jornada of the SuperLiga with a thrilling 3-3
draw in Vila do Conde. Rio Ave were three-up and coasting after a brilliant first half and goals by Saulo (6 minutes), José Gomes (29) and Ricardo Nascimento (54). Perhaps to their credit, perhaps
not (if you're a Rio Ave fan), they didn't sit on their lead, opened it up full throttle and could in fact have doubled their score. They didn't, and their sense of adventure/recklessness let Belenenses in once they
began to build up a head of steam themselves. Brasilia (64), José Pedro with a scorcher from thirty metres (80) and Brasilia
again on the stroke of time had Rio Ave kicking themselves. But for the neutral observer, it was one hell of a game. 13/09/04 Sporting slipped up in Setúbal Sunday, going down
0-2 to local side Vitória in a very open game. Jorginho and Meyong proved to be the key players for Vitória. On 50 minutes, Hugo 'brought down' Meyong in the area (a debatable decision), and Jorginho
converted the penalty. On 70, Jorginho placed a pefect through ball in the path of Meyong
on the right who cut inside and clipped his shot under the body of the helpless Ricardo. Sporting claimed a penalty later when Liedson and Hugo Alcântara challenged for a ball near goal, but to blame any refereeing decisions for their defeat would be to clutch at straws. Vitória looked the more together side and fully deserved the three points. They go equal top with Benfica and Boavista on six points from two games.
Earlier, Nacional had beaten Beira-Mar 2-1 in Madeira. Beira-Mar went in front on 28 minutes through McPhee, but Goulart equalised five minutes from half-time and Gouveia
gave Nacional the win on the stroke of time. 12/09/04 Maniche put last season't champions FC Porto in front after only four minutes at Sporting Braga
in their first SuperLiga game of the season, but Wender on the hour put a brake on any Porto euphoria, and 1-1
is how it stayed. Porto drew their first game last season ... and the rest was history ... Benfica beat Moreirense 2-0
in a Luz stadium that was only a third full, this for the opening home game of the season. Petit bent a free kick around the wall for the first on 24 minutes, and from the edge of the area on 83 Simão
planted a lay off from Karadas to finish off a useful Moreirense side. União de Leiria got their first points with a conclusive 4-2 win over SuperLiga newcomers Estoril
. It was Estoril who went in front on nine minutes through Hugo Santos, but João Paulo and Edson
turned it around for Leiria before the break. The same players got a goal apiece in the second half before Estoril's João Paulo managed a second for his team ten minutes from time. Marítimo
cancelled out their 0-3 defeat to Belenenses on the first day with a 3-0 home win over luckless Penafiel, returning this season to the SuperLiga but yet to win any points. Central defender
Van der Gaag put the Madeiran side in front in the first half, and Bibishkov, scoring on his debut, and Joel Santos sealed the victory in the second. 11/09/04
Gil Vicente and Boavista played out Friday what will in every respect be probably the worst game of the season, even at this early stage. For the record, Boavista won 1-0 with a goal on 38 minutes,
José Manuel running onto a long ball, which went through the Gil defence like a knife through butter, and planting it past Paulo Jorge in the Gil goal. But the goal, and the result, is neither here nor there. The
story of the game is the terrible quality of play throughout and the disgraceful total of 63 (!) fouls and four (!) red cards. And neither team can blame the referee Paulo Pereira who did no more than
comply with his duties. Boavista were reduced to ten on 55 (João Pinto, direct red for stamping) and to nine seven minutes later (central defender Hélder Rosário, deliberate hand ball, his second
yellow). Gil should have capitalised on the numerical advantage, but their play was as poor as their tactical sense and Luís Coentrão and ex-Boavista defender Braima
also saw red, leaving it nine-a-side for the last ten minutes. But even then neither side was capable of producing any 'football' to speak of. It was the first official game at the Estádio Cidade de Barcelos
, and it was much less than half full. The Portuguese are a discerning lot, and in this case they discerned right. Any more games like this, and the stadiums in Portugal will deserve to be 'left to the flies' (as
the expression goes here). 06/09/04 Moreno on 5 minutes and Silva on 21 gave Vitória de Guimarães a priceless first-half lead Sunday in their re-scheduled SuperLiga
Day 2 game against Académica. Substitute Luciano, on as sub, pulled one back for Os Estudantes, but it was not enough. |
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