Liga Sagres: Vitória Sport Clube 0-1 SL Benfica

SL Benfica had the most difficult victory till now. The Vitória Sport Clube players, once orientated by Jesus are now well orientated by Prof Nelo Vingada, had more chances to score than our team. The motivated Guimarães players did all they could to defeat Benfica. Cardozo missed a great chance on a penalite shot but he his young and will soon now how to change things for better and present us all with great perfomances on the future games. Fortunately to SLB Ramires scored a great goal on a fault once again brilliantly marked by Fábio Coentrão.

The official games are harder to win and different from the pre-season, that were fantastic. On the day Jorge Jesus was announced as Benfica’s coach, for a two years contract with one more optional, he knew well that those difficulties would appear, but on this Club everyones thoughts are on winning. Jesus wants for sure to win Titles and be a positive mark on the history of the Reds. The words of Jesus saying that wanted to become Portugal Champion on this first year motivated even more the fans

The successor of Quique Flores wants to win everything, but the Spanish coach also dreamed with that, and the final results were not good as expected after months of brilliant work. Jesus wants above all to turn Quique’s team more dynamic. Jorge Jesus appreciates to study the opponent teams almost until exhaustion and ideas will appear when needed to change the positioning of the team. The lack of ideas was one critical point of Quique Flores that in a crucial season phase did not know how to solve similar the problems. Of course there is a big loss, Reyes that doesn’t belong anymore to this group, but other solutions were obtained by Rui Costa and the President LF Vieira.

Jorge Fernando Pinheiro de Jesus (24/07/1954)

Jorge Jesus was born almost 55 years ago, in Amadora, a city near Lisbon that grew tremendously in the last long years. In the local Club, Clube de Futebol Estrela da Amadora, he started playing, but soon changed to Sporting Clube de Portugal, where he stayed for two seasons. Sporting was also Jesus father Club where he played on one of the most kown teams ever. J. Jesus good performances made him wear the shirt of almost twenty Clubs, from the south to the north of Portugal. Later he returned to Amadora and before becoming Coach Jorge played one season for Sport Benfica e Castelo Branco.

Jorge Jesus learnt with the best on the beginning of his Coach career. The times spent on Barcelona with Johan Cruyff he will never forget.

J. Jesus represented, as coach, the following Football Clubs during his career:

Amora Futebol Clube (1989 - 1993);
Futebol Clube de Felgueiras (1993 - 1998);
Clube de Futebol Estrela da Amadora (1998 - 2000 and 2002/03);
Vitória Futebol Clube (2000 - 2002);
Vitória Sport Clube (2003/04);
Moreirense Futebol Clube (2004/05);
União Desportiva de Leiria (2005/06);
Clube de Futebol - «Os Belenenses» (2006 - 2008);
Sporting Clube de Braga (2008/09)

Jesus brought has on his staff, thre following top professionals:

Raul José is a well known coach that will be focalized on the forward players work;
Miguel Quaresma will have the specific job of training the defenders;
Mário Monteiro the third element of the staff will assume the players fitness.
Bruno Mendes works on the reds Lab and will be able to recover enjuried players;
Minervino Pietra the glourious Benfica player will transmite the Mystic to the group;
Luis matos will be the Goal Keepers Coach;
Marco Pedroso the video technician will study the teams.

Jorge Jesus is well known in Portugal by everyone who loves football. He likes discipline and rules. The benefits to the players are enormous although some don’t like initially his methods or probably his words. As a coach he likes detailed explications to the players in entrainments and also to the players on the bench during the games. If the players give their best they will become more discipline and more creative, and a better football model will apear on the team.

Next Thursday SL Benfica will play the second leg of the Europa League play offs. The four goals advantage scored on the home game against Vorskla Poltava allow Jesus the introduction of other players on the team. On the other hand will be able to avoid some fadig on other players.

Liga Sagres: Sport Lisboa e Benfica 1-1 Club Sport Marítimo

I Love Benfica

The slogan “I Love Benfica” is well known in Luz. The fans are proud of Benfica and they prove it going to the Stadium and demanding for a great Benfica. The team is not yet solid but last Sunday, although the result against CS Marítimo has been only a one goal draw, the public was happy with the players, the coach and their performance. So many chances created, with balls on the bar, penalty missed and knowing that the best player on the field was the opponent goalkeeper Peçanha. When things work out, the results will appear, consolidating that huge Love for Benfica.

The insular team Marítimo, scored on the 24th minute of the first half. The goal from Alonso was marked on a penalty shot. Benfica responded on a Weldon header at the 86’. The late goal was above all the result of a well organized Marítimo’s defence. The Madeira team deserved the point they took and proved that to defend a result the players don not need to turn the game boring.

Next Thursday Benfica will receive on Luz Stadium the FC Vorskla Poltava. The squad achieved this phase winning the Ukrainian Cup. Vorskla played in the annual opening game of the season, the Ukrainian Super Cup. FC Vorskla Poltava played against the champions Dynamo Kyiv. After a null draw at full time, Dynamo won the cup on penalties shots.

Some words of the Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, to the Press, about this game:

“The team (Vorskla) is not well known in Europe, but it is a good squad. They got Quality, stood on 4th Position on the Ukraine League, and won the Cup.”
“They play rapidly on offense transitions with two good players. I think the counterattacks are their best weapon.”
“It is important to us, score goals without suffering any. We want to go far on this competition. (…) We want to recover the Glory of other times”


FC Vorskla Poltava

FC Vorskla Poltava, once called Kolgospnyk, was founded on 5th day of January 1955. Vorskla is the name of the river that goes through the city of Poltava.

Achievements:
Owner of the Cup of Ukraine (1956);
Winner of Ukraine First League Championship (1995/96);
Bronze prize winner of the Ukraine Major League Championship (1996/97);
Participant in European Championships:
The Cup of UEFA 1996/97 (second qualifying round); 1999/2000 (first qualifying round);
The Cup of Intertoto 1997/98, (third qualifying round).
Owner of the Cup of Ukraine (2009).

City: Poltava
Country: Ukraine
Site: www.vorskla.com.ua

The Great Gladiator Eusébio

Benfica won the Eusébio Cup, against AC Milan, on a penalty shoot decision.

The Luz Stadium, with more than 60 000 spectators, watched Benfica players receiving the Trophy from the hands of the “Black Panther”.

The game was well disputed, and the victory deserved and justified, although the good performance of the Italian team.

Our coach Jorge Jesus had asked the players, before the game started, to play at least 50% of what Eusébio normally did. It seems that they heard him and dignified the Club giving the deserved honors to “The King”.

Football is one of the most fantastic sports of our times and certainly one of the most watched all over the world. Fortunately Benfica can sometimes proportionate full stadiums and if well managed this may allow the Club to earn a lot of precious money. On remote times the Romans used to watch several spectacles on the Roman Coliseum. The Emperor was there and tickets were paid. Also by that time a crowd of near 50 000 spectators watched Gladiators fighting on the Arena, sometimes until death. These public spectacles had the duration of all day long. Animals also participated and the crowds enjoyed the shows. The football players are the modern Gladiators also them are considered the heroes and have lots of women following them. If we were asked nowadays to choose an Emperor, we would for sure nominee the great Gladiator Eusébio da Silva Ferreira.

SL Benfica - AC Milan, 1-1 (5-4)

Portuguese League 2oo9/1o starts today

The season will start next weekend and the perfomance Jesus asked the players, will defintely be needed allong the all season. Only the most regular team, will agregatte more points and be the Champion.

God bless Jesus!

The players are learning the football concepts of the new Benfica’s coach Jorge Jesus, and the results are apearing.

A brilliant perfomance at the tounaments where Benfica participated. Three victories at Guadiana, Amsterdam and Guimarães. Tournaments.

Tomorrow an expected exciting game against a dificult opponent, AC Milan. After the last home defeat against the Spanish team Atheletic Madrid, the team wants a different result now.

The reds receive AC Milan on the second edition of the Eusébio Cup. Last year another Italian team took the Trophy, Inter Milano, but these year the Benfica fans want the victory.

Do not loose these game!

Uefa has a new football competition, Uefa Europa League, replacing Uefa Cup.

The competition started a few weeks ago and now is the time to Benfica catch the “european train” on the play off round.

The Europa League draw placed the ucranians FC Vorskla Poltava on Benfica way.

The games are expected to be played over two legs on 20 and 27 August 2009, home and away respectevely.