Liga Sagres: Sport Lisboa e Benfica 3-0 União Desportiva de Leiria
On a cold Wednesday night, the reds received the team of Leiria and added 3 more points.
More than 30 000 were able to see a game where Benfica owned the ball. The 90' minutes were of absolute control of SLB and although Silas and Carlão, UD Leiria players, tried to do everything they could to reach the Quim nets, no significant danger was registered. The South American players Saviola and Aimar broke the opponent defensive allowing Cardozo, before the ten minutes to score the 1st goal. "The rabbit" Saviola scored the second of the night and the last goal was obtained near the end of the game by Rúben Amorim, on a tremendous kick to Leiria nets. Although by this time the Leiria goalkeeper was suffering from pains, this goal is important mainly to Rúben who needed this goal to easier achieve the good performances, we are used to see.
Liga Sagres: Vitória Futebol Clube 1-1 Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Last Saturday, the city of Setúbal, received the visit of the reds.
Everybody was with high expectations on good game, that mainly because the games of Vitória FC (Setúbal) at home are always considered difficult to the visitors and also because the last result between these two teams, had been of 8-1 benefiting the reds. Well, if we look at the final result, a one goal draw, we may consider that those previews were correct. In fact, who saw the game has the perfect conscious that Benfica lost two points for own responsibility.
SL Benfica controlled well the game and reached the goal by David Luiz 14' responding well to a corner kick and making the ball, who was touched by Ricardo Silva the Vitória defence, go into the nets of the goalkeeper Mário Felgueiras. Everybody expected more goals but the lack of enthusiasm and dynamic of the eagles made a timid Vitória appear. Before the end of the first part 38', David Luiz alone in the area missed a kick and unfortunately to the team made a own goal. Nothing of much importance to register until the end of the game, except for a great opportunity from Cardozo who missed a penalty near the end of the game. The referee team was not also 100% and a goal for Vitória and a penalty for Benfica were in our opinion bad judged. In resume, this game could and should have been better.
The last weeks have been full of cases in Portugal, involving police records (YouTube) of football people and their influences, referees being strangely contacted by phone, players of opponent teams being contacted to "give" them money, tunnels where players respond to Stewards words, and being "punished" someday. Well, If all this, being true or false, occurred till now, one question is needed to be asked: How dramatic will the next episodes of this Soap Opera be?
The last weeks have been full of cases in Portugal, involving police records (YouTube) of football people and their influences, referees being strangely contacted by phone, players of opponent teams being contacted to "give" them money, tunnels where players respond to Stewards words, and being "punished" someday. Well, If all this, being true or false, occurred till now, one question is needed to be asked: How dramatic will the next episodes of this Soap Opera be?
Living dramatic moments, are the lions, Sporting Clube de Portugal, that receive later the eagles, SL Benfica for the Liga Cup competition. After loosing with FC Porto the access to the next phase of the Millennium Cup and being at a distance of 19 points (one game less) of the Portuguese Liga top, the only national competition where Sporting can show some work is on the Carlsberg Cup.
All the eyes will be focused (20.15h local time) on Alvalade Stadium. Don't miss it!
