The coach reviews Sporting CP's progress to the Taça de Portugal final

After the final whistle at the Estádio do Dragão, Rui Borges spoke about Sporting qualification for a 32^nd Taça de Portugal final.

Rui Silva's save and the team's unity in a difficult week
"It's natural, but it's not just the celebration after the save that reflects the strength, friendship, and family atmosphere that this group have. This season we've had some misfortunes in terms of injuries, which has somewhat affected us in this final stretch, with the demanding games we've had. Even so, the team have given a fantastic response. It was a good first half, in which we were better than FC Porto, and a second half in which FC Porto were the better side. We had to suffer at times, were always very well organised, cohesive, competitive, with a lot of helping each other out and communication, and we defended well. In the first half, we controlled the game with the ball.

Injuries to Gonçalo Inácio and Morten Hjulmand
"They are very important players, two leaders on and off the pitch, important to the collective and who make their presence felt in their own way. But we've won with 'everyone' and without 'everyone,’ so to speak. We've played without Morten [Hjulmand], without [Gonçalo] Inácio, without Luis [Suárez], and won anyway, with greater or lesser difficulty along the way. You lose some things, you gain others, and that's football.

That's why I always say I never complain, because I always start with eleven players and, each in their own way, everyone will perform. They believe in each other a lot, there are no egos, everyone respects and recognises the value in everyone. That's the great strength of this group: the respect and friendship they have. The team have demonstrated this maturity throughout the season and that makes me happy."

The Taça de Portugal
"As I said yesterday, being in the final is not ‘salvaging the season’ at all. I am guided by the greatness of the club I represent, by the happiness I have in representing us, and I focus on my job. The primary objective of a great club is to be in the final stages of competitions. Winning the league is more difficult now, but mathematically it's still possible. I never give up, and within what's possible, we'll fight. We're in the final and we had a great performance in the UEFA Champions League.

This is not salvaging the season, but rather the achievement of an objective. For now, the trophy is still ours, and we very much want to keep it. We’ve achieved our first objective -reaching the final- and we still have a game ahead of us."

His preferred opponents in the final
"I don't know who it will be, but regardless, I have enormous respect for them because I've been on the other side of the equation. I know where I came from and how much I dreamed of playing in a final. I know well the difficulties we will face. I remember well that in the first game we had in this competition this year, we won in extra time against FC Paços de Ferreira, a team fighting for survival in Liga Portugal 2.

It's a final, with two teams that deserve to be there, and I have no doubt that it will be a hard-fought game, and a very well-fought one, by both sides."

Tension in the game and Rui Silva's stoppages
"Rui Silva ended the game with problems, simple as that. Otherwise, the tension is natural; these are two great teams competing for a place in the final. It's natural that there's intensity on both sides. These are natural things in the game, as long as it doesn't exceed reasonable limits."

Not taking Suárez off
"I wanted to win and the first half demonstrated that. It’s natural that we dropped off in the second half. We were hampered by the two forced stoppages due to injuries. There was only one more stoppage for three substitutions, many of the players were exhausted, and I could only bring on three players. I spoke with Luis [Suárez] and he said he could go to the end, he fought hard for the group and he did very well, giving everything on the pitch."

Difficulties in the final stretch of the season
"The difficulties will be there for everyone. Games against teams fighting for survival, others for European qualification, others for the title. The closer we get to the end, the greater the demands. The price of points is inflated for everyone, the games are difficult, and there will be times when we play well, and others not so much. It's part of the game. There are many setbacks happening to everyone in this final stretch, but we have to be able to fight against them and always give our best."

Geovany Quenda’s starting role
"Honestly, his performance was even surprising for us. He had a beautiful game with and without the ball, and it was expected that he would play less time, but his energy was good and we kept him on for a few more minutes. Strategically, FC Porto press and rotate on the right, and the idea was to maintain width. We managed to block the press there most of the time, and he's a player who gives us more speed, regardless of not yet having that much energy. He was important, and he has different characteristics from Pedro Gonçalves, who is the one who has played more in that position.

The outcome of the tie influencing both teams in Liga Portugal
"I don't know how to answer that. I speak for my team and my only concern is to get them recovered. This month was out of the ordinary, not only because of the quantity of games, but because of the demands of the games we had, the opponents we faced, and the injuries that we couldn't control. These are traumatic things that have happened quite a lot this season. It leaves us frustrated, because we can't manage or control a large part of the injuries we've had. It affected us at times, but I repeat, the team spirit is fantastic. I am immensely proud to be the coach of these players. They deserve this recognition."

Sporting CP giving FC Porto space to link up their play
"It's noticeable what FC Porto do, although it's difficult to neutralise, but I think in the first half we always hindered them, we won the ball and didn't let them create any danger, except for one move in stoppage time. That was FC Porto's only real chance. It's a difficult job for the line of two, but we were competent at that moment. More than just preventing them from getting through, it was important to affect Pablo Rosario's decision-making, and we managed to do that. It was fantastic work from Luis [Suárez] and Francisco [Trincão]."