The coach comments on progress to the Taça de Portugal semifinals

After the Taça de Portugal win over Leça FC, Sporting Clube de Portugal coach Rúben Amorim expressed his satisfaction with the attitude of his players, who competed professionally against opposition that had already eliminated two top flight teams.

“We knew that we had to take this very, very seriously. We thought that Leça FC would play with a line of five at the back, but they used a line of four. We managed to score and we didn't give the opposition many chances, and they only came close from set pieces -especially in the first half,” he began by saying in his post-match press conference.

“We were better in the first half than in the second, when the players felt some fatigue. We didn't let Leça FC bring the ball out and we scored four goals, but we could have scored more. It was a good game, where the main objective was to win. It's important to have got back to winning ways,” he said, revealing that it was also “very nice to be back on the bench” after having completed a period of isolation.

Amorim then praised Bruno Tabata, who scored a brace in the game.

“Tabata had an excellent game. He played almost like a false nine, and playing inside is where I think his position is. Sometimes that takes away some of the effectiveness of our crosses, because we lack a striker, but his way of playing and his quality fit into this way of moving more loosely and coming to get the ball. He put on an excellent display today."

After revealing that he has no preference as to the teams opponents in the semifinals, which will be either FC Porto or FC Vizela, the coach was also asked about Manuel Ugarte's performance.

“Ugarte has the talent to play both as a no.6 and a no.8. He has been used more as a no.8 in the past, but he adapts very well to both positions. We also have Matheus Nunes and Daniel Bragança in that position. He could play there again, depending on the strategy for each game,” he concluded.

The team beat Leça FC 0-4 in the quarters

Sporting Clube de Portugal secured a spot in the semifinals of the Taça de Portugal by beating Leça FC by 0-4 at the Estádio Capital do Móvel.

The team welcomed back coach Rúben Amorim to the dugout after a period of isolation due to COVID-19, and he made seven changes to the starting XI that faced CD Santa Clara the previous weekend. Gonçalo Inácio, Rúben Vinagre and Tiago Tomás all got starts, whilst Pedro Porro was injured in the warmup and was replaced by Ricardo Esgaio.

The match started with Sporting CP dominating possession and patiently circling the ball looking for space. The patient approach paid off after only 12 minutes: After a solo move, Bruno Tabata struck a powerful shot and opened the scoring with the first attempt on target of the game.

Having taken the lead, the team continued to control play and, although Leça started to apply more pressure earning them their first offensive moves, it was Sporting CP who scored again on the half-hour. This time, it was Matheus Nunes who successfully finished an excellent collective move.

Before the break, several opportunities went Sporting CP's way, the most dangerous, by Bruno Tabata, forcing goalkeeper Gustavo Galil to make a huge save.

In the second half, Os Leões came close to a third when Nuno Santos appeared in the area to meet a cross, but his shot went over.

Play began to break up due to a series of fouls, until the game opened up again on 70 minutes. Feddal headed towards goal off a corner, but Joel Mateus deflected the ball onto the crossbar. The third goal eventually arrived in the 80th minute, with Bruno Tabata completing his brace from inside the area after a cross from Esgaio.

With the game practically decided, Sporting CP slowed down through to the final whistle, but still managed to get a fourth goal in added time. From the left, Rúben Vinagre sent a cross into the area, and Nuno Santos appeared to nod in an easy header.

Os Leões will now face the winners of the match between FC Vizela and FC Porto in the semifinals. Before then, they play FC Vizela in Liga Portugal away from home this Sunday.

Sporting CP: João Virgínia [GK], Zouhair Feddal, Luís Neto [C], Gonçalo Inácio, Ricardo Esgaio (Gonçalo Esteves, 83'), Manuel Ugarte, Matheus Nunes (Paulinho, 83'), Rúben Vinagre, Bruno Tabata, Nuno Santos and Tiago Tomás.

The assistant coach previews the game in the Taça de Portugal

Sporting Clube de Portugal will face Leça FC this Tuesday at the Estádio Capital do Móvel, in Paços de Ferreira. The game is a quarter-final tie in the Taça de Portugal.
Carlos Fernandes, the club's assistant coach, spoke in place of the still-isolating Rúben Amorim in the pre-match press conference.

“The Taça de Portugal is a different competition that we want to win. We have prepared well for this match against Leça FC, and we have warned the players that this side have already eliminated two Liga Portugal teams from the competition. They have a squad which has many players who have competed in the league at youth level, and are on the threshold of entering professional football,” he began by saying.

“Leça FC are in first place in their division and have dominated Serie C of the Portuguese league. They are a good example of what it's like to be a professional club in an amateur division. Anyone who watches their league games can realise that they are a team who are always attacking, but in the Taça de Portugal they have shown that they have the ability to defend as well. In the league they play a 4-3-3 formation and in the cup they have changed to 5-4-1 or 5-3-2. We are prepared for all eventualities in a match that we want to win."

He stated that Amorim “will recover in time and will be in the dugout tomorrow," and indicated that both Gonçalo Inácio and Pedro Porro are also fit.

“Gonçalo Inácio is already 100 percent fit, and so is Pedro Porro, contrary to what occurred last week. He will be able to enter the starting lineup or come on during the game, because we have many options for the right, for the left and for the centre of the defence," he said.

Finally, Fernandes confirmed that, despite his having been called up to work with the first team squad earlier this week, 16-year-old forward Rodrigo Ribeiro “will not be part of the squad for the game."

“It is important to remember that Sporting CP have a long-term project in place. We took advantage of the fact that Rodrigo had not played minutes the day before to call him up to work on his finishing."

"Flávio Nazinho and Gonçalo Esteves, for example, worked on their crossing, and Daniel Bragança on shots from outside the area, making the most of the fact that they were not options for this match. We believe in Rodrigo and in our academy in general, so we have to keep in mind that at any moment an opportunity could arise -and the players have to be ready," he said.