Sporting B slip to 3-0 defeat on II Liga matchday 26

Sporting B slipped to a 3-0 defeat in Faro this weekend, on II Liga matchday 26.

Despite the final result, it was actually the team from Alvalade who made the better start to the encounter. Podence pulled a stop out of the Farense keeper in the 8th minute, before Rafael Barbosa saw a shot deflected wide and Rúben Ribeiro was also denied by the Farense goalkeeper.

However, it was the hosts from the Algarve who proved the most effective in front of goal and after Pedro Silva saved from a shot by Felipe Barros, Thomas Agyri opened the scoring seven minutes before the break.

João de Deus switched Ryan Gauld for Labyad at the break, before rolling the dice with the substitution of Ivanildo Fernandes for Cristian Ponde, but it was Farense who were doing the damage in the final third. Osama Rashid netted a brilliant effort in the 75th minute, before Rambé rounded off the result in added time.

The result leaves Sporting B in 10th with 36 points.

First under-20 training camp of the year

Goalkeeper Pedro Silva, the defender Ivanildo Fernandes and the midfielder Rafael Barbosa have all been called up by Edgar Borges for the first under-20 national football team training camp of the year, being held in Rio Maior.

The squad will gather at 14h30 on Monday for a total of four training sessions.

Bruno Rebocho named for II Liga matchday 26

Bruno Rebocho, 32, from the Évora Football Association, has been named for II Liga matchday 26 between Sporting B and Farense.

Nuno Croino and Duarte Silva will act as linesmen.

This will be Bruno Rebocho's third time officiating over Sporting B, after the trip to Mafra (matchday 2, 0-2) and the hosting of  Leixões (matchday 7, 3-1).

Farense-Sporting B will get underway at 15h00 on Saturday, in Faro's Estádio São Luís.

João de Deus on his side's draw with Mafra

Sporting B were held to a draw by Mafra this Sunday, on II Liga matchday 25. For coach João de Deus, it was a harsh result, considering his side's dominance in the first-half.

“We fell behind straight away because of an individual mistake, but I thought the first-half was ours in terms of quality. We drew level and we could certainly have been winning at half-time. We had enough opportunities to get in front. We knew it would be harder in the second-half and the sending off didn't help. It wasn't the result we wanted", explained the Sporting B coach at the final whistle, adding a word on Mama Baldé's red card and an already extensive list of absences through injury: “Players being out makes it harder, but it forces us to think about new players. Today we played with three under-19's again, who have adapted well. We want to help the lads grow both individually and collectively and tomorrow they will be stronger."

Sporting B held by Mafra on II Liga matchday 25

Sporting B were held to a draw in their Sunday hosting of Clube Desportivo de Mafra, on II Liga matchday 25.

The encounter got off to a blistering start and the visitors had the ball in the back of the net after just three minutes, when Ivan Fidalgo found space down the right to fire a shot that Pedro Silva spilled into the path of Adelaja for the afternoon's opener.

The goal really gave Sporting B a sense of urgency and João de Deus' side soon wrestled control of the action. The equaliser came before the quarter of an hour mark, when Zezinho battled back possession in midfield and picked out Sacko charging forward. The Frenchman dribbled his way around the Mafra keeper and calmly lotted to restore the deadlock.

The second-half brought with it a sort of role reversal, with Sporting B showing fatigue and Mafra taking a grip of proceedings. However, Pedro Silva was looking unlikely to be beaten again and Daniel Podence kept the visitors busy in their defensive third.

A red card for Mama Baldé reduced Sporting B to 10 men with five minutes on the clock, but João de Deus' side stood firm in defence to hold out for the draw.

Pedro Campos for II Liga matchday 25

Pedro Campos, 32, from the Porto Football Association, has been named to take charge of II Liga matchday 25 between Sporting B and Mafira.

Renato Barqueira and Bruno Ferreira will act as linesmen.

This will be Campos' second Sporting B match of the season, after the matchday 14 trip to Oliveira de Azeméis.

Sporting B-Mafra will kick off at 15h00 on Sunday, at the Sporting Academy. The match will be broadcast live and exclusive on Sporting TV.

Sporting B miss out to Feirense after two penalties and two red cards

Sporting B lost 2-0 to Feirense in Santa Maria da Feira this weekend, on II Liga matchday 24.

After Luís Machado threatened's Pedro Silva with a shot that ended up just wide, the hosts took the lead in the 13th minute form the penalty spot, after an alleged foul by Rúben Ribeiro on Luís Machado. The Sporting B keeper actually saved from the 12-yard kick, but Machado converted up the rebound.

João de Deus' side tried to rally, but struggled to build anything going forward while the hosts seemed happy to rely on set pieces to probe goal. After a brilliant stop by Pedro Silva in the 27th minute, Plantiny was again given the enviable task of converting on a penalty after Ivandildo supposedly fouled Vasco Rocha, but the Feirense forward fired the shot against the bar.

with under-19 starlets Ronaldo Tavares and Bubacar Djaló now on the pitch, Deus' side went looking for an equaliser, but the afternoon's refereeing just wasn't going there way and the hosts made it 2-0 after the official waved away appeals for a foul on Pedro Silva by Rúben Oliveira.

That could have been the end of it, but Rui Oliveira really left a bitter taste in Sporting B's mouths with a red card to Francisco Geraldes (61') and Dramé (76').

The loss sees Sporting B remain in eighth place in II Liga, with 35 points.

João de Deus on his side's loss to Sp. Braga B

"It was more of the same. Particularly in the second-half we created chances to score, but we just couldn't", opened João de Deus in his post-match press conference after the 1-0 loss to Sp. Braga B this weekend.

For the Sporting B coach, there was a lot to reflect on: "We showed quality in creating opportunities, but we failed with our finishing while our opponent made the most of theirs. We are frustrated with the result, but we will carry on working. It was just through a bit of inefficiency that we didn't score. We have won a couple of times through a bit of luck and today we lost because we were missing a bit of it."

“We have some important players our injured and some have left, so we have had to create a new dynamic in the squad. I think that everything will be back to normal given a bit of time. All we are missing is putting the ball in the back of the net", finished João de Deus.

Sporting B slip to defeat on II Liga matchday 23

Sporting B lost out to Sp. Braga B 1-0 at the Sporting Academy, on II Liga matchday 23. João de Deus' side created more than enough chances to claim the spoils at the final whistle, however a clinical touch proved lacking in front of goal.

The game got off to a lukewarm start, with neither side threatening in the final third with the exception of a dangerous shot from Dramé that ended up in the side-netting and a clearance from Francisco Geraldes that thankfully finished up wide of his own goal.

The midfield battle finally broke in the 32nd minute, when Dramé found space down the right and put in a deep cross for Sacko, only for the Alvalade forward to put his header wide. Down the other end, Carlos Fortes put Braga B ahead after the visitors had won back possession in the area.

Sporting B took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second-half, but a ruthless streak in front of goal was missing and chance after chance went wanting. On 48 minutes, Sacko missed two golden opportunities: firstly from a header after a cross from Francisco Geraldes; then after some battling work in the area that was eventually smothered by the Braga B keeper, Tiago Pereira.

João de Deus responded by pushing his team into a more offensive footing, changing Zezinho for Fokobo and a few minutes later Cissé was put into the attack along side Ponde in an unusual 4x2x4 shape. On 62 minutes Francisco Geraldes saw a shot from range stopped by Tiago Pereira, before Sacko squandered another opportunity to equalise.

The last 20 minutes saw Braga B completely pegged back into their defensive third, but chances for Cissé in the 84th minute and Mama Baldé and Diogo Salomão in added-time were all unable to do justice to the final score.

Duarte Oliveira for II Liga matchday 22

Duarte Oliveira, 34, from the Braga Football Association, has been named to take charge of Sporting B's visit to Guimarães, on II Liga matchday 22.

Nuno Fernandes and Licínio Vieira will act as linesmen.

V. Guimarães B-Sporting B will get underway at 15h00 on Sunday, in Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques, Guimarães.