‘Os Leões’ suffer a 1-2 setback in stoppage time at home

Despite dominating the contest, Sporting Clube de Portugal were beaten 1-2 by SC Braga on Liga Portugal Matchday 19, coming out empty handed from the game at the Estádio José Alvalade. A Pedro Gonçalves goal in the first half put the team ahead, but two strikes in the second half from their opponents denied them a share of the points.

Rúben Amorim made two changes from the match against FC Vizela last time out, fielding a starting XI of Antonio Adán, Gonçalo Inácio, Sebastián Coates, Zouhair Feddal, Ricardo Esgaio, Matheus Nunes, João Palhinha, Matheus Reis, Pedro Gonçalves, Paulinho and Pablo Sarabia.

Gonçalves provided the first warning after 11 minutes of play, with a low shot held by goalkeeper Matheus. Next to try his luck was Paulinho, who had a good opportunity for Sporting CP come back off Tormena.

SC Braga tried to respond, experiencing difficulties in bringing the ball out, and it wasn't until 19 minutes in that Ricardo Horta had their first shot -which ended up going wide of goal.

Sporting CP opened the scoring on 25 minutes, when Gonçalves was fed in the box by Matheus Nunes. He controlled with his right foot and pulled the trigger with his left, slotting the ball through the goalkeeper's legs. A VAR check confirmed that he was not offside, and the goal stood.

More opportunities followed for Sporting CP, including a shot by Gonçalves from a setup by Pablo Sarabia, which ended up going wide. A backheel from Paulinho just before the break was called offside, as the team nevertheless went into halftime 1-0 to the good.

SC Braga equalised at the beginning of the second half, and did so from a controversial penalty kick given against Matheus Reis. Galeno would beat Adán from the spot.

Gonçalves and Paulinho took turns to test the opposition goalkeeper on the hour mark, and Amorim decided to make an attacking change to bring on Bruno Tabata in search of another goal. The winger came close to scoring, when picked out by Gonçalves alone on the left, but he would strike off target.

In the 75th minute, Sarabia and João Palhinha were replaced by Jovane Cabral -returning after several weeks away due to injury- and Manuel Ugarte.

SC Braga benefited from an indirect free-kick inside the area, and Ricardo Horta's hit was blocked by the omnipresent Gonçalves. With eight more minutes of stoppage time added on, he himself nearly put Sporting CP back ahead, with Matheus denying him his second goal.

Eventually, it would be SC Braga who scored, in the 97th minute of play. Gonçalo Inácio lost the ball in a dangerous zone area, and Gorby shot low to beat Adán. Having been the better side, Sporting CP suffered a rare defeat at home.

The team will be in action again on Wednesday, in Leiria, against CD Santa Clara, in the semi-finals of the Taça da Liga.

The coach urges his side to be aggressive in their first home game of 2022

For the first time in 2022, Sporting Clube de Portugal will play at the Estádio José Alvalade this Saturday, as they host SC Braga on Liga Portugal Matchday 19.

In his pre-match press conference, coach Rúben Amorim began by addressing the opposition - currently fourth in the table with 32 points - recognising that the two games played between the two teams this season served as a reference for their preparation.

"They have a very strong identity. They maintain some characteristics that they already had last year; there is a focus on the formation and the things that change are the individual characteristics. Therefore, we looked a lot at the two games we had against them this season," said the coach of the previous 2-1 wins over SC Braga.

 Sporting CP come into the game in second place with 47 points, and the title race is heating up.

"We have to be at full strength to win the game. I know a lot of players [from SC Braga], and that helps, but obviously it doesn't give us any advantage. We have to be at our best, and very aggressive. We know each other, so I hope that it will be a great game and, even if not, Sporting CP need to win, which is the most important thing," he stated, before tactically analysing SC Braga.

"I've never seen SC Braga playing in low blocks. They choose the right moments to press. Sometimes there will be high pressure, other times they will wait longer for the moment. For example, we will have to pay attention to the depth of [Wanderson] Galeno and Iuri [Medeiros] is different too, so SC Braga will adapt to the game and so will we. Whoever is more inspired, more focused on defending and can better understand the game will win."

Asked about his decision to field Daniel Bragança in Vizela, instead of Matheus Nunes, Amorim explained that his coaching staff "try to use every opportunity to always keep players alert, because it is only this way that it is possible to win games and trophies."

"We are a team who have to work as hard as possible, otherwise we won't win games."

For this Saturday's match, he said that Jovane Cabral will be in the squad, before addressing the punishment that will remove Nuno Santos from the match.

"I made a correction to Nuno Santos and I shouldn't have, because it seems to me that it was used to justify a punishment that never occured. I don't want to go into too much detail, but I was looking at the footage and Nuno Santos threw water [towards the bench] and in the report it says that there was an obscene gesture -but I didn't see any images of it and the player also told me that he didn't. Sporting CP are very good at defending ourselves and our own. It doesn't seem fair to me. Nuno has to learn from these situations and the coach has certainly learned too. Nuno [Santos] will not be in the squad, and there will be another player in."

Regarding possible movements in the transfer market, Amorim said again that "whoever comes in will also be brought in with an eye on the future. I am very happy with the players that I have. They are more than enough to guarantee results until the end of the season. I want to emphasise the quality of my players, and what happens, happens."

The coach's reaction to the 0-2 win over FC Vizela

After the triumph in Vizela, Rúben Amorim said that Sporting CP were worthy winners, and expressed his satisfaction with the attitude that the team showed.

"The first ten minutes were a bit confusing for us. We weren't able to push FC Vizela into their midfield, as we wanted, and we only managed to do so after that. From there, we created chances, went forward more times and scored goals", he said.

"We went into the break with a fair lead, in my opinion. In the second half we had more of the ball, but we could have been more incisive and we should have scored. Even so, I think it was a deserved victory for a team that went back to its identity".

Asked about Pedro Gonçalves' return to goalscoring ways, Amorim reflected that: "I was satisfied, above all, with the way he played -and that the team were more aggressive than in the previous game".

On a set-to at the end of the game between Rapahel Guzzo and Nuno Santos, the coach said that the Sporting CP player "has to keep his cool" when provoked.

"There are some who can handle it better, and others less so", he said, justifying: "There were sendings off - for the coaching staff- that shouldn't have happened, but we have to protect our own and that's what we did".

The team pick up the three points on the road

Sporting Clube de Portugal won a Liga Portugal Matchday 18 fixture against FC Vizela 0-2 away from home, returning to winning ways in the league.

The match came five days after the team had played in Paços de Ferreira against Leça FC in the Taça de Portugal, and coach Rúben Amorim made several changes to his starting lineup. He fielded an XI consisting of Antonio Adán, Gonçalo Inácio, Sebastián Coates, Matheus Reis, Ricardo Esgaio, João Palhinha, Daniel Bragança, Nuno Santos, Pedro Gonçalves, Paulinho and Pablo Sarabia.

FC Vizela were the first team to create danger in attack, but Adán was alert to deny Cann off the opening chance. Sporting CP responded with a header over the crossbar by Paulinho, who had been in an offside position.

The team then set themselves up next to the opposition area and created goalscoring opportunities. Nuno Santos had a cross-shot saved by Pedro Silva, then it was Daniel Bragança's turn to strike over.

On 28 minutes, the first goal of the contest finally arrived. A bad clearance from FC Vizela's defence was gathered by Paulinho close to the area; he laid it off to Gonçalves who, after combining with Pablo Sarabia, delivered a quality finish into the net.

The second goal would follow 15 minutes later, after Pedro Silva had kept out a Paulinho effort in between. A combination on the right with Nuno Santos saw the ball cut back to the edge of the area, where Bragança appeared to convert the chance.

With the score at 0-2 at the beginning of the second half, Os Leões continued to dominate the match. Gonçalves came close to extending the advantage in the 51st minute, but Pedro Silva stretched out to keep the ball from crossing the line.

Shortly after, Gonçalves tried again, shooting wide. Esgaio followed up with a scuffed hit of a Nuno Santos cross, which also went off target.

In the 73rd minute, Amorim made his first changes of the game, bringing on Gonçalo Esteves and Manuel Ugarte in place of Ricardo Esgaio and João Palhinha.

Two minutes later, following a corner and a scramble in the area, Gonçalo Inácio had a goal disallowed for offside.

Sporting CP continued chasing the third goal, with Bruno Tabata replacing Gonçalves late on, but the home team also kept them honest with chances.

A shot by Pablo Sarabia that Pedro Silva claimed was the last opportunity for Sporting CP, who went on to take a 0-2 triumph that earned them the three points.

A week's rest follows for Os Leões, who will be back in action again next Saturday against SC Braga -in the first game of 2022 at the Estádio José Alvalade.

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.

​The team fall 3-2 against CD Santa Clara

Sporting Clube de Portugal lost in Liga Portugal for the first time this season, as they were beaten 3-2 by CD Santa Clara away from home. The game saw the side coached by assistant Carlos Fernandes, with Rúben Amorim unavailable due to COVID-19 protocol.

The first half was evenly matched and saw opportunities for both sides. The visitors had more of the ball, but CD Santa Clara didn't allow them to rest on their laurels.

Sporting CP managed to open the scoring after ten minutes. A good move on the right between Pablo Sarabia and Ricardo Esgaio, and a challenge by a defender, sent the ball over to João Palhinha, who in turn shot hard into the net.

A Nuno Santos rocket and a shot off target by Cryzan continued the back-and-forth battle, and Matheus Nunes also put CD Santa Clara under pressure, whilst the Azoreans were centimetres away from levelling when Jean Patric shot wide.

Second time around, Jean Patric would get his goal: On the half hour, Sagna crossed perfectly for him to head in the equaliser.

Before the break, Sporting CP had several opportunities to get back in front: Two from Gonçalves, with one hitting the side netting, and one from João Palhinha, who wasn't able to beat the goalkeeper. At halftime, it remained 1-1 in the Azores.

The start of the second half was played at a high tempo, and Sporting CP made it 1-2 after 50 minutes. A fantastic cross by Gonçalves found Sarabia, who provided the finish.

There was little time to relish the goal from the Spanish international, because CD Santa Clara levelled again soon after. Lincoln took the scoreline to 2-2.

Bruno Tabata was introduced in place of Luís Neto's on the hour mark, with Esgaio dropping back as a result. Shortly after the change, a Gonçalves free kick was deflected out by a defender, and the follow-up saw Sebastián Coates head into the hands of Marco Pereira.

With just over 20 minutes to go, from a move similar to that which resulted in Sporting CP's second goal, Gonçalves once again found Sarabia, who this time had his shot blocked.

In response, CD Santa Clara struck again to make it 3-2. On a clinical counterattack, Ricardinho appeared in a dangerous position and sent the ball past Antonio Adán, completing the turnaround.

In the final ten minutes, Daniel Bragança replaced Matheus Nunes and Sebastián Coates moved forward, as a big presence in the opposition box. However, the change would not last for long, as Bragança would be sent off by referee Rui Costa at the start of time added on.

Paulinho came very close to an equaliser late in stoppage time, but missed the target when in an excellent position. In the end, CD Santa Clara would hold on for a 3-2 win.

Sporting CP will now visit Leça FC for the quarter finals of the Taça de Portugal.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Luís Neto (Bruno Tabata, 58'), Sebastián Coates [C], Matheus Reis, Ricardo Esgaio, João Palhinha, Matheus Nunes (Daniel Bragança, 83'), Nuno Santos, Pablo Sarabia, Pedro Gonçalves and Paulinho.

The assistant coach takes over on Matchday 17 in the absence of Rúben Amorim

Opening 2022 and closing the first half of the Liga Portugal season, Sporting Clube de Portugal take on CD Santa Clara this Friday on Matchday 17. The team remain unbeaten, and are joint leaders with 44 points.

With coach Rúben Amorim isolating, his assistant, Carlos Fernandes, took the press conference in the Auditório Artur Agostinho at the Estádio José Alvalade.

He began by analysing the opposition, warning that "they have more quality than their league position indicates".

"Let's remember that, at the beginning of the year, they only just missed out on European qualification and eliminated FC Porto from the Taça da Liga, so it shows that they have that ability", he stressed, adding that "they are a team with very specific characteristics: A goalkeeper who plays very well with his feet, a squad with solutions and very fast players up front and capable of hitting you on the break".

Fernandes singled out Lincoln, Anderson, Morita and Rui Costa among the top players for the Azorean side.

CD Santa Clara are going through an unpredictable period of the season, occupying 15th place and with a third incumbent in the dugout in the form of interim coach Tiago Sousa. Nevertheless, Fernandes wants to keep the team alert, saying that "We know that CD Santa Clara have the ability to beat any team in Portugal, they've already shown it and we have to be prepared".

Asked about the absence of Rúben Amorim in the Azores, the assistant coach talked about the "positive energy" that the head coach transmits to the group, but assured that the preparation for the match had not been affected.

"The most important thing is that he and his family are doing well. As soon as he tested positive for COVID-19, one of the first things he told me was that I could come to the press conference to practice, so his spirit is always very upbeat".

"With new technologies, even today he was watching training live and was able to help us to make some corrections in real time. During the game, he is a coach who gives the players space, so the only difference we will feel is we won't have his energy in the moment. In terms of tactical, technical and physical preparation, we are just the same as before".

"I'm lucky to work with someone who gives this opportunity to both players and coaches. Our coaching staff is a mix of people like Mister Vital, with decades of experience in the Primeira Liga, and me and Adélio Cândido, who have been here for two or three years", he said.

Fernandes guaranteed that Zouhair Feddal will be in the squad, whilst Pedro Porro has returned to training but is not at 100% and Bruno Tabata has completed his period of isolation.

Finally, when asked about Pedro Gonçalves' dry spell in front of goal, the assistant coach praised him for other aspects of his game.

"This is probably the period in which Pote provided the most assists. It is important that people look at the player as a whole, because if he hadn't scored so many goals a year ago, no one would be looking at that now. He continues to do what the coach asks of him and what matters is that he plays his game without worrying about whether he scores or not".

The session sees Zouhair Feddal back with the team

Sporting Clube de Portugal's first team squad returned to training at the Academia Sporting on Tuesday, with a trip to the Azores on the horizon. The team will play CD Santa Clara at the Estádio São Miguel on Matchday 17 of Liga Portugal, at 5:30pm local time.

Zouhair Feddal was back training with the rest of the squad, providing a boost for coach Rúben Amorim. Pedro Porro and Jovane Cabral continue to undergo treatment with the medical department.

Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Tabata remain in isolation.

Os Leões will return to training on Wednesday at 10:30am local time, behind closed doors.