Benfica 2 - Maritimo 1 - Su-Adu!!

Benfica won a very important game this past Saturday against Maritimo. In my game preview i had stated the importance of this game for Benfica - playing a team that not only has been the surprise of the Bwin this year, but that was also ahead of Benfica by 1 point in the standings, it was an important game, and with Sporting's tie on saturday the game took on another dimension and an added degree of importance for Benfica being that Sporting was also ahead in the championship run.
Camacho fielded the following 11:
Quim
Maxi, Luisao,Edcarlos,Leo
Binya,Katsouranis
Di Maria,Rui Costa,Rodriguez
Cardozo
This was one of the variations of the starting 11 I had projected. Two defensive midfielders to free up Rui Costa from defensive obligations. Making Rodriguez and Di Maria along the with Rui Costa the players that would support Cardozo up front.
Let's go to the game
Benfica took a bit to identify Maritimo's tactical scheme and before they knew it they were down 1-0. Quim, with an unusual hesitation in coming out to the ball ended up being caught up in no man's land and Kanu did not hesitate and lobbed the ball over Quim for the first goal of the night, 9 minutes in and Benfica found themselves down on the scoreboard. The team didn't take long to react and after a few minutes of imposing their game Rui Costa crosses the ball from the touchline and the Maritimo player, in a clear attempt to block the cross, handles the ball inside the box. The ref, being very close to the play, did not hesitate to point to the spot. Cardozo rocketed the ball to the keeper's left side, that despite having guessed the correct side, was helpless to make a save due to the power in wich the ball had been struck. 9 minutes later and Benfica had brought the game level, and gave the stadium a new outlook and hope of a win. The game had been very even up until the point one of Maritimo's players was taken down in the box by Quim, Quim received a subsequent red card for the foul and headed out to showers. At this point i'm thinking how this has just complicated things, playing with 10 with a very good possibility of going down a goal in the event Maritimo converted the pk. Camacho substituted Edcarlos for Butt and made Katsou the center back, it seemed to me the only obvious choice.. Pulling an attacking player when you are about to go down a goal, did not make much sense. Butt, which is not only a good PK taker, as also been known for being a good PK keeper. Makukula blasted a shot to Butt's right which he conresponded with a save. Benfica had just gotten a break, and now that they didn't go down on the scoreboard it was time to figure out how to win the game playing against 11 men and with a full hour yet to go in the final whistle. Camacho substituted Di Maria with Luis Felipe at half-time, in a move that would give Benfica more defensive capabilities in the midfield, Luis Felipe occupied his all too familiar position of right back while Maxi moved up to midfield to offer a more consistent defensive game, as Di Maria is not known for his defensive game. Benfica kept plugging away trying to get the winning goal. Half way though the second half Maritimo seemed to be content with the tie and were clearly just defending and letting Benfica come to them. Seeing this Camacho decided to use his last sub at the 80min mark by switching Adu with Maxi. While Maxi had defended well and provided the midfield consistency, offensively he had run out of gas, with Maritimo just hanging back, Adu's entrance in the game seemed only obvious as he could provide an offensive spark with his quickness and his skill. Six minutes later Camacho's decision turned out to be correct with Adu scoring the winning goal after a great play from Leo who made a run on the right side, yes right side, of Maritimo's defense and after going by the Maritimo defender with a mix of luck and skill fed the ball to Adu, who anticipated his marker and scored the winning goal.

Player appreciation:
Quim - Proved to everyone that he is human and that at any given point, just like everyone can make mistakes, the first goal is entirely his fault, the hesitation coming out and then being caught in no man's land. The penalty also seemd to be a good call, and even though Quim pulled back his hands, his legs make contact with the Maritimo player.

Leo - Another great performance by the brasilian, once again proving why he is probably the best left back playing in the Bwin. The play of the goal is an incredible play and for him to appear on the right side making a run shows what this player means to the team.

Luisao - Good game from Luisao which was the captain for the game, he is one of this team's leaders

EdCarlos - Nothing to really point out on the 30 minutes he was on the field. Unfortunately he was the sacrificed player from Quim's red card.

Maxi - He is currently Benfica's best right back, he is a great asset to this Benfica team due to his ability to play various positions. defended well and attempted a few long range shots which ended up in the stands.

Katsou - Another player who due to his flexibility is a great asset to the club, having him on the field at the time of the red card offered Camacho a great option without having to sacrifice an offensive substitute.

Binya - This player continues to impress me with his work rate, with his playing. yesterday it was the player that worked the most in the midfield, showing an endurance that was unrivaled by any other player. I still think he needs to work on his composure when attacking the ball, in order to prevent his game being limited by an unnecessary yellow card he might pick up.

Di Maria - Didn't really have a bad game but i have the feeling he can do so much more, the skill is there but he is currently going through a phase where he stopped being a factor, it's up to Camacho to steer this player in the right direction and not let him fall in a lack of confidence hole. There were a lot of expectations from this player when he first started, it seems he is felling that pressure.

Rodriguez - I can't find enough good things to say about the Uruguay international. he is a fighter, he never stops and all he thinks about is winning the game, doing whatever it takes. For me one of the best Benfica players on the field. He embodies the spirit of what it is to wear the Benfica Jersey, which for a player who has been at the club since August is an accomplishment in itself.

Rui Costa - The maestro is finding himself being given more and more attention by the opposing teams, and consequently not as many touches on the ball as he is used to, with Katsou going to defense there was more room in the midfield and he became more of a factor. Not one of his best games, nonetheless it's from his feet that all of the Benfica game comes from.

Cardozo - With Benfica going down to 10, Cardozo lost any of the support he had until that point, nonetheless he struck the PK that equalized in a demonstration of no lack confidence. I think he could have done better on a head ball he had free of any opposition. Needs to work on his aerial game. Finished the game exhausted.

Butt - The German came off the bench, cold, to save an important PK which turned out to be the turning point of the game, he later made a game saving save which kept Benfica in the game.

Luis Felipe - One of his better performances at right back, this was probably due to the lack of attacking initiatives by Maritimo in the second half, however Luis Felipe did well on his offensive runs.

Adu - Adu is turning into Benfica's talisman. Coming into the game with 10 minutes left, it's hard to make difference, but he has. I am a strong believer that he needs more minutes to make a difference, yet he finds a way, Great vision to anticipate the defender and to touch it past the goalie for the winning goal, a goal that sent the Benfica faithfull into hysteria.

Still a few thoughts on the game, this was a Benfica team that fought to the end, always believed they could win this game even after going down 10 men, Benfica believed they could win this game, clearly an attitude that is commendable.. The players left everything on the field and were rewarded with the 3 points, Their attitude, dedication and commitment is what every fan expects. This same attitude, dedication and commitment is what makes this Benfica be Benfica. The team is on a clear rise, the Camacho factor is very evident on this team - "Salir para ganar" Come out to win is how i'd like to see Benfica play every week.

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