3 teams....2 Spots

The 08/09 European season will be the last season in which 3 Portuguese teams will have a chance to compete in the Champions League. As it stands right now, the top 2 teams get automatic berths, while the 3rd place finisher will be drawn into a qualifying round.
Portugal's European coefficient has gone considerably down, all because of poor displays by Portuguese clubs, as a result, UEFA's coefficient point system has punished the Portuguese Bwin with the loss of an automatic berth.
For the 09/10 Champions league edition, only 2 spots will be available, the champion will get an automatic berth, while the runner up will be playing in the qualifying round. With that in mind, this year's berths take on special importance.

With Porto having wrapped the league title about 4 months ago, it is up to the following 3 to fight for the remaining 2 spots.

Sporting is in second place with 49 points, Guimaraes also has 49 points, but at a disadvantage due to the head to head tie breaker with Sporting(and Benfica), Benfica see themselves on the outside looking in, as they are in 4th place with 48 points. Two games remain to settle who will get the final 2 spots. For Benfica it'll be the only thing that can dampen the disaster that this season was, possibly the worst in many years.
For Sporting, a Champions League berth would also be the attainment of one of their secondary goals, as well as their third straight year with direct entry to the group stages.
For Guimaraes it is the corollary of a consistent season, which sees them where they are today, much because of Benfica's and Sporting's inconsistencies all year. Surely the Champion's League was a distant thought in the mind of Cajuda's men in the beginning of the season, after all, they had just been promoted, but as the season went on, what went from a distant thought became a big possibility.

Here's what the three will have to deal with in the last 2 games.

Sporting

With Liedson being declared out for the next two games, due to a twisted knee, Sporting will need to find offensive solutions to win 2 very tough matches.
This weekend they will make the trip to the very tough Mata Real building, the home of P. Ferreira. P Ferreira is fighting relegation, and they will play their lives in the next 2 matches. Playing at smaller Mata Real has always been a very difficult task for any team, the proof is in the numbers, as P Ferreira has only lost 4 times, this year at home.
The following week, Sporting has a chance to finish strong at home against Boavista. Boavista has struggled away all season, having only won once away from Bessa, nonetheless the clashes between the two are always very competitive.

Guimaraes

For Guimaraes, 3rd place might put them in a very delicate position. Yes they will be in, but playing in the qualification round, would see them encounter a tough team being that their European team coefficient is very low. If they get past that, or they qualify from second place, that same coefficient would see them being drawn out of pot 4(4th seeded), which would also see them encounter very tough 1 and 2 seeds. However, in the group stage, Guimaraes will have the opportunity to generate significant revenue, with 3 home games.
Guimaraes will face Belenenses this week, who despite just being handed out a 6 point deduction(Meyong case)will still be fighting to get into the Uefa Cup. A tough game away for Guimaraes.
The following week Guimaraes will host Estrela da Amadora. Guimaraes should have no problem beating Estrela, not to mention their supporters will be in force, as they have been all season. The last game of the season and the possibility of playing in the Champions League will only serve to create an even more favorable home atmosphere for Guimaraes.

Benfica

Benfica will try to finish the season with two wins, and hope the two above them slip. The two wins would see Benfica end the year on the right foot, and on a high note. Rui Costa deserves it, and the Benfiquistas who have stuck with the team all year deserve it also. Ascending on the table and achieve a Champions League birth, could possibly be the only thing that will make Benfiquistas forget some of the disaster this season has been.
Benfica will play Estrela da Amadora this week. Tough away game, against a team who is fighting relegation. The final game of the season, and Rui Costa's very last game with a Benfica Jersey on, will be against Vitoria de Setubal. Definitely the tougher of the two remaining games, but being Rui Costa's last game, we can expect a special Benfica, playing a game worthy of a dignified send off, one worthy of only the predestined, and of few players Benfiquistas have ever seen gracing Estadio da Luz, new and old.

All three teams will finish at home, and all have, i would say, at least one very tough game. This weekend will clearly be one weekend which will set the stage for who will be where, come the final whistle two weekends from now.

Continue Reading..

Because Red and White is.. Red and White

It's good to see some Red and White in the Champions League Final


#Photo - LLuis Gene - Getty


-END-

Continue Reading..

Ser Benfiquista

Here is a short clip of the show that ESPN Classic ran this past week about Benfica, and what it is to be a Benfiquista.
Many thanks to Pedro SLB for the link


You can download the full show from here

-END-

Continue Reading..

Benfica 2 - Belenenses 0 - Now We Wait

Benfica put an end to their losing streak with a "precious" win over Belenenses. With all the problems Benfica has had at home this season, in addition to the difficulty in beating teams that are all fighting for a spot in European competition, Benfica was able to go against the grain, and get the all important win that allows them to keep their hopes alive for a spot in the Champions League.


Chalana didn't surprise many with his starting 11. In the back, Leo, Luisao and Nelson repeated starts, while Edcarlos stepped in the middle of the defense to fill in for Katsouranis, who was needed in the defensive midfield, due to the Petit's injury and Maxi and Binya's suspension. The top half of the midfield diamond was composed of Rodriguez, Rui Costa and Assis, who filled in for Maxi. Up front, Chalana seemed to have made up with Cardozo and gave him the start the Paraguayan hadn't seen in 2 games. Supporting Cardozo was Nuno Gomes.

In my preview, I had predicted that Chalana would line up DiMaria and Nuno Gomes up front, and questioned Chalana's choice to start Nuno Gomes. Despite being a tireless worker up front, Nuno Gomes is very far from being the player he was last year, granted he has been plagued by some injuries, still, he has proven to be well below of what's expected of him.

Benfica started well, the defense looked solid and the midfield looked to take control of the game early on. It took a bit to sort out the offensive markings and how Belenenses was set up, but little by little Benfica established themselves. On the other side Belenenses was only able to show themselves past the 15 minute mark, with quick incursions that threatened Quim's goal. Belenenses pressured high and were taking advantage of Benfica's turnovers to establish some possession themselves. Benfica would later balance things out, when they were able to make quick transitions into the attack and get into the attacking third.
Benfica's first real opportunity came off a corner in which Cardozo did well with a header, but saw his effort saved by the keeper.
A few minutes later Cardozo ran to a 50/50 ball with the keeper but the keeper once again denied him, as Cradozo couldn't do much with that chance. It was Benfica's better phase of the half, after seeing Belenenses grab a hold of the game, Benfica needed to re-assert themselves into the game, and they would do just that, when Luisao(40') took advantage of a poor corner clearance by the Belenenses defense, to put Benfica ahead with a nice shot, a goal he made sure he ran to the sideline and celebrated with Chalana, a clear sign that team and coach are united and determined. It was the corollary to Benfica's rise in the game, although i have seen the team do a lot more and come away with much less this season.
Belenenses responded well before the half time whistle, but were snubbed by Quim.

Into the locker room up 1-0, Benfica couldn't complain much, although their moments of good playing had been intermittent, the goal rewarded the team who held a slight edge in the first half.

The second half saw Belenenses come out strong, trying to change the scoreboard in their favor. 8 minutes in, the same player hit the post on 2 occasions in the same play, and Benfica was lucky to not concede the tying goal.
At the hour mark, Chalana subbed in DiMaria for the ineffective Nuno Gomes, and the first time the young Argentinean touched the ball he was fouled, in the ensuing dangerous free kick, Cardozo would put Benfica up 2-0 in what is now a trademark execution from Cardozo. It was his 12th for the Bwin, his 21st of the season. It was the goal that brought some tranquility for Benfica, yet Belenenses refused to give up and Chalana subbed in Luis Felipe(74') for Assis in order to give more defensive consistency to the right side, a side which seemed to be the chosen side of Belenenses' attack.
Belenenses fight back wouldn't last too long, as 2 minutes later, their central defender decided to smack Katsouranis in the face in front of the referee, the referee brandished the red card, and Belenenses saw their chances of getting back into the game go down the drain.
Sepsi got a few minutes when he came in for Rodriguez in the dying minutes of the game.

Individually:

Quim - 8
Nelson - 8 - good solid game by Nelson, with two "in extremis" tackles that could have brought serious danger to the Benfica goal
Luisao - 7
Edcarlos - 7 - good game from edcarlos, confident and mistake free
Leo - 6
Kastouranis -7
Rui Costa - 7
Rodriguez - 7
Assis -6
Nuno Gomes - 5
Cardozo - 8

DiMaria -7
Luis Felipe - 6
Sepsi - not enough time on

MOM - Cardozo

As i mentioned above, a very important win for Benfica, who will now have to wait for Sporting or Guimaraes to slip, in order to gain ground on the table. Guimaraes plays Porto, and Sporting hosts Maritimo both games taking place his Sunday.




Highlights

Continue Reading..

Chalana adresses Adu's absence

Chalana adressed Freddy Adu's absence for the first time since Freddy returned to Portugal, from qualifying the U.S. for this summer's Olympics.
Speaking to the media in the customary pre-game press conference, Chalana was questioned about the absence of Adu from the game roster for this weekend.

Here's the translated quote

Adu participated in a tournament and then was a few days without training, and when he arrived he wasn't in the right condition, and had to recuperate. Players that aren't part of the game roster, have to respect those decisions. It's part of soccer. To my knowledge, there aren't any players that sign a contract which stipulates that they will be starters or part of the game roster. I don't know anyone with such aggreement.

click below to continue reading


Chalana finally breaks the silence in regards to Adu, the statement is somewhat vague, as it doesn't fully explain how a player of Adu's caliber is no longer an option. It's not like Freddy hasn't proved himself either, which makes Chalana's choice a bit of a head scratcher. Most fans have shown their indignation towards Freddy's absence, and there were a few speculations made by the fans to justify his sudden absence.

The first one, was that Adu had a clause in his contract which would see him getting a considerable bonus if he reached a certain pre-determined amount of minutes or goals. I don't think Freddy has played enough minutes to turn that speculation into a truth. He has scored 5 goals, but that seems like a very low number to even threaten any type of pre-established plateau.

The second one, was that Adu had gotten in trouble with the club, due to some off the field habits, namely late nights. Not too long ago, I read on a comment box for another blog, 2 different individual comments in which the authors claimed they had seen Freddy at a Lisbon club late at night, one at 1.30am and the other one at 3.30am. Both comments describe Adu sitting at a VIP table with drinks in front of him, in the aforementioned club. It was a Thursday night, Benfica had a game the following day, Freddy was not called for the game, so in essence Freddy had the next day off.
I'm not one to judge his behaviour, and i'm not really sure of the etiquete for a professional, not to mention my unfamiliarity with the club's policies, but i think an incident like this - assuming Freddy was in violation - would have been a good enough motive for disciplinary action by the club, not to mention the media would have been all over it.

The other possibility i had considered was the timing of Freddy's absence.

Let's look at the chronology:
3/2 - VS Sporting (Adu's last appearance on the game roster)
3/3 - Freddy leaves Benfica to join US training camp in Bradenton, FL.
3/6 - Loss to Getafe - Uefa Cup first leg
3/9 - Benfica ties last place Leiria
3/9 - Camacho leaves Benfica, citing that he can no longer motivate the players and that he can't understand why the players show such lack of motivation.
3/9 - Chalana is named interim coach until the end of the season.
3/12 - Benfica is elimnated out of the Uefa Cup by Getafe, following the 1-0 loss in the second leg.
3/16 - Tie vs Maritimo
3/17-3/30 - Benfica enjoyed a period of time off during this time period. A time in which Chalana completed his transition, perhaps a time for bonding between the players and the new coach.
3/27 - Freddy returns to Benfica, Freddy did not play in the final game of the Olympic qualifying tournament(3/23) as he was given extra days to spend with his family during the Easter period. Despite being authorized to be absent until friday 3/28, Freddy reports one day earlier. On the first couple of training sessions Freddy did specific work(fitness mainly), work intended to get him back into playing condition.
3/30 - Benfica beats P.Ferreira at home by the score of 4-1, in what was considered the start of Chalana's reign.

I think the time between 3/17 and 3/30 was a very crucial time for Chalana and the team. Camacho had publicly questioned the team's motivation upon his exit, and Chalana took advantage of the players bruised egos to bond with the team. On one of the first times he adressed the media as head coach, Chalana defended the team and told the media that the players are motivated and united, a statment that contradicted Camacho's exit words.
Those 2 weeks, were very important and seen as a right of passage for the team, with Freddy being out, it's very possible that when he came back, he was on the outside looking into this newly formed group, a group that was eliminated from the Uefa Cup but rebounded with a good performance vs P. Ferreira with a line up in which Chalana's "hand" was evident. The performance against P.Ferreira was a clear improvement from the Camacho era, and seen as a positive change by the fan base. Chalana has used the same nucleous since then, leaving out Freddy.

At this point that is the only logical explanation i can find, for Freddy's absence, i don't believe his work ethic has changed, on the contrary, i think he is working harder than ever. His situation is very common in soccer these days, some players just fall out of favor with certain coaches, for one reason or another.

With 3 games left, and a new coach on the horizon, there's a lot of hope for Freddy. We also can't discount that Freddy is only 18, and the first year in a new country is always chalked up as time taken to adapt.

Benfica made a serious investment in Adu and have big plans for him, i very much doubt he will go anywhere.

Freddy Adu has not put on a game jersey since 3/2, almost 2 months.

Continue Reading..

Benfica - Belenenses - Preview

3 games left, 3 chances of finishing the season on a high note. Coming off 3 straight losses in which they allowed 10 goals, Benfica will look to avoid dropping another spot on the table when they face the team that is the one bitting at their heels, Belenenses.
Belenenses has already beaten Benfica once this season, Benfica's second loss of the season at the time.
Belenenses comes into this game in 5th place, 3 points behind Benfica, with an away record of 6 wins, 2 losses, and 6 ties. Benfica on the other hand, brings their limp home record of 5 wins, 2 losses and 6 ties into this game. If you were to add the home and away points of the 2, Belenenses has 24 points while Benfica has 21 points, a clear indicator of what playing at the Inferno has been like for Benfica this year a true Inferno.


For this game, Chalana called the following players:

Keepers: Quim, Moreira;
Defenders: Nélson, Luís Filipe, Luisão, Edcarlos, Zoro, andLéo;
Midfielders: Katsouranis, Nuno Assis, Rui Costa, Rodriguez, Sepsi, and Dí Maria; Forwards: Makukula, Cardozo, Nuno Gomes and Mantorras.

Maxi and Binya are both serving suspensions, while Petit continues to fight injury and can not give his contribute to the team. Adu continues to be a card out of the deck for Chalana, while the German keeper, Butt, sees himself left out for the first time while being at 100%. Assis and Zoro have come in to fill the gaps left by the 2 suspended players.

Your possible starters will be:
Quim in goal. Nelson, Luisao, Edcarlos and Leo in the back. Katsouranis, Rodriguez, Rui Costa and Assis will make up the midfield diamond. Up Front, Chalana will repeat DiMaria supporting Nuno Gomes.

Katsouranis is the only defensive midfielder allowed, he will be in the position he has played very little this season. On the right side of the midfield, Assis will get a chance to change Chalana's mind about starting Maxi. Up Front will most likely not change, as Chalana told the media today that he enjoys seeing DiMaria in the supporting role, he will be supporting Nuno Gomes, who has scored a measly 6 goals for the Bwin this year.

Cardozo will most likely ride the pine, as Chalana will continue to inexplicably leave Benfica's 20 goal man on the bench.

There's not much else to say about the game, the players know exactly what they have to do, as they run the risk of dropping to 5th place with a loss. Guimaraes plays Porto, in what many are saying will be a game which Porto will only play at half speed. Sporting plays Maritimo who is fighting for a place in Europe.

Belenenses has a very decent team, and have had an excellent league so far.


Last round it was like this:


ZeroZero.pt - Game Card
How I saw it

Continue Reading..

Jorge Ribeiro Signs

Boavista's Jorge Ribeiro has apparently signed with Benfica for the next 4 years. Ribeiro whose career started in the formation squads of Benfica and reached the senior squad in the 99/00, returns to Benfica 7 years later.
Benfica let Ribeiro go after the 01/02 season, as the player was deemed not good enough to stay at the club.
Ribeiro is for many Benfica fans "persona non grata" as he made some negative comments about Benfica after leaving the club, and had a less than professional attitude when, after scoring against Benfica for Varzim(a few years back), ran along the sideline and directed some words at the Benfica bench. Since then, Jorge Ribeiro has been frowned upon by Benfica fans, much like his brother Maniche.

Ribeiro, who is 26, can play both, left back and defensive midfield, and there's already all kinds of speculation as to where the player will be utilized.
With Rui Costa putting the fans at ease about Leo's situation a few weeks back, with Jorge Ribeiro coming into the team, the speculations about Leo's exit are once again rampant. In Today's "A Bola", there's even an article pointing to the strong possibility of Binya going out on loan, which i think would be a terrible mistake.

For one thing, i have to praise Benfica's strategy on betting in the national market, as the players are already adapted to the Portuguese style and the domestic competition. On the other hand, i hope that the new season does not follow the same lines as the current one, when Benfica signed a record number of players, which ended up cut, or on loan, as they proved to be talentless.

-END-

Type rest of the post here

Continue Reading..

"Ser Benfiquista" - Documentary

ESPN classic Europe will be airing a documentary untitled "Ser benfiquista"
Check out ESPN Classic page for details.
Unfortunately, I don't believe this will be available in the North American continent.

Thanks to Pedro SLB for the info.

-END-

Continue Reading..

Porto 2- Benfica 0 - Incapable

#Photo Credit MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images

"Incapabable" is the only word that comes to mind, after, and even while watching the game. The quality of futebol played by both teams couldn't be a better indicator of where they stand on the Bwin table. I have to be honest, and say that prior to the game, I had hoped Benfica could get a positive result out of this game. The team was coming off 2 embarrasing wins and could have very well pulled together an put on a decent performance and come away with some points, but that wasn't to be the case as they showed very little arguments to defeat Porto, who as yet to be beaten at home this year for the Bwin.


Despite only being able to dress 18 players, Chalana called all the players available to make the trip to Porto, in an effort to keep the squad together in a time where it's crucial for the team to be united.

For his starting 11, Chalana chose to use the same 11 he had chosen for the game against Sporting with one change, Binya for Petit. Petit who got injured in the game against Sporting, did not recuperate on time and Chalana was forced to used Binya in the defensive midfield slot.

Quim in goal, Nelson, Luisao, Katsouranis and Leo in the back. Binya, Rui Costa, Rodriguez and Maxi composed the midfield diamond, while up front it was DiMaria supporting Nuno Gomes.
The other seven picked for the bench were: Butt, Luis Felipe, Sepsi, Assis, Makukula, Cardozo and Edcarlos. Once again Freddy Adu was left out in what it's starting to smell like, you know what.

It wasn't a very good start for Benfica who saw themselves down 1-0 at the 7th minute mark, when Lisandro took advantage of poor marking to find space to have a clear shot at Quim's goal, a move we have seen so many times this season.
It was early in the game, and Benfica hadn't even had time to straighten out their markings. Porto played a very compact game and pressured Benfica high often, Benfica showed difficulty in organizing any type of game, and were only able to get into Porto's midfield, when they would find Nelson on a long flank switch, but even then, there wasn't much danger to the Porto goal, as Nelson's crosses were often too long or too short. Nelson was able to find Rui Costa earlier in the game, but the ball hit Rui Costa in the chest and Helton was able to put a hand on the ball.
The last 15 minutes of the half, were perhaps Benfica's best period of the game, as they were able to take control of the game with posession, and put a little bit of a game flow together, but that posession could never penetrate the final third of Porto's defense, as the Porto men shut down the final pass lane and gave very few chances for Benfica to even attempt a shot from long range.
The half came to a close and Benfica left the impression that they could do a bit more, as they had stepped up their game in the last quarter of the half.

In the second half, Benfica was unable to give continuity to what they were doing at the end of the half, much because of how Porto came out.
Predicting an all out attack by Benfica in the beggining of the half, Porto came out aggressive themselves and put a damper on Benfica's plans, who were never able to get anything working offensively. Benfica had a hard time transitioning at times, resorting to the long ball, which would would end up in a change of posession. Chalana went to the bench for the first time at the 56th minute mark, when he subbed in Cardozo for Maxi. DiMaria dropped into the left midfield slot, while Rodriguez went to the right. While that might have been the right idea, it would have worked a lot better if Benfica could retain posession and get the ball to Cardozo in a playable way and not a long ball. Benfica continued to struggle to build up and much of it due to Porto's organized pressure.
With all the problems in transition play and build up, I thought it was kind of strange for Chalana to put Makukula into the game for Nuno Gomes(78'), after all, Makukula is the type of player that plays best in the opposing box, and for that Benfica already had Cardozo, so instead of having a link between the midfield and the attack, Benfica now had two players stranded up front. At that point i though how nice it would be to have Adu in the game, as he would have been perfect for that role.
Porto would put the game away for good (not that it was ever at risk) in the 80th minute, when Lisandro, once again, received the ball unmarked and fired a shot past Quim. Nuno Assis came into the game for DiMaria at the 86th minute, but didn't bring anything into the game, as a matter of fact all three substitutions made by Chalana had no affect on the game.
Benfica played an unimaginative game, slow and without ever showing a sign that they could win this game. Incapable to bother a Porto team who proved why there is a 20 something point gap between the 2 teams.
Simply put, Benfica just didn't have more to give, no solutions, no methods, nothing.

It's easy to criticize after a loss, but Chalana's substitution decisions are puzzling to me.
His continued decision to leave Freddy Adu out of uniform is alarming.
There are 3 games left in the season, this weekend, Benfica had an opportunity to improve their table position, but failed to take advantage of it, and while i can't get down on the players for their attitude, one thing is certain, Porto was just too strong, and has been all season.

With 3 straight losses and the season winding down, what can we expect from this Benfica team for the 3 ramining games?

Continue Reading..

Ruben Amorim Joins Benfica

Benfica's second acquisition for the 08/09 season is Ruben Amorim. The 23rd year old joins Benfica from Belenenses, after 7 years, as Amorim was part of Benfica's youth squads at the age of 16, but was cut by Benfica at the time. Ruben plays in the midfield, preferably in the right side, he has also played right back for Belenenses this season.
-END-


Type rest of the post here

Continue Reading..

Porto - Benfica - Classico Preview

With four games left in the season, Benfica continues to fight for a Champions League berth. This week, it will be their most difficult challenge of this final stretch as Benfica will travel to Porto to play the Classico.
A Classico is always a Classico, and despite Porto having already wrapped up the title, there will be no laying down on their part, not to mention they will be playing in front of a sold out Dragao. Porto's fans will be looking for their team to beat Benfica and show the superiority.


Benfica is currently going through their most difficult period of the season, with losses against Academica(0-3) and Sporting(3-5) for the Portuguese Cup. This Sunday's game will undoubtedly be a test of character for some players, who have been questioned about their worth and competence to wear the "sacred mantle".

For this game Chalana has called... all of the players. Yes, Freddy Adu also.
Despite this, only 18 players will be able to suit up with 7 of them being on the bench.
David Luiz is the only player hurt, and unavailable for Chalana.
Petit is also doubtful as he has been complaining of an injury.

Here's my starting 11:

Quim in goal; Nelson, Luisao, Katsouranis and Leo in the back. Binya in the defensive midfield, Rui Costa, Rodriguez and Maxi as the top part of the diamond. Up Front, Cardozo and DiMaria.

Guimaraes tied yesterday, and it would be a perfect opportunity for Benfica to cut the 3 point gap to second place, which might be Sporting's by Sunday night.

It's hard to speculate what Benfica we will see at the Dragao, Benfica hasn't won in 3 games, and have 1 win in their last 9 outings. Will it be the Benfica that played against Boavista, or will it be the Benfica that played against Sporting?
Benfica has allowed 8(!!!) goals in their last 2 games, they will face the league's best attack, who has yet to lose at home, having only allowed 1 goal at home in domestic play.
Regardless, it is time for the players to really reach down and show who they really are. Rui Costa will play the last Classico of his career, and it's a shame that the team hasn't been able to make the Maestro's last season one to remember.
Benfica will need to win if they they are to have any hopes of reaching second place or even 3rd, which would still give them a chance to play in the Champions League, but only after playing a pre-qualifier. With a win Benfica would ascend to third, tied with Guimaraes, but with the edge on head to head match ups.

One thing is for sure, Porto will not make things easy for Benfica, and they will treat this game as if the championship depended on it.

Last round it was like this:

ZeroZero.pt Game board


How I saw it

I will be doing Live Commentary on Sunday, the game starts at 8.30pm local time, the Live Commentary will start around 8.00pm, 3.00pm if you're in the Eastern Standard Time Zone, I hope you join me.
See you then.

Continue Reading..

10,000 Voices

I found this video, in one of my favorite video Blogs - Memoria Gloriosa It shows the 10,000 strong that put their faith on the team and went to Alvalade to support the team.
Just so you get a feel.... that entire section, behind one of the goals, from top to bottom are all Benfica fans.


-END-

Type rest of the post here

Continue Reading..

Sporting 5 - Benfica 3 - Self Destruction...Complete

#Photo Credit - Francisco Leong - AFP/Getty
BOOM!!!! And just like that, Benfica's season is over. There's no sense in thinking that we can still reach second place, let's be realistic.
In essence, all of this is a just reward for this year's Benfica. Blowing a 2-0 lead in 45 minutes is unacceptable, not to mention giving up 5, yes 5, goals in the second half, 4 of them coming in the space of 18 minutes.
There's no hope, there's no optimism left. The cold, hard reality is exactly where you can find Benfica today, out of European competitions, out of Domestic competitions, and in a disgraceful fourth place.


Playing for a place in the final of the only competition that could still bring a bright spot into this dismal season, Benfica fans hoped that Benfica could get past their eternal rivals this Wednesday to secure a final meeting with league champions Porto who had qualified for the final on Tuesday.
With the advantage of having 48 more hours of rest than Sporting, Benfica headed into this semifinal clash with some optimism, despite playing away. \
10,000 strong filled up the north side stands in hope of seeing Benfica advance with a win over Sporting.

For this game Chalana started the following 11:

Quim in goal. Nelson, Luisao, Katsouranis, Leo made up the back four, while Petit, Rui Costa, Maxi and Rodriguez, made up the intermediary sector. Up Front, it was DiMaria supporting Nuno Gomes.
Chalana opted out to leave Cardozo on the bench, and repeat the defensive back four who had allowed 3 goals at home against Academica.

Benfica started well, and after withstanding Sporting's initial pressure, were able to control the game and go up on the scoreboard at the 19th minute mark, when Dimaria combined well with Rui Costa who would put Benfica up on the scoreboard. It was Benfica's best period, which rewarded them with the lead.
Sporting looked flat and Benfica clearly played the best futebol of the half, creating several chance. In the 31st minute Benfica would go up again on the scoreboard, a goal that mirrored Benfica's dominance of the first half.
The game seemed controlled by Benfica and the final was a mere 45 minutes away.

Having dominated Sporting for the first 45 minutes, Benfica went into the locker room in a comfortable position. Up 2 goals and with the momentum on their side, the final seemed the obvious end result to this game.

The second half, however, was a different game altogether, Sporting came out strong, and determined to leave everything on the field, Benfica on the other hand, was content to let Sporting play by giving them as much time as they liked and lowering their pressuring line. DiMaria who had been the most active of the Benfica players in the first half, was subbed out for Sepsi, in an effort to refresh the left side. Chalana put Sepsi in the game in order to give more of a defensive posture to the left side of Benfica. Up 2 nothing and with Sporting in clear ascendant, it seemed like the obvious choice for Chalana, although Dimaria had been the one player that seemed to bring danger to the Sporting defense. Rodriguez, who had given consistency to the left side, was now the player with more offensive freedom.
Sporting's will and dominance of the second half, would eventually bear fruit, when they cut the lead down to 1 goal in the 68th minute. Sporting was clearly the more dominant team of the half, and with their fans behind them, they believed they could turn around the result. Feeding on their momentum, Sporting would tie the game in the 76th minute, and believed that they could win the game with every minute that went by. On the other hand, Benfica continued to allow Sporting to play their game, conceding spaces and playing a soft type of marking. Losing the midfield, with both Petit and Rui Costa out of gas, Chalana could not recognize that he needed to win back the midfield as a way to get back in the game. Binya warmed up, and continued to warm up, as Chalana saw Sporting complete the 3 goal turn around at the 79th minute. Benfica would get back in the game when Rodriguez tied the game at 3 with a blast from mid range. With the game tied at 3 and with Benfica being dominated by Sporting, it would have made more sense if Chalana had brought in Binya to refresh the midfield and even up the game. But Chalana would see Sporting go up 4-3 before he could make his sub choice, which changed from a defensive one to an all out approach, Chalana brought in Cardozo for Petit at the 85th minute mark. With Benfica clearly balanced towards the attack, Sporting would put the nail in the coffin in the added time period, to set the score at 5-3.

If you had the pleasure of watching the game, you have to think of it as a good game, as both teams had their chances. Benfica was the dominating team in the first half, while Sporting took a more aggressive stance in the second half, and proved to be the team that wanted it more.
"Incredible" is the word I can use to describe Benfica's inability to control the game, and protect their lead.
After past failures, this one fits right in with this season's track record.

I have to question Chalana's choices and lack of a good read on the game. While Sepsi's substitution was the wrong one, Cardozo's is an act of desperation on his part.
With Sporting in clear ascendant and dominance in the second half, Chalana could have very well have made adjustments to change the course of events, by bringing in Binya into the midfield.

Next up, is a difficult game at Porto, who, despite having wrapped up the title, will not allow Benfica to come into their building and win. You can be certain of that. The Dragao has already sold out, and most of the Porto fans, will be looking for their team to humiliate Benfica.
Benfica will need to win to keep their second place chances alive, if they are to take advantage of a Sporting or Guimaraes sli

Continue Reading..

Sporting - Benfica - Portuguese Cup Preview

With the light at the end of the tunnel dimming for second place, Benfica is still very much alive in the Portuguese Cup, where they will play Sporting for a place in the final this wednesday.
It'll be the fourth time Benfica plays Sporting this season. Benfica beat Sporting in pre-season, during the Guadiana Tournament, and both teams have played to a deadlocks on the two games for the Bwin. This time around there will be a winner, and that winner will have a chance to play for the Portuguese Cup, one of the objectives for the season.
Benfica comes off one of the worst defeats at home, a defeat that saw them fall from 2nd to 4th, and out of any type of chance of entering the Champions League.
Sporting who has already lost the League Cup final this season, will be looking to get back into another final.

For this game, Chalana has called the following players:

Keepers: Quim and Butt;
Defenders: Luís Filipe, Nelson, Léo, Luisão, Maxi Pereira, Edcarlos and Sepsi;
Midfielders: Petit, Katsouranis, Rui Costa, Rodriguez, Binya and Di María;
Forwards: Nuno Gomes, Cardozo and Mantorras.

A repeat from the game roster he called for the Boavista game. Left out were Makukula and Assis, who were in this past weekend's game roster. Freddy Adu continues to not be part of Chalana's plans, a decision that continues to raise a lot of questions on the fan's minds. At this point, there's no explanation from Chalana as to why he continues to ommit Freddy, and no one in the media has really asked why. There are a couple of rumours going around about Freddy, but at this time i will chose to not air them out.

Probable starting 11 will be:

Quim in goal, Nelson, Luisao, Katsouranis and Leo. Petit in the defensive midfield, Rui Costa, Maxi and Rodriguez as the attacking midfielders, Nuno Gomes and Cardozo up front. Nothing new, the same line up that played against Boavista, after trying and failing to substitute Binya in Maxi's position, Chalana will take it back to a system that worked. It worked agains Boavista, will it work against Sporting?

Personally i'd go with 4-2-2-2 for this game, which would allow for a better chance of controlling midfield. Binya and Petit side by side in the midfield, and Rodriguez and Rui Costa completing the top half of the square in midfield, supporting Nuno Gomes and Cardozo, with Nuno Gomes dropping into the 10 slot when it comes time to transition.

You can expect a hard fought game in the midfield, with the difference coming from set pieces. Sporting might have a little bit of an edge playing home, but not by much, as Benfica has had a lot more success playing away this season.
Benfica who feels the season slipping away, will be up for this game, as the Portuguese Cup might turn out to be the highlight of the season.

Continue Reading..

Freddy Looking for a new agent

Freddy Adu is looking for a new agent. Up until this point, Freddy was represented by WMG who signed Freddy when he came into the MLS at age 14, but Freddy is looking to go in another direction by signing with another career management group, possibly IMG.

What could this mean for Benfica?
With new management, Freddy will delineate objectives he would like to achieve, and it'll be up to that firm to help him. If Freddy signs with IMG, you can bet that IMG will work very hard and aggressive to make a significant impression on their new client. Exiting Benfica at this point, might be something that Freddy has in mind, and it'll all depend on what he feels from Benfica.
Despite not playing much this season, only Benfica really knows what their intentions will be for Freddy. Benfica invested in the future when they acquired Freddy, and their future may very well have been planned with the intentions of Freddy being one of the main players on the team. The question really is, if this is the case, and if Freddy knows this, in which case the thought of leaving Benfica might be very remote. However, no one really knows what is going on with Freddy and Benfica. With this change, there is a risk of Freddy leaving, but that will all depend how the club has treated him on a personal and professional level.
His sudden disappearance from game rosters, is definitely something that has to be bothering Freddy. Whether his exclusions have been explained to him, and he accepts them, is another story altogether.
Many have already speculated that, like a few others before him, Benfica will "throw away" talent that will later blossom somewhere else.

Read the full article here
-END-

Continue Reading..

"Keeping the Flame Alive" - RAP

In times of anger and frustration, you can always count on the humor of Ricardo Araujo Pereira, aka RAP, to cheer up the Benfica nation.
RAP is best known for his role in the Portuguese sketch comedy show "Gato Fedorento", and every Sunday you can find his "humoristic" take on what is going on with Benfica, in "A Bola".

Click below to read this week's entry (Portuguese only)

Manter viva a chama imensa
Por ricardo araújo pereira
A vantagem de sermos seis milhões é que há sempre um que tem uma palavra tranquilizadora para apoiar os outros 5.999.999 nos momentos difíceis. No final do jogo contra a Académica, o meu amigo Carlos telefonou para me acalmar: «Conseguimos acabar com o maldito ciclo de empates na Luz, pá.» Bem visto. Onde uns veriam uma derrota humilhante, nós vemos o fim de um enguiço. Viva o Benfica!

A seguir ligou o meu amigo Ricardo. Altruísta a ponto de não permitir que o mau momento do Benfica o distraia dos problemas graves que afectam o país: «Viste isto? Novamente um grupo de estudantes a causar distúrbios. Desta vez eram onze e fartaram-se de fazer maldades. E a televisão voltou a mostrar as imagens chocantes na íntegra. Nem taparam a cara deles nem nada.» Não há maior prova de dignidade do que ser capaz de rir no meio da catástrofe. Viva o Benfica!

Depois ligou a minha amiga Marlene. Queria saber se eu podia passar por casa dela, porque sabe fazer duas ou três habilidades capazes de fazer com que eu esqueça derrotas pesadas (e sabe mesmo). Como é evidente, eu não estava com disposição para o que ela propunha, mas valeu a intenção. Viva o Benfica!

Durante as três horas seguintes, ligaram o Alfredo, o Miguel, o Mário, o Vítor, o Tomás, o Gonçalo e o Zé Luís. Não atendi porque estava em casa da Marlene e ela não deixou. Viva o Benfica! (E, já agora, viva também a Marlene!)

Mais tarde, ligou um jornalista. Certa vez, eu terei dito à comunicação social que, quando o Benfica não ganha, durmo com a camisola do Glorioso vestida. É verdade. O jornalista queria saber como é que eu me sinto por não vestir o pijama há um ano e meio. Fiz duas ou três considerações relativas à actividade profissional isenta de impostos que a mãe desse jornalista exerceria e desliguei. Viva o Benfica!

Finalmente, ontem ligou o meu amigo João. «Foi mesmo como o Chalana queria. Ele pediu um jogo limpo e, realmente, foi limpinho. Levámos três sem espinhas. Acho que o Chalana tem de começar a pedir jogos limpos é para o Guimarães. Voltaram a ganhar com um golo irregular, viste? O Alan estava fora-de-jogo. É certo que se trata de um jogador que tem contrato com o Porto, mas não sabia que eles tinham direito a ser beneficiados até quando vestem outra camisola. Achas que, se o Porto nos emprestasse dois ou três jogadores, nos marcavam aquele penalty no Bessa?» Mesmo no meio da adversidade, o benfiquista encontra tempo e coragem para a reflexão, e interroga-se, como um filósofo. Viva o Benfica!

Continue Reading..

Benfica 0 - Academica 3 - A shot on the foot.

#Photo Credit - Paulo Duarte AP

I've been trying to muster the motivation to write about the game. I'll start by saying that i was fortunate enough to NOT watch this game. After considering simulating a foul in the box to fool my boss into letting me leave early from work to catch the game on tv, I opted out for fair play and resorted to listening to the game through the radio on my phone's media player. A decision that would later prove to have been the wisest.

There were a lot of expectations coming into this game, after a couple good performances in the past couple games, a lot of Benfica fans (myself included) felt that Chalana had finally gotten the right formula, and gotten the team on the right track. The team was finally playing an attractive type of futebol, and despite tying against Boavista, I felt the team was on the right path for the rest of the way and expected the team to come out strong, and easily beat Academica, who is currently fighting to avoid relegation.

Benfica had declared the 11th of April as a day to bring awareness about the slow disappearance of the imperial eagle from Portuguese skies, as some of you know Benfica's mascot, Vitoria, is an imperial eagle. Every home game Vitoria can be seen majestically flying around the stadium a few times before landing on it's perch situated on the field to complete Benfica's crest. Probably the highlight of the night for many in attendance, as Benfica was back to their old ways, as they once again have remained consistent with being unable to dominate a team in their own building.

Chalana started the following 11:

Quim in goal; Nelson, Luisao, Katsouranis and Leo in the back; Petit, Binya, Rui Costa and Rodriguez in the midfield, with Petit playing the d-mid postion. Nuno Gomes supported Cardozo up front.

While the inclusion of the jolly green giant in the back, in detriment of Edcarlos, was no surprise to many, Binya's start was. A definite gamble by Chalana, wanting to take advantage of the Cameroonian's work rate. It was a gamble that could have very well have worked, but like all gambles, the odds must be considered carefully.
It turns that gamble proved to be a bust, as Binya is not adapted to playing on the side of the midfield as Maxi is. Maxi may have his limitations but playing in a lateral position is something he is familiar with.

The game didn't start in the best way for Benfica, as Luisao offered Academica their first goal 3 minutes into the game, as he tried to pass back to Quim, but gave away his intentions which were read perfectly by the Academica player, who beat Quim easily. Down 1-0 Benfica saw themselves trying to get back in the game, but the lack of balance in the midfield, as a result of the nullity of Chalana's Joker, was keeping the team from showing the same flow of game they had shown recently. The defense was shaky making several mistakes which could have proved costly. Up front Cardozo was unable to put away several chances and the team grew uneasy. The second Academica goal came at the 32 minute mark, after Leo commited a foul to stop a player who had just stolen the ball from him, on the ensuing free kick Academica took full advantage of their effectiveness to go up 2-0.
It took Chalana 10 minutes to sub in DiMaria for Binya in an attempt to not only correct his planning mistake, but also to add another offensive player to Benfica's midfield. DiMaria's first touch yielded a ball on the post, and fans started getting the feeling that it was one of those nights. On one side the Benfica's ineffectiveness in front of goal, on the other side the already customary inspiration from Academica's goalie Pedro Roma

Into half time Benfica went, and there was hope that Chalana could put the team at ease, and mount some sort of a come back. In the other locker room, the men in black had to be happy with their efforts, has they had played a strong, solid half in which they were able to follow their game plan to a "T", and still come away with 2 goals as a bonus.

Benfica picked up where they left off, again wasting chances, but not really imposing a dominating game, that would put Academica against the wall. Academica with a well organized defense, was able to keep Benfica off the scoreboard, much of it because of the above mentioned Roma, who served as the last line of defense.
Chalana looked to change things up, and perhaps a little bit of inspiration, by bringing Mantorras on in the 64th minute, Nuno Gomes was the chosen one, and despite not being a threat for most of the game, Nuno Gomes was the link between the midfield and the attack, someone that held ball, and combined with the midfield for the final third transition. With Gome's exit Benfica lost that style of game and started playing a much more direct game, yet, the change proved to be equally ineffective. Academica would light up the scoreboard for a 3rd time a minute later, as they never looked away from the game, and even after getting the second goal, never backed down, and their third goal is the result of that.
In the 73rd minute Chalana went all in, when he decided to sub in Makukula for Leo, but even that move proved to be a bluff. With a man less in the back, Academica came close to the royal flush, hadn't it been for Quim, who once again showed why he is the best Portuguese keeper of the moment, with a brilliant save. Final whistle couldn't come soon enough and the fans let the players hear their displeasure at the end of the game.

After a week where poor refereeing was pointed out as the cause of Benfica's tie last weekend, tonight Benfica has no one to blame but themselves, as they played poorly. a The result might not correctly mirror what happened on the field, however the lost is a just result.
I have never been too big on blaming losses or wins on refereeing, although there have been some cases where the influence is very obvious. I have always chosen to believe that it's up to a team to change their fortune. If the ref makes a bad call - calls back a goal or adjudges a bad offside, a team needs to be back at it again.
If a referee calls a penalty in your favor, you still have to score the penalty, and that can be hard enough(ask Sporting).
Granted you are put in a privileged position on a bad call in your favor, and at a disadvantage when it's against you, but still, a team should be able to control their destiny in the 90+ minutes they are on the pitch.

With the Portuguese Cup Semis right around the corner with an away game against Sporting, Benfica will have to regroup and come back strong, if they're to accomplish the secondary objectives that remain.
With the possibility of both Guimaraes and Sporting winning this weekend, Benfica can find themselves in 4th place, and in a position where they will have to depend on a Sporting or Guimaraes slip in order to ascend in the table.



Highlights

Continue Reading..

Benfica - Academica - Game Preview

It's back to work for Benfica this friday, when they open up the 26th round of the Bwin against Academica. Academica is currently in 13th place and fighting relegation. In the condition of visitor, Academica has only been able to win one game, while tying 4 and losing 7. Benfica continues to share second place with Guimaraes, but holds a tiny advantage due to their head to head matches. It'll be Benfica's turn to put the pressure on Guimaraes and Sporting with a win this weekend, as they will play first, contrary to the chain of events of last weekend, in which Benfica played last.


After a much agitated week, in which Chalana and president Luis Felipe Vieira criticized the poor refereeing Benfica has fallen victim of in the past couple of games, and hinted to an apparent underground campaign to let Guimaraes finish in second. Benfica can expect much of the public eye to be turned to this game and the performance of the man in the middle. Surely there will be no major incidents or blown calls, we can even expect calls that will overly favor Benfica. That is the way the system works.

Playing wise, Benfica has been playing better in each game, playing their best game of the season, this past weekend in my opinion.
Chalana has put the team playing an attractive type of futebol, something that Camacho wasn't able to do.

For this game, Chalana has called the following players:

Keepers: Quim e Butt;
Defenders: Nelson, Léo, Edcarlos, Luisão and Maxi Pereira;
Midfielders: Petit, Katsouranis, Rui Costa, Nuno Assis, Rodriguez, Binya and Di Maria;
Forwards: Nuno Gomes, Mantorras, Makukula and Cardozo;

Butt, Assis and Makukula make their return to the game roster, in detriment of Moreira, Luis Felipe and Sepsi. Freddy Adu continues to not be a part of Chalana's plans as he has not put a Benfica jersey on since the 2nd of March, right before he reported to USMNT camp for olympic qualifying.

Looking at the game roster we will most likely see the following starting 11:

Quim in goal, Luisao will more than likely make his return to the center of the defense along with Katsouranis, Nelson will be on the right, while Leo on the left.
In the midfield we shouldn't see much change, Petit, Maxi, Rui Costa and Rodriguez. Up front, Nuno Gomes and Cardozo. Against Boavista, Benfica became more dangerous when DiMaria took Maxi's spot, giving Benfica more width, depite that evident improvement, it's unlikely Chalana will got with DiMaria from the start as Maxi gives more consistency to the midfield when it needs to defend, a change that will perhaps happen sometime throughout the game.

Another "final" for Benfica, and while the Boavista game was a complicated, yet accessible game, Academica is more than accessible, and Benfica will need to win this game if they are to continue to remain in the hunt for the Champions League direct berth.
Off course, Estadio da Luz hasn't been the friendliest of places to Benfica this year, but i'm sure the team has shaken off that monkey, and they will come out strong once again and continue to play at the the level they have shown these past couple of games.
Expect a good crowd for this game, as Benfica will not be charging any admission to anyone 18 years and under if accompanied by a paying adult.

With the upcoming clash against Sporting for the Portuguese Cup this coming Wednesday, Benfica will need a good result to build momentum ahead of that game. The team seems united and close knit, positive results could only do wonders for this team.


In the first round it was like this


Zerozero.pt Game board

How I saw it - with highlights

Continue Reading..

Names a Poppin

A few names have surfaced recently as potential Benfica targets for next season in the past couple of days. Nothing firm if you ask me, just inquiries by Benfica at this point.

Karim Ziani

The 26 year old Argelian midfielder currently playing for Marseille,was referenced by the french media as a potential Benfica target. Apparently Ziani has fallen out of favor with Marseille's current coach, and despite having a contract until 2011 with the French giants is looking to move on. Also interested in the Argelian international are Lazio, Bolton, Newcastle and West Ham.

Youtube Video


Cleiton Alexandre

Information on the 25 year old Brazilian midfielder who currently plays for 7th place Larissa in the Greek premiere, has been given to Benfica, by none other than Jose Peseiro, according to the Greek media. Peseiro currently coaches Panatinaikos and is familiar with the player. Also interested in the player are Greek giants Olympiakos and AEK. According to the player and his agent, no contacts have been made by Benfica, but they have heard of Benfica's possible interest. Cleiton's buy out clause is 1.5mm.

Alejandro Alonso

Also from the French Ligue 1 is an Argentinian midfielder by the name of Alejandro Alonso. The 26 year old who currently plays for Bordeaux, was cited by the French Media has being on Benfica's list of wanted players.

You Tube Video


-END-

Continue Reading..

Boavista 0 - Benfica 0 - A Wasted Opportunity

The title of this post could have very easily been "Unlucky", as Benfica, could have won the game easily with a tiny bit of luck. But I chose "A Wasted Opportunity" instead. The reason for that is very simple, how can Benfica afford to leave out a player that in 305 minutes has scored 5 goals? I'm talking about Freddy Adu and his sudden omission of the past two game rosters. When you look at a game like tonight's, it would have been nice for Chalana to have Freddy Adu on the bench, as the 18 year old has often times produced for Benfica. So, for that reason i much rather refer to the result as a wasted opportunity rather then blame it on lack of luck, because that is exactly what Chalana is doing, wasting. Wasting Adu's talent.

I don't want to undermine tonight's massive team effort, by all means, but when you see yourself purposely deprived of a player that can, and has, provided you with goals in crucial times I have to leave luck off the table.
I'll tell you one thing though, tonight's Benfica was, in my opinion, the best of the season by far, and for that i must applaud the players.


Chalana started the following players:
Quim in goal; Nelson, Edcarlos, Katsouranis and Leo composed the back 4.
Petit played in the defensive midfield, while Rui Costa, Rodriguez and Maxi formed the rest of the diamond in midfield. Up Front, Cardozo and Nuno Gomes repeated last weeks start.

Luisao who is at 100%, and was anticipated by many to start, did not play, as Chalana opted to keep the Katsouranis/Edcarlos tandem in the middle of the midfield.

Benfica started strong, against a Boavista team that defended in a "hard zone" and initially pressured Benfica high. Benfica maintained posession, playing the short pass game with the players from midfield being very mobile and supportive of the player that had the ball. Up front Nuno Gomes made the difference helping Benfica's transition into the final third, by checking back to the midfielders to create mismatches. Rui Costa and Rodriguez often changed positions and that proved to also be something that Boavista had difficulties with. Benfica created several chances but nothing too significant. In the 23rd minute, Edcarlos committed an unnecessary foul right inside the edge of the box, which gave the home team a penalty, Quim made the save, which seemed to shake Benfica into action a little bit more. It was Boavista's best moment of the game, but Benfica quickly answered with more chances, but still couldn't put anything up on the board.

The second half brought more of the same, with Benfica attacking and creating chances, but lacking efficiency, some of it unlucky, some of it by merit of the Boavista keeper, Peter Jehle, even the crossbar joined the party.
Chalana subbed in DiMaria at the hour mark, for Maxi, in attempt to give a more attacking tendency to the right side of the midfield. With DiMaria's entrance, Benfica added width to their game and was able to get away from the middle where the Boavista men seemed more of a prevalent presence.
Benfica completely suffocated Boavista, which could not get out of their own midfield, yet they couldn't put one away, even though the chances were there, but the lack of a final blow, kept Benfica scoreless. Chalana subbed in the original talisman, Mantorras, in the 77th minute, for Nuno Gomes, in an effort to refresh the attacking front, but Benfica still couldn't come away with the winner, even after Boavista was reduced to 10 men with the straight red shown to Rissuto after a "killer" tackle on Rui Costa.
The players fought until the end, but it wasn't meant to be, it was one of those games, in which Benfica could have played another hour to no avail. A few dubious calls could have changed the storyline of the game, but Benfica's misfortune can't be blamed on the referee.

Individually:

Quim - 7 , not so much for the work, but for the saved penalty that could have altered the face of the game.

Nelson - 6

Edcarlos - 6

Katsouranis - 7

Leo - 8

Petit - 7

Rui Costa - 7

Rodriguez - 8

Maxi - 6

Nuno Gomes - 7

Cardozo - 7

DiMaria - 7

Mantorras - 5

MOM- Rodriguez

This is the best i have seen the team play all year, You don't have to be an expert to notice how much Benfica has improved since Camacho left. Tactically, Chalana prefers the 4-4-2 to the 4-2-3-1 used by Camacho. It's true that Camacho occasionally went with the 4-4-2, but he never had the success that Chalana is currently having, and much of that has to do with the positioning and roles Chalana has given the players in the midfield. By the way, this was the tactical system that Fernando Santos used. The midfield plays in a clear diamond in which all 4 players support each other, providing for more possession time. The dynamic between Rodriguez and Rui Costa is something that confuses opposing the defenders but it takes Rui Costa out of the organizing role, even though Rodriguez is no slouch, but from his feet comes a different type of game, then what we're used to seeing from the maestro.

It's back to the fight to maintain second place, with today's tie Benfica missed out on the opportunity to go 2 points up on Guimaraes, not to mention that Sporting is now only 2 points from the fight.

With the progress the team has shown in these past 2 games, there is no doubt in my mind that the team will be able to secure second place. The only doubt i have is if Freddy Adu will play again this season.

Let's hope so.

Extended Highlights

Continue Reading..

Bwin title wrapped up

Congratulations to Porto for winning this season's Bwin title. To all my Portista friends I'd like to extend my congratulations and wish them safe celebrations.

-END-

Type rest of the post here

Continue Reading..

Boavista - Benfica Preview

With Guimaraes having tied their game this past Friday, Benfica has a chance to take sole possession of second place, but for that, they will have to beat Boavista away, this Sunday.
Playing at the Bessa stadium, is never an easy task, Jaime Pacheco's men are currently in 10th place with a record of 7 wins, 7 losses and 10 ties, with 6 of those wins coming at home. Benfica comes into the game with the second best defense and the second best attack of the Bwin, they will be hoping that they can add another "second", with a win and subsequent passing of Guimaraes who up until Friday shared second place with Benfica.


For the game against Boavista, Chalana has called the following:

Keepers: Quim and Moreira;
Defenders: Luís Filipe, Nelson, Léo, Luisão, Edcarlos and Sepsi;
Midfielders: Petit, Katsoutanis, Rui Costa, Cristian Rodríguez, Maxi Pereira and Binya;
Forwards: Nuno Gomes, Mantorras, Di María and Cardozo.

Moreira makes his return to the game roster, in detriment of Butt, as the German had some physical problems this past week. Luisao seems to have recuperated in full, and is now an option for Chalana. Makukula was the man who made way for Luisao. Freddy Adu continues to not be an option for Chalana.

The starting 11 chosen by Chalana shouldn't be too far from the following 11 with the possibility of a change or two.
Quim will be in goal; Nelson, Luisao and Leo will be in the back with one of the doubts falling on who will be Luisao's partner. Chalana might opt for keeping Katsouranis in the back, relegating Edcarlos to the bench, or, keep Edcarlos in the back and move Katsouranis into the midfield, in the spot of Maxi, to bring more consistency to the midfield. Those are two of the possibilities. In the midfield, it's safe to assume that Petit, Rui Costa and Rodriguez will all get the start, with the 4th midfielder depending on where Katsouranis will play. Up Front it'll be Nuno Gomes and Cardozo.

Despite beating Boavista 6-1 in the first round, Benfica knows that this Boavista team, is a different team, as they have developed as a team and have put an impressive run together, with 6 wins and 4 ties in their last 12 games. With the league winding down, Benfica's games have all taken a great degree of importance, as Benfica will need to win the remainder of their games, if they are to lock up second place.

Knowing that they will have a chance to take over second place, Benfica should be motivated for a game in which only a win is an acceptable result. The team comes off an impressive win against P.Ferreira and will look to build up on their steady improvement since Chalana took over. With the defense getting back one of their key components, Benfica should be a stronger team. The stage is set, and the result can very well be a defining moment for this end of season push.

Last Round it was like this:

ZeroZero.pt - Game Card

How i saw it with Highlights

Continue Reading..

Now We're Talking!

Erikson is on his way out of Manchester City and contacts have already been made by Benfica to test the interest of the Swede. The biggest obstacle would be wages.

With his 2 spells at the helm of Benfica(82-84 and 89-92), these were his accomplishments:

3 league Titles(82/83, 83/84 and 90/91)
1 Portuguese Cup (82/83)
1 Portuguese Supercup (88/89)
UEFA Cup Finalist(82/83)
Champions Cup(now Champions League)Finalist(89/90)

totals
233 games; 159 wins; 47 ties; 27 losses.

He was the man that debuted Rui Costa in Benfica's senior team, at the time claiming that Benfica had found a worthy substitute for the Valdo's #10 jersey.

Queiroz who?

-END-

Continue Reading..

Adi’o

According to today's "A bola", Katsouranis wants to leave Benfica.
His agent tells the newspaper that Katsouranins wants to leave for personal reasons and that the decision was made during the incident with Luisao.
Katsouranis' agent also speaks of the midfielders desire to be closer to Greece, even though, all of his immediate family and friends currently reside in Lisbon.
Let's see - With Binya, Petit,Fellipe Bastos and Romeu Ribeiro possibly fighting for a spot in the defensive midfield next season, sounds to me like Katsouranis thinks he will not be the preferential choice to start in the position he likes the most, chosing to let Benfica know of his intentions and heavily banking on a good Euro to gain exposure.
I hope Benfica grants the player his wish, as we wouldn't want anyone to be on our team against their will, along with granting his wish, his release clause should be honored and full price paid.

-END-


Type rest of the post here

Continue Reading..

Adu for Ronaldinho

In an effort to find a new number 10, Benfica and Barcelona have agreed to swap Freddy Adu for the out of favor Ronaldinho. As you may know, Ronaldinho is currently going through a very tough time in Barcelona, being excluded from first team practices, and having already hinted that he wouldn't be with the "blaugrana" next year.
With this move, Benfica would get a worthy substitute for Rui Costa and Barcelona would put together the most impressive future generation together, with the likes of Messi, Bojan, Giovanni and Freddy Adu.
Benfica will pay Barcelona 15mm for 75% of Ronaldinho's pass.

April Fools - it was good for a laugh, honestly I much rather have Freddy on our team, despite the little he has played.



-END-

Continue Reading..