Naval 1 - Benfica 2 - Set the Controls

Another precious win, in another demonstration of turning off, then on, everything that drives this team to win. How long can we expect to take a break mid-game and not expect to pay the piper when the 3 whistles are sounded at the end?
To say that every game is important, from now until the end of the season, has become quite a cliche at this point, i'll refrain from using it, as the 10 or so people that read this blog are very well aware of the importance of the remaining games.

Quique fielded a team that wasn't too far from the team that played against Leixoes. Moreira. Maxi, Luisao, Miguel Vitor and David Luiz in the back. Katsouranis and Yebda in the middle, DiMaria and Reyes on the flanks. Aimar supported Cardozo up front.

The game couldn't have started any better for Benfica, as Aimar got his first league goal with a Benfica jersey, by taking advantage of a loose ball at the top of the box, and firing it low and close to the post. 3 minutes in, and what it seemed like a difficult game, was now looking like it could be a morale and confidence booster for the team, but all season this team has been showing us that there are no sure things when it comes to what to expect from this team. For the next 42 minutes of the half, Benfica played like a team riding a goal average - retracted, passive, permissive and ball watching.
I have often written about the inability of the team to keep the lead here, and at this point I have to question the coaching aspect of it. Hours and hours of training, and the team can't play a simple game of keep away? Baffling.

The second half gave continuation to the events of the first, and Naval would eventually get the equalizer in the 53rd minute. The goal seemed to urge Benfica to come out of the break room and play, and they did. With Reyes and DiMaria as the main catalysts to Benfica's attacks, Benfica was able to get control of the game and dominate Naval, by turning the intensity dial. That intensity and persistence would eventually pay off as Benfica got the equalizer 20 minutes later. The equalizer, came off a dead ball situation from a nonexistent handball. Miguel Vitor put the ball back in from the second post, and Katsouranis finished on at the opposite post. Nuno Gomes, Ribeiro, and Urreta all go some minutes following the gaol, but their contributions had very little effect on the game and the final result.

It's incredible that the team can tap into a certain level of concentration and intensity when they need to. There's a certain charm about the team rolling up the sleeves and going to work to obtain a hard fought win, but if you ask me, that charm has worn out on me. If the higher level is there, and it's not part of some ocasional "on night" performance, why doesn't it come out more often? How much longer do we need to keep suffering to the final whistle to exhale?
There's a lot of talk about the similarities of the current season and the 04/05 season(Benfica's last title season), if the team keeps taking risks and their best chameleon impression, the similarities will be nothing but coincidences in the end.