Benfica 0 - Academica 1 - Stick a Fork in Them

For as much of an optimist i might be, today i feel that Benfica has waved goodbye to this years title with their second home loss of the season against Academica.
Despite still being mathematically possible to reach the title, logically only a miracle could help. Porto would have to lose 3 games in the remaining 6 games, something they haven't done all season. The team didn't even play that bad, but the lack of a finishing touch, along with an inspired opposing keeper, ended up being the team's downfall as one defensive error was enough for "The Students" to repeat last year's end result.



For this game Quique lined up the following 11. - Quim. Maxi, Sidnei, Miguel Vitor and David Luiz in the back. In the midfield, Martins and Amorim were in the middle, in a tandem unseen this season. Reyes and Aimar were on the flanks. Up front it was Nuno Gomes and Cardozo.
Quite a surprising midfield line up, and it's easy to understand why Yebda was left out of the game roster. Today there's a report coming from the team that Yebda had muscular pains, and that is why he was not on the game roster. I don't buy it, with Quique choosing Martins and Amorim as starters, and leaving Katsouranis on the bench, it makes perfect sense that Yebda was left out clearly by technical option. During the week, Quique stated that the team does not play how he wants, and perhaps leaving Katsouranis and Yebda out is a clear move to stir things up. Once again Aimar was on the left side, a position that is not his, and I'll continue saying that he is limited to how much he can help the team from that position, regardless of him being one of Benfica's best players last night.
Does anyone think that Nuno Gomes is a complete waste? I know he has given Benfica a lot and he is a Benfiquista, but right now he brings very little to the team, i can't remember seeing him beating an opposing defender one on one in quite sometime...

On to the game...
I can summarize the game by writing that Benfica dominated the whole game but their dominance didn't translate into goals. Defensively solid, and with the midfield controlling the game flow, it was in the final third where Benfica were the weakest, always lacking the precision of a last pass, or a player showing up in space in a privileged position.
But there were some chances, Reyes barely missing a touch in after a quick counter from Benfica in the opening minutes. 10 minutes later and perhaps one of the clearest opportunities, David Luiz, Cardozo and Reyes were all involved in a picture perfect combination play that left David Luiz one on one with the keeper, the young Brazilian over placed the ball on the far post and just missed the goal.
As the saying goes - "if you don't score, you'll get scored on", Benfica gave up a goal in one of the few times Academica came to Benfica's box. A marking lapse by Miguel Vitor on a corner kick gave a free header to an Academica man who put the ball past Quim.
It was a shock to the system, as Benfica had been controlling the game, but in a lapse, it was as if that dominance meant nothing.
Benfica responded well, and Cardozo would have an opportunity at his feet a few minutes later, this time Academica's keeper made the save at a point blank blast. Right before the half Benfica once again denied by the post this time, as Aimar, from the same exact spot as Cardozo saw his blast being returned by the crossbar.
Half time came around and i got the feeling that it was not going to be easy. Not only was Benfica dominating, but the chances missed, the inspired keeper, and down a goal all seem to come together to spell trouble. The possession stat at the half was in the mid 60s for Benfica, which clearly showed the dominance of Benfica during the first half.

If the first half had been all Benfica, the second half seemed to even be more Benfica. I don't remember Academica having a shot on goal during the second half, as Benfica was once the dominating team. Cardozo saw a close range shot returned by an upright, more chances were wasted, more shots saved, and with the clock ticking down, i got the feeling that another 30 minutes wouldn't have produced the goal Benfica searched for.
Even after going against 10, and the entrances of Mantorras, Balboa and DiMaria did Benfica seem to catch a break.
Even after Aimar beat the keeper, Benfica found another "defender" in the referee, as he called a foul on a dead stopped Nuno Gomes inside the box, as the keeper came out to push Nuno Gomes, and the foul was called on Benfica's captain. It just wasn't meant to be.

If last week I pointed a finger at the team, and at their poor performance, this week i can't do such thing. The team played well, it dominated, but failed to find a way to get the goals it needed. There's games like this, games where you can't catch a break, and then there's games where everything goes in your favor.
I still think that the team lacks the precision of a final pass in the attacking third, but in a game like tonight's you just feel that there was nothing else you could do.

The title is now a mirage, Quique's is being contested more and more, and the boo birds and the white snot rag bearers were out in force last night.
I continue to stand behind the team and the coach.
Did you know that Benfica hasn't had a coach that completed two consecutive seasons since the 91/92-92/93 season? Erikson was the last coach to complete two consecutive seasons. From that time to now, Benfica has only won two championships 93/94 and 04/05. 16 years, 2 championships, and a brutal number of different coaches, speak tons about Benfica's organization, and bad management.
I know that the mid 90's and early 00s are seen as the dark ages for Benfica as a club, but isn't it time to abandon old trends?
Financially the club is doing well compared to the past 10 years, isn't it time to build on the financially sound base, and stop the revolving coach door?

I'm sure that when the project was put together by Rui Costa the chances of failure were equated into the formula.
I feel that if Benfica lets go of Quique, against his own will, they will be revealing a certain level of hypocrisy. Off course if the Spaniard feels he doesn't have conditions to continue, and he puts his seat up for grabs, it's a different story, but that also reveals the character of the Spaniard. Abandoning a project in which you were given, seems to me like a cowardly move.

The truth is that with all the questioning of Quique and the clean display of displeasure by the fans, I still haven't seen Rui Costa come out to defend the Spaniard. So far it's been all Quique defending himself to the media, when he fields questions about his future. Where is Rui Costa? Where's the man who has defending the team as one of his job descriptions been?

This coming week will be a clear tell tale of where Quique stands with the team. I am sure Rui Costa will be out this week with a clear sign of where Quique stands, count on it.