Braga 2 - Benfica 0 - Small Bump on the Road

In the most important game of this early season for Benfica, a game that matched up the two top teams of the Liga Sagres, it was Benfica that came out on the losing end and despite the loss costing us first place, it's a loss that's as insignificant as the chances Braga has to ever being league champions this season.
The truth is that our team wasn't really at the level they have accustomed us to, but for that we also have to look at certain variables that conditioned the game in general, certainly coming out of the locker room without Cardozo after another supposed tunnel fracas, didn't help much. But this is not the time to find excuses for our first loss of the season, but a time to realize that are plenty of games ahead and that there's still lot of work to be done to reach the top.


JJ fielded his strongest 11. With Peixoto injured, Shaffer coming from injury, and a successful Coentrao start at left back the week before, it was Coentrao along with David Luiz, Luisao and Maxi that started ahead of Quim. In the midfield, the usual suspects, Garcia,Aimar, Ramires and DiMaria. Up Front Saviola and Cardozo.

The game started as expected, with Braga being pushed by the home fans, it was the home team that started the game on top, with Benfica holding their lines well. Braga's goal came early, after a inexperienced foul by Coentrao on the side of the box, Quim followed the free kick's trajectory into his opposite angle. 7 minutes in and Benfica found themselves in an unfamiliar position, down by 1 and clearly on the bottom of the game's domination. But the goal seemed to spur Benfica into action as the team took over the game and imposed their game on the home side. Benfica pushed Braga into their own half and had a couple opportunities, one even finding the back of the net, but the referee called a phantom foul on a Luisao goal. But it was the lack of accuracy in the final third prevented Benfica from going into the the half tied.
The half closed out with some confusion at the entrance of the tunnel, as some of the Braga players and staff came after DiMaria after Dimaria had kicked the ball into the Braga bench following the whistle for the half. Players from both teams joined the confusion, but they eventually ended up all in their dressing rooms.

The beginning of the second half brought news that both Cardozo and player from Braga had been red carded in the tunnel, and both teams came out with only 10 players. Granted that Cardozo hadn't had a stellar first half, but Cardozo is an important player in Benfica's offensive scheme. Without Cardozo, Benfica had to change their game plan and was definitely the team more punished with the send off. Benfica came out strong and once again took control of the game, Braga limited themselves to defend and explore the quick transitions into the attack. Javi Garcia was the player sacrificed, as JJ put Keirrison into the game at the 55th minute mark. Benfica continued to dominate, but could not find solutions to penetrate, Aimar, without Garcia behind him, was not able to dominate the midfield and Benfica was limited to what DiMaria and Saviola could do. DiMaria who was not that much of a factor in the first half, did all he could, but couldn't find his targets in the box. Benfica's lines pushed up and that left plenty of room for Braga to explore on the transition. It was on one of those transitions that Braga got their insurance goal in the 78th minute, following a give away by DiMaria. JJ still launched Weldon and Amorim for Saviola and Aimar, but to no avail.

So we came out of Braga in second place, the domination was there but the same efficiency we had seen in previous weeks was not. I remember reading the stats put up by SportTV and the number of attacks by Benfica dwarfed Braga's. If you ask me the score is perhaps not an indicator of what went on. I don't want to take away any of Braga's merit, but a tie would have been the just result. Nonetheless this loss should not have any effect on our team.

Little is know about what happened in the tunnel, but the truth is that Cardozo suffered a double attack by two Braga players, as you can see in the picture below. Benfica's annulled goal also raises some questions as to what the referee really saw, as the replay images, show no apparent foul.

Keirrison continues to disappoint, and his adaptation grace period is quickly running out. A player that cost 14 million has to, at one point or another, prove his worth, and at this point Keirrison has done nothing to prove his worth. Perhaps I am being to harsh on the young Brazilian, perhaps he needs more time to adapt to the European style, and he may even become one of the best players, but at this point he has laid a big fat egg. With Cardozo most likely out for the next league game, i'll be curious to see if JJ goes to Keirrison again next weekend.

This loss is really not a big deal, the league is only 9 rounds in and there's many games yet to be played. Let this loss be a humbling experience for the team, and for all of those that think every game would be a multiple goal win. I still think this team has the potential to do a lot, and that a lot comes right up this Thursday with a trip to Liverpool and Goodison Park to face Everton.

Below is a picture and a video that will show you the deliberate aggresion on Cardozo, you draw you own conclusions. Oh and notice the proximity of the assistant referee to Cardozo, and let me just finish by saying that neither of the players that punched Cardozo saw any type of card from what they did.

Photos# Getty and SportTV

braguinha x Benfica: Agressões a Cardozo e a Ramires impunes
by nsalta