Benfica 2 – 0 Sporting: Match Recap

By: Greg | September 29th, 2008

Great. Just frigging great. We take all nine points from the first three matches, and then this. The hugging, self-love, and grab-assing can now stop. We obviously don’t have the league in our grasp by any stretch of the imagination and these are the guys who reminded us that we aren’t world beaters just yet:

Sporting Starting XI

Yannick Djaló – Hélder Postiga
João Moutinho – Romagnoli – Rochemback
Miguel Veloso
Grimi – Polga – Tonel – Abel
Rui Patrício

First Half Analysis / Notes
The game opened with some decent passing from both sides and Yannick should have done better with a long ball that put him six yards out that he muffed under pressure from the Benfica defense as well as an onrushing Quim. After a bit of back and forth, both teams struggled to put a coherent complete attack together and went in at the break tied 0-0. Benfica looked better overall but Sporting were not without half-chances of their own, either.

Intermission changes / Thoughts
Yannick is such an enigma that it frustrates the ever living shit out of me. His early chance that he managed to bang off every part of his body OTHER than his foot could have turned the tide of this match in Sporting’s favor from the outset. After a few matches in which they looked somewhat disjointed, I could see a Benfica team gelling right in front of me. That gellin’ would lead to a disastrous second half for Sporting…

Second Half Analysis / Notes
Precisely what I said Sporting had to avoid in the preview (allowing Benfica to disconnect the midfield from the attack) began to happen. Useless long balls flew forward from the back and Benfica were in on almost all the 50-50 balls that Sporting farted forward. Our forwards and midfielders don’t have anywhere near the size to be able to play a match where a long ball is sent forward to a guy’s chest or head to be settled. Our strength is in the fluid passing play and when we aren’t able to string those passes together, we’re badly exposed.

Benfica finally broke through in the 67th minute with a left footed, left channel shot by newcomer (and based on just this match, serial crybaby) Jose Antonio Reyes. He beat an outstretched Rui Patricio on the lower left hand side with a shot that maybe one or two keepers in the world could have gotten to. Defender Sidnei doubled the tally with a header off a set piece by Carlos Martins in the 71st minute to seal the deal for Benfica. Liedson (72′) and Derlei (67′) came on within five minutes of the Reyes strike but weren’t able to break through the staunch Benfica defense. The match ended 2-0 and Benfica are now looking like a real threat to challenge for the league after the statement they made with this win. (YouTubage of some highlights and the goals are at the bottom of this lovely blogging).

Individual Player Rankings:
Goalkeeper
Rui Patrício: 6 – The first goal was a tough break, he might have been out of position but it was an excellent low swerving shot from Reyes. The second goal was poor defending and lack of commitment to go for the ball in the air. There must be something in the uteri of Portuguese women who give birth to keepers that makes their sons incapable of effectively handling set pieces.

Defenders
Abel: 5 – When you lose 2-0, you can’t get much more than a ‘5.’ Lax defending and ball chasing led to the first goal.

Polga: 4.5 – When you don’t do anything VERY wrong, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything right.

Tonel: 4 – Clenched up and watched as Sidnei banged home the second goal. You can’t spectate on set pieces, bub.

Grimi: 5.5 – Showed excellent skill on the ball. I’m not sure he wouldn’t make a better holding midfielder as his toughness and tackling kind of go well with that sort of role. Too bad we already have two guys at that position.

Midfielders
Romagnoli: 3 – Usually shows up for these big games, but he and captain Moutinho disappeared for large stretches of the match, mostly because they were watching useless long ball after useless long ball fly over their heads and into the possession of Benfica’s defense.

João Moutinho: 3 – See above.

Rochemback: 3 – He may be the Yannick of the midfield: can kick ass against lesser opponents, but when the light shines bright, disappears under the pressure.

Miguel Veloso: 4 – My wife fantasizes about him, so it takes some of the bedroom performance pressure off of yours truly. Therefore, in thanks, he gets a ‘4′.

Attack
Yannick Djaló: 2 – Not a big match player, clearly. He shone against Porto early this season with a brace in the SuperCup, and I thought he was ready to break out, but thus far see the write up for Rochemback to get an idea of how I feel about Mr. ‘Jell-o’.

Hélder Postiga: 3.5 – Why is he the only guy who looks as though he might get on the end of a set piece? He’s four feet tall, for crying out loud. He couldn’t do jack shit because long balls forward aren’t his cup of tea.

Substitutes:
Derlei (for Yannick 67′): 1 – As bad as Yannick was, he doesn’t deserve to be taking anyone on this team’s playing time away right now.

Liedson (for Romagnoli 71′) : Incomplete – First game back, he gets a pass.

Bruno Pereirinha: (for Abel 71′) Incomplete – Not enough time on the ball to make a witty sarcastic comment, so he gets spared the guillotine as well.

Conclusion:
Uggghhhh. The long balls just drove me fucking bananas. This is a young team with a young captain, but we need to mature real fast if we’re going to be taking any fancy drinking vessels or food presentation items made of silver home this year.