Match report: Feirense 0-2 Sporting

Feirense 0-2 Sporting CP

Liga Zon Sagres

Last night Sporting notched up their tenth consecutive win and their sixth in the league. After a shaky start to the season Os Leões are on quite a run, however they faced a stiff test in Aveiro at the hands of Feirense and the win wasn’t achieved as comfortable as the Lisbon club might have liked.

Indeed it was the home side who had the first real opportunity of the game. Varela just needed to get a touch on the corner at the far post and he could have been celebrating Feirense’s first goal in over 270 minutes of football.

However, Sporting soon started to liven up and a if Van Wolfswinkel had only been able to control a long ball from Onyewu then he could have been through on goal.

Shortly after Elias managed to get a shot away for Sporting but he blazed over after a wonderful first touch lifted the ball over the defender’s head.

At the other end Varela tried his luck from a long way out but his shot as tame and wasteful, perhaps summing up the lack of invention in the Feirense side.

Sporting created a better chance a couple of minutes later on the break but the sliding Van Wolfswinkel couldn’t quite reach Diego Capel’s centre.

With over half an hour gone neither goalkeeper had been really tested. In the 36^th minute it was Feirense’s turn to attack on the counter but once more the shot was tame, this time from Fonseca, and cause Rui Patricio no problems.

Three minutes later Van Wolfswinkel disappointingly headed a Schaars free kick wide and in the 42^nd minute came on of the talking points of the first half.

Elias went down in the box claiming a penalty but the ref, rightly, was having none of it; the Brazilian went down far too easily.

Finally in the last minute of the first half a good save was produced from a goalkeeper. A good pass from Matías Fernández afforded a chance to Ricky Van Wolfswinkel and the Dutchman’s powerful effort was turned round the post by Paulo Lopes.

After early chances for Feirense after the break Sporting searched for the breakthrough and manager Domingos Paciência introduced wingers André Carillo, first, and then Jeffrén at the expense of Elias and Capel respectively. Both looked keen to impress but ultimately Sporting needed a fortunate penalty to open the scoring.

With little more than an hour played Stijn Schaars took a dive in the box and, to the dismay of the Feirense defenders, the referee, this time, pointed to the spot. While there was doubt about the award of the penalty there was none in Van Wolfsinkel’s finish, the centre forward crashed the ball into the top right corner for his sixth league goal of the campaign – putting him joint top of the leading goalscorers list along with Óscar Cardozo of Benfica and Marítimo’s Baba Diawara.

Long range efforts from Insúa and Carrillo tested the capabilities of Paulo Lopes as Sporting looked to kill the game but Feirense’s keeper responded with two good saves, particularly from Carrillo’s shot which he tipped onto the angle before it went behind.

It was the man who contentiously won the penalty who settled the game in Sporting’s favour in the 77^th minute. The ball fell to Schaars on the edge of the area and the Dutch midfielder’s low volley found the bottom right corner leaving Paulo Lopes helpless. It was a fantastic strike from Sport TV’s man of the match – although, whether or not someone who dived to win a penalty should really win that award is debatable.

With the game effectively over in their favour there was one disappointment in the closing stages for Sporting. Jeffrén, on his return from injury, hobbled off in the 84^th minute forcing his side to see out the remainder of the game with 10 men.    

Match Report: FC Basel 0-2 SL Benfica

Benfica take all three points with them back to Lisbon after matchday three and see themselves top of Group C at the half way stage. One goal in each half from Bruno César and Óscar Cardozo respectively settled what was, in truth, a fairly even and open match at St. Jakob Park.  

The home side started brightly but it wasn’t long before the visitors started to get their foot on the ball and play some tidy football.

They were rewarded after 20 minutes when Gaitán, coming in from the right, exchanged passes with Pablo Aimar before playing it to Rodrigo who let it run through his legs for Bruno César. The Brazilian provided the finish the move deserved, firing low into the far corner.

Basel responded fairly well to the set back, with the lively Xaqiri always looking to make things happen. And it was the 20 year old who set up the Swiss side’s best chance of the first half, in the 39^th minute. The ball rebounded to him after an ambitious shot from Emerson and he broke down the pitch before checking back and finding Streller whose shot failed to trouble Artur too much.

Xaqiri himself, moments later, forced Artur into a better save. A low drive from distance had the keeper diving to his left to tip the ball wide for a corner.

The next good chance came Benfica’s way, this time Bruno César the architect. He did well to work the ball to Gaitán but the Argentine’s shot flew over the cross bar.

Streller had another opportunity for Basel with the last kick of the first half but he blazed over after a good first touch with his chest bought space to shoot.

Basel were having the better of the second period when out of the blue a long ball from Benfica captain Luisão found Aimar with space in the penalty area in the 62^nd minute. The Argentine, however, opted for the first time shot as the ball fell to him but his volley was tame and easily saved by Sommer.

Seven minutes later a chance fell to Streller once more, after a fantastic pass from Xaqiri, but the tall number nine’s shot was saved at close range by the outrushing Artur. 

A couple of minutes later Alex Frei was the next to call Artur into action but his long range effort was comfortably saved.

With around a quarter of an hour of normal time remaining Benfica struck the killer blow. A free kick was awarded right of centre after Huggel was penalised for use of an elbow. Up stepped Óscar Cardozo, subbed on a few minutes earlier for Rodrigo, and he struck it low and hard. The ball sailed under the wall and beat the keeper at his near post. A fine goal.

From that point on it was about Benfica soaking up the host’s pressure, and they did so without too much trouble, despite the dismissal of Emerson in the 86^th minute for a second bookable offence.

The left back might feel slightly aggrieved about the first card; Xaqiri went down very easily and although Emerson did put a hand on his chest, it looked soft. The second however was stupidity from the 25 year old Brazilian who is keeping World Champion Joan Capdevila out of the side. Xaqiri again was the victim of the foul, this time off the ball; Emerson clearly impeding his run as he looked to get up the line.

As time wore on Basel grew frustrated and desperate. Xaqiri was booked for a late barge on Bruno César, sparking a furious reaction from the Benfica bench, and Alex Frei was booked for diving.

In the penultimate minute of time added on an ambitious overhead kick from Streller drifted off target, perhaps summing up his and Basel’s night; tried hard but ultimately unsuccessful.

The Good

Benfica’s two excellent goals were worthy match winners.

The Bad and the Ugly

The reaction to Xaqiri’s booking from the Benfica bench saw the manager and one other sent up the tunnel early. It was a petulant foul but it was not as bad as Bruno César made it look. His theatrics get top marks, before the replay I was convinced Xaqiri had kicked out at him, such was the contorted leap and roll he performed, but, as stated above, it was merely a barge. Such antics, sadly, were not uncommon in this game with Xaqiri, Emerson and Frei amongst others guilty of over exaggerating and diving.

The Bright Spark

Although, as already mentioned, a little prone to the dramatic arts that plague modern football, Xaqiri was the stand out player for Basel, and perhaps of the whole game. He was central to everything they did and looked to do something positive whenever he was on the ball. With quick feet, pace, an eye for a pass and the ability to take a man on the Swiss international has a lot of potential. He would do well though, perhaps, to sometimes take the simple option and would definitely be well served in sometimes taking the more selfless option. Too many times he tries the fancy when something easier would have sufficed and too many times he let rip an ambitious shot when keeping the attack going would have benefitted the team more. Of course we want to see skill and great goals in the game, and that is one of the attractions of Xaqiri, but he needs to learn the right time to try it and know that sometimes there are better options. If he can improve on that Basel have a player who could make them a lot of money in the not too distant future.  

 

Player responsibility

One of the most important roles of a football manager is to motivate his team and get the best out of them, collectively and as individuals.

However, the extent to which this is often necessary perhaps speaks volumes about many modern footballers. To have made it to the top level in the professional game surely a player must have some amount of self motivation? There must be within them a burning desire to play the game? They must want to play their best every week out of professional pride, if nothing else?

Apparently this isn’t the case with many players. They really do need that kick up the backside, that shout from the sideline, that verbal dressing down in the changing room.

It’s understandable that this is needed to a degree but when you see players out on the pitch lacking commitment, looking disinterested or, as fans say, “not playing for the shirt”, whose fault is that? Is it entirely the manager’s or do the players need to take a look at themselves and question their own attitudes?

The answer is not a simple one or the other, it is a little of both but it is pertinent to wonder how many times players with bad attitudes may have cost a manager his job.

Of course the manager has a massive influence on the team but any footballer worth his salt should give it his all day in day out in training and in every single match. To see players who lose fitness, become out of shape and lose the hunger to perform at their best is sad but it is largely their own fault. It is their own lack of professionalism, their own lack of passion for the game that led them down that path. Perhaps this is the price of the lucrative nature of modern football. Footballers can earn a good living by sitting on the bench every week. Maybe it has become too much about the money and not enough about the football for some players.

A common phrase when a manager is forced out of a club is that he “lost the dressing room”. Players must respect the manager and the respect must be earned. There must be a good atmosphere amongst the squad. But the players have an important role to play in that too. If some players kept a rein on their ego then perhaps less dressing rooms would be lost and squads would have a greater togetherness.

When things are going bad at any club the response from the fans is almost always a) blame the manager or b) blame the board.

I’ll suggest a third option that should be given more credence: c) blame the players. They are the ones earning large amounts of money to strut out onto the pitch and let your club down and let you down.

Hold those to account who are directly responsible for the poor results. That is not to say that boards and managers should be immune from criticism, far from it, but players get off a little lightly sometimes. There will always be one or two scapegoats in the team in individual games but when on a run of poor form the supporters will lay into the board and the manager, even if the team on the park is good enough in terms of ability but is hugely underperforming. There’s only so much that can be done from the board room and the touchline – the players make the difference. Or, at least, they should. It’s time for footballers to take greater responsibility.

Should he stay or should he go?

The news that Wayne Rooney has been dealt a three match ban is a massive blow to England’s Euro 2012 preparations. The length of the ban means that Rooney will be ineligible to play in any of England’s group games at the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

The question that inevitably will arise in many debates in the pubs up and down the nation and beyond is, understandably, should Capello take Rooney to the tournament despite the suspension?

The sensible answer is yes. Wayne Rooney is by far the most talented English player around right now and even if he will miss the group stages he could be crucial to England’s chances in the later rounds of the competition. The type of player that can make the difference in a tight match at the highest level is exactly the category into which Rooney falls.

Those arguing he should be left behind are simply doing so out of spite or personal disregard for Rooney. Yes, he made a mistake but should the English punish themselves for that to prove a point?

The fact of the matter is that England need their best players available. Without wanting to encourage complacency in such a prestigious tournament, they should certainly be capable of progressing through the group stages without Rooney. He is just one player after all.

Having such a talismanic figure available for, and only for, the latter stages of the tournament could in fact prove an advantage for the English. He will, all going according to plan, enter the fray fit and raring to go when the rest of the competition has already played three games; a boost to England at a crucial time.

It’s not as if his inclusion would disrupt the squad, he has been involved with England for so long now that, if anything, his exclusion would be more disruptive.

Of course it is not ideal that England will need to line up in their first three games without a key player, and it will be especially tough on the player who will make way for Rooney when his suspension elapses. This is, as previously stated, a massive blow to England – but it is important that they do not overreact.

If the goals and desires of the country are put ahead of petty grudges then Rooney will be part of the England’s Euro 2012 challenge and will have a crucial role to play in determining what success the team has.

The Curious Case of Yannick Djalo

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has backed FIFA's decision that the transfer of Portuguese forward Yannick Djalo from Sporting to Nice is invalid, ending the French club's hopes of overturning it.

Nice, despite stating their disappointment, now feel that there is no alternative but for the player to return to Lisbon.

They had agreed a 4.5 million euro deal to purchase Djalo but the necessary documents were not processed in time, the last of these arriving to the French football association shortly after the summer transfer window officially closed.

‘We have been left disappointed,’ Nice chairman Jean-Pierre Riviere told L'Equipe.

‘It is a shame for both us and him that a deal has not happened.

‘We wanted him now and nothing has been set up for the future. There is no agreement to sign him during the next transfer window.’

However, Sporting allege that their association with the player ended when they agreed to sell him. The problem, in their opinion, lies with Nice and any dispute between them and the authorities is no concern of Sporting's.

Sporting claim that, after agreeing to sell Djalo to Nice, an agreement was made with the player to rescind his Sporting contract. This took place on the evening of 30 August and Yannick spent the following day, deadline day, in France.

‘He is no longer a Sporting player,’ a club official told Portuguese newspaper Record.

‘The Yannick problem is now Nice's concern, so it's up to them to sort it. We signed a transfer agreement with Nice and we hope it will be respected.’

On the other hand, on the club’s official website, Nice general manager Julien Fournier said that since ‘there is no registration there is no deal’.

Sporting communications director Pedro Sousa’s response to this was that ‘the responsibility is Nice’s, Sporting has nothing to do with the delay of the registration’.  

Seemingly there is an impasse. Djalo cannot join Nice now, nor do they seem overtly keen on taking him in January either. Meanwhile Sporting are unwilling to take him back. The 25 year old is thus placed in some kind of footballing limbo.

It’s a bizarre situation but one that hopefully, for the sake of the player, can be resolved sooner rather than later – although it has already dragged on for nearly two months. It may take another intervention from FIFA to clarify where exactly the player should be.