Muitos diziam que tinhamos pressa sempre que a equipa vencia, tanta pressa que rapidamente chegávamos ao local da queda. Invejas. A equipa venceu e limitámo-nos a deixar os recursos instalados funcionarem: golos na hora, classificação actualizada e muitas outras funcionalidades. Quanto ao jogo... era por demais evidente a nossa satisfação e com todo o mérito. O problema, que não o nosso, é que este contentamente é generalizado e isso custa a ouvir. Fica o resumo do jogo... não conheço o mesmo para outro clube.
Benfica battle to narrow victory
Benfica 2-1 Naval
It was a hard-fought victory at the Estadio da Luz as Benfica overcame a stubborn and disciplined Naval 2-1. Luisao gave the Eagles a late lead but through sheer determination Naval erased the home side’s advantage through Marcelinho. However, Benfica regained the lead as Cardozo stuck the dagger into Naval’s heart to ensure Benfica earned all three points. With the win, Benfica jump into third place in the table, one point behind surprise co-leaders Nacional and Leixoes. As for Naval, the Figueira da Foz side drop one place down to sit in 9th spot. Naval had come to Lisbon with a game plan and were going to stick to it for the entire 90 minutes. Ulisses Morais’ men were very strict in playing tight defence and ensuring that at least nine men were always back clogging up passing lanes in order to frustrate the home side.
Lively Reyes
Benfica had their work cut out, but that did not stop the Lisbon club carving out goal-scoring opportunities in the opening 45 minutes. Jose Antonio Reyes would be the spark for the hosts in the first half as the Spaniard drove the hosts towards Naval’s net. In the 5th minute Reyes was fed the ball via Suazo, but the former Arsenal player’s effort went straight at Peiser. Naval wasted a glorious opportunity to get on the scoreboard first in the 11th minute as Alex played a throughball to lone striker Marcelinho. The marksman held up his run to perfection and beat the offside trap to go in all alone with just Quim to beat, but the Naval attacker missed the net completely and watched his effort trickle wide. Reyes was at the heart of another Benfica attack in the 18th minute as the winger snuck in behind the Naval defence to head a Ruben Amorim cross, but the forward could not turn his body properly and watched his effort sail wide. The Spaniard was a menace once again just six minutes later as he volleyed the ball from just outside the box wide of goal. Benfica had good claims for a penalty in the 25th minute as Alex carelessly tackled Ruben Amorim, but both the linesman and referee saw nothing in the challenge and allowed play to continue.
Gomes chances
The home side increased the pressure and were close to finding the back of the net in the 34th minute as Jorge Ribeiro made a run down the left and sent in a cross which only needed the slightest of touches, but Nuno Gomes was an instant too late. Benfica continued were they left off in the second half with Nuno Gomes missing a sitter in the 51st minute as Maxi Pereira picked Alex’s pocket and sent in a superb cross, but the Portuguese international striker, who was awarded a trophy for scoring Benfica’s first ever goal in the new Estadio da Luz on the stadium’s 5th year anniversary, sent his effort over the net while standing in the six-yard box. Benfica thought they had scored in the 56th minute as Suazo headed the ball past Peiser, but the goal was correctly called back for offside. In the 59th minute the officials got another call wrong as Baradji sliced open the Benfica defence with a pin-perfect pass to Marinho, but it was called back for an inexistent offside.
Luisao strikes
Naval were beginning to turn the screw and in the 63rd minute Alex located Marinho in the box and the forward’s header just missed the far post. The deadlock was finally broken in the 70th minute as Luisao headed in a Reyes free kick to give the hosts the lead. The goal spurred on the visitors and their persistence paid off in the 83rd minute as Simplicio sent in a cross from the left, which was deflected by Carlitos to an unmarked Marcelinho. The Brazilian made no mistake, nudging the ball into the open net to give Naval nothing less than what they deserved. But Benfica would re-claim the lead just three minutes later as Cardozo notched his fourth goal of the campaign as he dived to meet a Jorge Ribeiro cross and headed the ball powerfully into the net. It was a gruelling match, but Benfica deserved the victory and showed more maturity than years past when the team would have crumbled in situations similar to these. As for Naval, should the team continue to play this level of football, they will surely climb up the table with ease. Benfica:Quim, Maxi Pereira, Luisao, Sidnei, Jorge Ribeiro, Yebda (Katsouranis, 67), Carlos Martins, Ruben Amorim (Di Maria, 55), Reyes, Nuno Gomes, Suazo (Cardozo, 66) Naval:Peiser, Carlitos, Paulao, Diego (Fabricio, 67), Dudu, Alex, Lazaroni, Baradji, Davide (Marinho, 57), Bolivia (Simplicio, 76), Marcelino Yellow Cards: Dudu, Carlitos Goals: [1-0] Luisao, 70 [1-1] Marcelinho, 83 [2-1] Cardozo, 86
Por aqui se vê a força do Benfica... Comentários...
