The coach previews the match against Boavista FC

Sporting Clube de Portugal face Boavista FC on Saturday night at the Estádio José Alvalade, on Matchday 14 of the Liga Portugal season.

Before the game against a side just two points above the relegation zone, coach João Pereira gave a press conference to talk about his side's aspirations.

"We have been talking about this turning point for some time. We go into every game to win and with the desire and desire to do the best we can. That's what we're going to do with Boavista FC: Demonstrate that we really want the three points, like in the last games where we started well and scored, but also believe that some things –  as fate has played some tricks on us – won't happen again", he began by saying.

Sporting CP will once again have several players missing, with Gonçalo Inácio joining Eduardo Quaresma, Hidemasa Morita, Daniel Bragança , Pedro Gonçalves and Nuno Santos on the sidelines. Although he did not deny the importance of these absences, Pereira highlighted that "there are other players and they have to demonstrate that they are prepared".

"What counts most is winning tomorrow. We know that victory is what gives coaches security. I would say 'yes' again [to President Frederico Varandas' call for him to take charge]. Of course I want to be here, I thought I was prepared and I still think that. I believe in the work of the technical committee, the players and the structure. I feel like we are all in the same boat and going in the same direction, so we are closer to victory. The results have not come, but competence, sometimes, is not only seen in the results and is seen in other things too".

Furthermore Pereira stated that he feels "the same confidence he felt on the first day".

"The results are not coming, but I believe they will. We all know the message we have to send out.  Everyone saw how the players celebrated the goal against Brugge. They really want to win again and get back to good performances. There is little I could ask more of them in this regard".

"There is no one more frustrated than me, the players and the structure for not being able to deliver the victories that everyone wants. We really want to win. This is our life, our work. I accept everyone's criticism and frustration, because it's normal. We have to be able to deal with it; that’s why we are professionals".

The coach responds to the loss away to Club Brugge KV

At the end of the UEFA Champions League loss to Club Brugge KV, Sporting CP coach João Pereira analysed the performance in his post-match press conference.

“We were strong and showed belief. We made it 0-1 and we had the game under control, we played well and then we conceded again from a shot that wasn't even going in. It's another misfortune and a strange goal that affected the team, which is normal when you are on a run of three consecutive defeats. We regained control and it seemed to me that we were always closer to making it 2-1, but we conceded the goal off a long ball,”, summarised the coach, who then highlighted João Simões' starting debut.

“He took advantage of the opportunity he had and showed that he has character and maturity. He played an excellent game, like all the players," he stated, before giving an overview of the injuries to Gonçalo Inácio and Eduardo Quaresma.

“Inácio had a problem in the warmup and we didn’t want to force things. Quaresma was having an excellent game, and in a move where I believe there was an elbow and not a clash of heads, he got hurt."

“This is a tough defeat that leaves us feeling down today, but we have to pick ourselves back up quickly because we already have a game coming up in the league, where we can't drop any more points," pointed out Pereira.

Afterwards, he explained the substitutions he made in the second half.

“Maxi was already worn out, he was on a yellow and we didn’t want to risk going a man down. Esgaio coming in was not to control the game, because I think we were on top and, therefore, I didn't want to change the team too much."

Pereira also stated that, despite the several setbacks suffered, he is “not a coach who makes excuses."

“If I didn't have confidence in myself and the players, I would give up, and today they showed great personality again. It's a difficult time, and it's normal for fans to feel dissatisfied. Four defeats in a row is something that hasn't happened in a long time. Throughout the game the fans support you and, at the end, it's normal for them to speak up and show their displeasure. We have to receive criticism and continue to believe in our work. I feel like the players trust the message we send out to them. We have to be stronger and give an even more positive response in the next game.”

The team lose to Club Brugge KV 2-1 on the road

Sporting Clube de Portugal lost 2-1 to Club Brugge KV in their sixth UEFA Champions League game of the season, conceding a late goal in the 84th minute after a positive start.

On a freezing night at the Jan Breydelstadion, the team took on the side currently second-placed in the Belgian league, unbeaten in ten games and coming off a 1-0 win at Aston Villa FC and 1-1 draw against Celtic in the Champions League.

Sporting CP were missing midfielders Daniel Bragança and Hidemasa Morita, and made five changes to the starting lineup. Franco Israel returned in goal, with Eduardo Quaresma, Geovany Quenda and Maxi Araújo joined by 17-year-old João Simões. Gonçalo Inácio was injured in the warm-up and was replaced at the last minute by Matheus Reis.

A dream start saw Sporting CP take the lead in the third minute, when Viktor Gyökeres turned on the edge of the area, found Maxi with a pass and the Uruguayan smacked a shot against the crossbar. The ball fell to Geny Catamo, who only needed to tap in the rebound -to the delight of the 1500 travelling Sportinguistas.

High, intense pressure and a monopoly on possession in the first 20 minutes kept things comfortable, whilst Gyökeres was the target man for quick breakthroughs. On one such move, he set up Quenda for what ended up being a tame shot.

Afterwards, however, the home team peppered in some crosses and approaches to the Sporting CP area. After a threat from Maxim De Cuyper, they found the equaliser off a low cross from the right, as Christos Tzolis' shot in the area deflected in off Quaresma.

In the minute thereafter, Maxi Araújo was knocked down when entering the area and a penalty was initially awarded, but VAR indicated a direct free kick. From the set piece, Gyökeres shot hard but just over the crossbar.

Close to half-time, after Skov Olsen forced Israel to make another save, then Sporting CP suffered another setback: A collision between Tzolis and Quaresma resulted in a yellow card for the Greek and the central defender having to go off injured - replaced by Jeremiah St. Juste.

In the second half, Club Brugge KV had a glimpse on goal close to the hour mark, but Tzolis' arching shot went just wide of the post before their momentum cooled.

Sporting CP also found it difficult to create opportunities and trouble goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. Amidst the deadlock going into the last 15 minutes, Gyökeres made a run, but his cross was not met by a teammate.

A defensive lapse cost Os Leões dearly. A ball deep into the space left by the defence was met by Club Brugge debutant Casper Nielsen, who made it 2-1 in the 84th minute.

In response, Sporting CP immediately created their best chance of the second half, but Trincão's shot in the area off a header by Gyökeres went straight to Mignolet. Shortly afterwards, Conrad Harder came on and one last effort was made, but there would be no equaliser.

In the UEFA Champions League, the next stop is Germany to face RB Leipzig in the penultimate round of the league stage. Before that, Sporting CP meet Boavista FC at the Estádio José Alvalade in Liga Portugal.

Sporting CP: Franco Israel [GK], Eduardo Quaresma (Jeremiah St. Juste, 45'), Ousmane Diomande, Matheus Reis, Maxi Araújo (Ricardo Esgaio, 81'), Morten Hjulmand [C], João Simões, Geny Catamo, Geovany Quenda (Conrad Harder, 87'), Francisco Trincão, Viktor Gyökeres.

The coach talks before the UEFA Champions League fixture

Sporting Clube de Portugal travel to Belgium for a game on Tuesday with Club Brugge KV, as the UEFA Champions League campaign continues. At the Jan Breydelstadion, the venue for the match, João Pereira spoke in a press conference upon arrival in Belgium.

The coach acknowledged that the midweek contest is another opportunity to reverse the form his side are experiencing after three consecutive setbacks.

“We are going to encounter a team that have not lost in ten games, and Sporting CP has not had very positive results here, in Belgium, in European competitions. We want to be the first Sporting CP side to win here and motivate ourselves for what's to come in the season. There's still a long way to go," he began by saying.

The coach confirmed that he will be without midfielders Daniel Bragança and Hidemasa Morita, who are both injured, and that Henrique Arreiol, João Simões, Alexandre Brito and Mauro Couto are all called up to fill the squad.

“The youngsters can play. There may be some adaptation involved, but the team will play the same way. The players recognise what their teammates do in their positions and everyone has to be prepared for any eventuality," he  highlighted.

“I know them perfectly, they work well and [João] Simões has been involved in the work done by the first team for some time, even before I was the coach. I have a lot of confidence in [Henrique] Arreiol, Mauro [Couto] and [Alexandre] Brito too, whether they come on later or play from the start."

On his approach, Pereira insisted that "We will be confident, as we were with Moreirense FC”. We may not have played our best football, but we were the better side, we had more opportunities and we could have come away with the victory. I saw a completely different team than against CD Santa Clara: more willing and looking for victory. With that eagerness, we even broke the game up more than we should have," he posited.

“The players will be confident and we will fight for the win, which would practically guarantee a place in the playoffs. We don't have to think much more about it. We will come in confident, focused, alert and ready to control the game for most of the time."

On the recent negative results, Pereira highlighted that he will “stand up and be counted, regardless of what happens. The position I have is the biggest vote of confidence possible."

“My life has never been easy and if I couldn't handle the pressure I wouldn't be here anymore. When I started playing they said I was skinny, small, and that I would never be successful in football -and luckily I had the career I had. As a coach, the first few years were difficult. We were close to the bottom places with the Under-23s, and after three years we had an excellent season and were one point away from becoming champions. That made me be considered the future of Sporting CP. A coach’s life is based on results and if they don’t appear, it’s normal for there to be criticism and doubts."

"Everyone is pulling in the same direction. I can't have any doubts about what I think and what I want the team to do. I am confident the future will be much better than things have been so far," he concluded.

The coach talks after the loss to Moreirense FC

At the end of Sporting Clube de Portugal's 2-1 defeat at Moreirense FC, coach João Pereira analysed the match.

"We were prepared for this game. We started well, we took the lead, and then Moreirense FC scored an unlikely goal. We had the game under control and we were calm. After the second goal, which shouldn't have let happen from a throw-in in our favour, We paid dearly for our mistakes. During the game, we tried both inside and outside, with shots on goal and against the post, but we couldn't convert," he told the journalists in the press conference at the Estádio Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas.

"We were much more of a team than against CD Santa Clara. It's just that the ball didn't go in. We have to do more and create more, but we were much better. We were hurt by the two goals we conceded," he added.

Pereira has no doubt that "there is a tendency for improvement, even if it is difficult to say that after a defeat. We have to win the first game to make it 'click.'"
Finally, he spoke about his use of Daniel Bragança on the left side of the attack.

"Daniel Bragança came on in this position because he is a player with a lot of quality between the lines and is comfortable there. We often went forward through him, but the finishing was missing in the final third. The team were much better than in the game against CD Santa Clara and the next one will be even better," he guaranteed.

Sporting CP are shocked 2-1 by Moreirense FC

This Thursday, Sporting Clube de Portugal lost 2-1 to Moreirense FC on Matchday 13 of the Liga Portugal season.

Three changes were made to the starting lineup, with Jeremiah St. Juste, Gonçalo Inácio and Hidemasa Morita coming in to replace Zeno Debast, Geovany Quenda and Marcus Edwards at the Estádio Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas.

The first shot came from Moreirense FC, with Morten Hjulmand blocking it for a corner. Shortly afterwards, and following an initial cross from Daniel Bragança, a touch from Geny Catamo ended up in the hands of opposition goalkeeper Kewin Silva.

Five minutes in, the first clear opportunity came off a corner by Francisco Trincão, as a Gonçalo Inácio header went just over the top.

Sporting CP managed to open the scoring in the 12th minute, from the penalty spot. Viktor Gyökeres, who had been fouled by Marcelo, converted perfectly, tucking his shot inside the post to make it 0-1.

Moreirense FC reacted through two Dinis Pinto efforts, as first he narrowly missed the target, but then managed to equalise in the 19th minute by heading in a free kick into the area.

An Alanzinho effort was kept out by Vladan Kovačević, but the Sporting CP custodian was beaten in the 35th minute, when Guilherme Schettine took advantage of a mistake to shoot from outside the area and score.

Sporting CP put even more pressure on the opposition area and struck two shots wide from Daniel Bragança, whilst just before the break, at the other end Madson Monteiro once again gave Vladan Kovačević trouble. At the end of the first half, the score was 2-1 to Moreirense FC.

Sporting CP came back out with the desire to change things for the second half, and were very close to equalising in the 51st minute, when Trincão hit a shot against an opposition player. Soon after, from a corner kick, Hjulmand hit the post.

Ousmane Diomande had a chance go wide, and Sporting CP were on top, albeit unable to penetrate Moreirense FC's solid defence.

With a free kick, Geovany Quenda shot wide in the 78th minute and, moments later, another ball hit the home team's post - this time Sidnei coming close to an own goal.

At the end of regulation time, Quenda had Kewin Silva save his shot, and there was no change in the scoreline.

Following the 2-1 defeat, Os Leões will now travel to Belgium to face Club Brugge KV in the UEFA Champions League.

Sporting CP: Vladan Kovačević [GK], Jeremiah St. Juste (Geovany Quenda, 65'), Ousmane Diomande (Zeno Debast, 77'), Gonçalo Inácio, Geny Catamo (Conrad Harder, 77'), Morten Hjulmand [C], Hidemasa Morita, Francisco Trincão, Daniel Bragança (Maxi Araújo, 65') and Viktor Gyökeres.

The coach previews the trip to Moreirense FC

Sporting Clube de Portugal go to Moreirense FC this Thursday for their next game in Liga Portugal, and João Pereira talked before the match in the press conference.

"Moreirense FC are going through a good phase. They haven't lost at home yet. We remain leaders, with the best defence and the best attack, and we want to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible. That's our focus and what we want to do in the next game," he began telling journalists.

Asked about possible pressure, he said "I have my objectives well defined. When I started out with the Under-23s I wanted to do the best job possible and I continue to not let myself get complacent. I don't make it easy for myself, and I'm always looking for the best."

"What happened over four years doesn't change in a week. I feel the players are confident, they are behind the coaching staff and the club and want to get back on track. We lost to CD Santa Clara, it's true, but we had more shots and possession. We had more chances, but we should have created more," he continued.

Regarding a possible conversation with the team after the loss to CD Santa Clara, Pereira said that he spoke with the players "as I do every week: To prepare the game in the best way. Of course it is much better to win than to lose , but I don't change according to which way the wind blows. And we had to be prepared for that. We already knew that, if we won, everything would be normal."

After revealing that Eduardo Quaresma is not 100% fit and that Franco Israel is still ill, the coach emphasised that whoever replaced Rúben Amorim would always have a complicated task on their hands.

"He was one of the best coaches in the history of Sporting CP. He took over at Sporting CP at a certain time and, four and a half years later, Sporting CP are now much better. Of course the legacy weighs heavy, but if I had been afraid of that, I would have said no to the job and wouldn't be here," he assured.

"The dressing room is cohesive and everyone wants to go in the same direction. Nobody wants to win more than us and we are motivated. We know it was a big change, but the players are confident. You have to try to take away any anxiety they may have of wanting to resolve things quickly, and everything will get better," he concluded .

The squad look ahead to the meeting with Moreirense FC

Sporting Clube de Portugal returned to training this Tuesday morning, preparing for the trip to Moreirense FC.

The game in Moreira de Cónegos, on Liga Portugal Matchday 13, is scheduled for 8:15 pm on Thursday at the Estádio Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas.

The squad will train again this Wednesday morning, with the pre-match press conference taking place at 1pm at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo.

The coach talks about the adverse result against CD Santa Clara

João Pereira talked about the 0-1 defeat to CD Santa Clara in his post-match press conference, saying that Sporting CP deserved a different result against a defensive team.

“In the first half we lacked speed with our movement of the ball, and concentration when it came to scoring a goal. In the second half we were very anxious in our search for goals, because we really wanted to win, but rushing doesn't help us do things in the best way. Even so, we had many opportunities, we were unable to score and CD Santa Clara had two and scored once”, the coach explained.

"We could have scored one or two goals, there were moves there in the six-yard-box in the first half in that we could have scored, and if we had scored first then CD Santa Clara would have opened up a little more and possibly given us more opportunities, but it didn't happen, we conceded first and that's what we have to work on. When a low block doesn’t open up, we will have to be able to penetrate it and score more goals”.

Asked if the result was due to a lack of confidence on the part of his players, Pereira stated: “We had opportunities; they were not clear opportunities, but it's far from being a crisis. We completely dominated the game, there is no doubt about that, and there is no crisis at all”.

“We've had two defeats, but nothing will shake our spirit and our will to achieve our aims. I feel that we will turn things around and give a worthy response”.

Asked about some questionable decisions by the referee, he responded by saying: “I don’t comment on the refereeing. We have to be cold in our analysis and know that we have to create more chances, be more consistent and score goals. We lacked effectiveness and creating more opportunities. We have to create many more than we did”.

The coach also spoke about the support of the Sportinguistas.

“What I felt was support, and I even remember in the 82nd minute, the whole stadium was supporting and singing. The fans supported us from start to finish, but it's normal that after two defeats they want to show their discontent”.

A 0-1 loss to CD Santa Clara comes despite dominance in play

Sporting Clube de Portugal suffered their first league defeat of the season on Matchday 12, losing 0-1 at home to CD Santa Clara.

The first and fourth placed teams faced each other, with Sporting CP fielding Vladan Kovačević, Zeno Debast, Ousmane Diomande, Matheus Reis, Geovany Quenda, Daniel Bragança, Morten Hjulmand, Geny Catamo, Francisco Trincão, Viktor Gyökeres and Marcus Edwards in their first XI.

High pressure was present from the beginning, with the game being played in the midfield and in the CD Santa Clara area during the opening minutes. The first shot on goal came from  Gyökeres, receiving from Trincão, but on the half-turn he shot wide of the goal. Minutes later, in another attacking move by Sporting CP, Catamo was pulled back in the area, but the referee firmly waved off the penalty appeal.

Then followed minutes of less attractive football, with several fouls and stoppages, but, once the rhythm had recovered, Sporting CP once again attacked. Reis' shot from inside the penalty area, after a pass from Edwards, went wide, then Trincão missed a header from the Englishman's delivery.

Trincão looked at goal again with a shot from the edge of the area, but the ball was intercepted, whilst from the resulting corner the opposition managed a clearance.

Hjulmand shot wide as the opportunities continued, but Sporting CP were made to pay for their profligacy. Faced with some passivity from the home team, CD Santa Clara opened the scoring with a shot from the edge of the area.

Bragança managed to give Gabriel Batista trouble and Quenda shot over the crossbar before the end of the half, but the game went into the interval with the score at 0-1.

Conrad Harder and Maxi Araújo started to warm up right after the break and entered at the beginning of the second half, with Edwards and Quenda going off. Catamo moved to the right wing and the Uruguayan international went to the left.

Os Leões were having difficulty finding spaces and causing danger, but Catamo and Gyökeres still kept Gabriel Batista busy.

Pereira also tested Kovačević with another CD Santa Clara shot from distance, but the goalkeeper was attentive and held onto the ball.

On the hour, two more changes were made by Sporting CP, with the departures of Debast and Reis, as Gonçalo Inácio and Jeremiah St. Juste were introduced.

In the 70th minute, the equaliser was in sight, but Gyökeres' header went wide. Minutes later, a corner for Sporting CP ended with Diomande heading over.

Less than 15 minutes from time, Hidemasa Morita replaced Hjulmand and the chances continued for the team, with Batista making a save and a penalty given for a foul on Araújo being reversed by VAR.

With less than ten minutes to play, time was running out for Sporting CP, and CD Santa Clara continued to stop the game frequently. They tried to make it 0-2 with another shot from distance, but Kovačević kept the effort out.

St. Juste was off target with another header following a free kick, and the goal would not come for Sporting CP. They lost the game 0-1.

Os Leões, who will face CD Santa Clara again on December 18th in the Round of 16 of the Portuguese Cup, will play again next Thursday, in Moreira de Cónegos, against Moreirense.