The coach reacts to the 1-3 win over BSC Young Boys

After the 1-3 home win against Swiss side BSC Young Boys, which put Sporting Clube de Portugal in a positive position in the playoff to reach the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League, coach Rúben Amorim expressed his happiness with the performance of his players, only regretting the fact that the team did not score more goals.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game, with a lot of duels and against players strong in one-on-ones close to the area. We started very well, but we always missed the final pass and that is something we have to improve. Antonio [Adán] kept us in it with two great saves and there were a lot of transitions in the first half. We scored the first goal and then the second, but we can't concede to make it 1-2 on the very next move,” the coach began by saying at his press conference.

“We rectified some things at halftime, but what helped a lot was the third goal, because it broke BSC Young Boys down a little, gave us confidence and then we managed the scoreline until the end. We could and should have scored more goals, especially in the second half, as the tie is only halfway through and is very dangerous. The opposition had their chances, but they will be even more courageous in Alvalade to try to turn things around. We have to be prepared for that.”

The coach was then asked why he substituted Viktor Gyökeres in the 73rd minute, in a game in which the Swede was constantly found by his teammates and made numerous runs.

“I wasn't worried at all about his physical capacity, especially because he tracks back slower than the others and we balance that as a team. He came off to manage the game, and in the last 15 minutes there was going to be even more space. The way he looked at his number in amazement [at the time of his departure] is not the look of a player who is tired. Obviously he is very hungry and wants to score a lot of goals, but he will have a lot of games to do that.”

With this result, Sporting CP now have 11 victories in the last 12 games, in addition to 19 goals scored and only one conceded in their last four. But Amorim does not want to relax, and is focusing on Monday's game with Moreirense FC.

“As we won, we will go to  Moreira de Cónegos happy and all the players will feel important because they know they can play. This helps us to prepare for the next game, but now we have to study Moreirense FC and we will be prepared. We know we can't drop points in the league and sometimes the mind is more important than the body. As for the 19 goals scored and one conceded, these are numbers that can change from one moment to the next, as we can lose confidence by dropping points, so we want to maintain this winning streak. This game only helped us confirm that we are on the right path,” highlighted the coach.

In closing, Amorim also made a point of praising the enormous support of the thousands of Sportinguistas who were at the Wankdorf Stadium.

“We started hearing them from when we were at the hotel, it wasn’t even during the warmup. The players are confident and believe in what we are doing, but they also know that there is a way to go and we need their help. We are still only halfway through the tie,” he concluded.

The team move closer to the Round of 16 with a 1-3 first leg win over BSC Young Boys

Sporting Clube de Portugal beat Swiss side BSC Young Boys 1-3 in the first leg of the play-off for the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League. The result gives a precious advantage for the second leg, which will be played in one week's time at the Estádio José Alvalade.

At the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern, the first ever meeting between these two teams saw an own goal by Amenda, plus strikes from Viktor Gyökeres and Gonçalo Inácio.

Paulinho missed the game through injury, whilst Sebastián Coates stayed in Lisbon as a precaution due to the risk involved with synthetic playing surface. Coach Rúben Amorim made four changes to the first XI by bringing in Matheus Reis, Ricardo Esgaio, Daniel Bragança and Edwards. Rafael Nel, an 18-year-old striker from the B team made his maiden appearance in the squad.

Sporting CP started out with constant attacks in the final third, and came very close to scoring in the opening moments. Gyökeres went forward on the run, played a one-two with Pedro Gonçalves and saw his shot bounce off the goalkeeper's face. In response, from a corner, BSC Young Boys also gave a scare to Antonio Adán.

The opening half hour was almost exclusively a Sporting CP show, as the always had more of the ball and were sharper in attack. Gyökeres created two more excellent opportunities without success, as in the first he shot into the side netting and then the opposition goalkeeper safely stopped his effort.

However, with 31 minutes gone, they finally got the much sought after goal. In a move from the right, Edwards crossed into the area and defender Amenda appeared at the near post, deflecting the ball into his own net and putting Sporting CP 0-1 up.

From there the champions and current leaders of the Swiss league attempted to react, but it would only last for a short time: In the 39th minute, Edwards was again decisive when he was brought down in the area, which resulted in a penalty. From the 11-metre mark Gyökeres increased the lead to 0-2 and scored his 28th goal of the season.

Despite this, practically from the next move, BSC Young Boys closed the gap again, as Filip Ugrinic found the net just before halftime.

After the break, there was an almost immediate goal, this time for Sporting CP. In the 48th minute, Gonçalves sent a free kick into the area with precision, and Gonçalo Inácio, with the central defender rising high and heading in to make it 1-3.

They never took their foot off the accelerator, continued to insist on the attack and came very close to scoring the fourth goal shortly after. Following another great run by Gyökeres on the left, the Swedish forward entered the penalty area and set up Gonçalves who, unluckily, struck against the post.

The last 15 minutes were played at a slower pace, with BSC Young Boys having more of the ball for the first time, but failed to give Adán much cause for concern -despite having a goal disallowed.

Amorim gave debuts in the competition for winter signing Koba Koindredi and also youngster Nel.

Before the end, Mohamad Ali Camara was sent off for the home team and the intensity faded for both sides. A 1-3 lead gives a healthy advantage to Sporting CP, who will play next Thursday in the second leg with a place in the next round up for grabs. Before that, they play in Liga Portugal this coming Monday, against Moreirense FC on the road.

The midfielder speaks before the UEFA Europa League playoff

Morten Hjulmand talked to the press before the first leg of the UEFA Europa League play-off for the Round of 16, which takes place in Switzerland against BSC Young Boys.

The midfielder acknowledged that the victory against SC Braga in Liga Portugal at the weekend gave even more morale to the team, but he also assured that this is a feeling that has been around since the beginning of this season.

"The team are very confident at the moment, but it has been like that since I arrived. Sporting CP are a great club and we want to demonstrate this in every game we play, but of course when we score a lot of goals that gives us even more confidence", the Danish international began by saying.

The 24-year-old was then asked whether he sees himself as one of the squad's captains - despite not officially being one -, due to the leadership he has demonstrated on the pitch and off it, but he preferred to highlight the fact that several players on the team have this capacity.

"I feel like myself and I don’t think I need to change that. Still, I see many captains in the group and many players with strong personalities who are ready to lead. It’s something you see on the pitch, but I also feel it in the dressing room and when we travel together".

In closing, Hjulmand refused to reveal whether he will be one of the starters in the game, in what is his first season playing in the UEFA Europa League. "The manager will be able to respond to that question".

The coach's view on the 5-0 win against SC Braga

Rúben Amorim was satisfied with the 5-0 win over SC Braga, as he told the press in his post-match press conference.

“We are in excellent form, but the important thing for me, besides celebrating the victories, being happy with our performance and not conceding goals, is to look at each game and understand the story behind it. In the same way that we said that the defeat in the Taça da Liga was totally unfair, with a misleading result, I also think that today the victory was clearly fair, but the scoreline was very hefty for what happened on the pitch. Therefore, my big concern is to give a lot of credit to the players, and I want them to be very happy, but tomorrow I will start to understand what happens in each game: what happened at the beginning of the second half, how we got to 5-0, because it’s important that we don’t concede goals,” the coach began by saying, praising the support from the Sportinguistas.

“They help us a lot. Last year, even when we were playing well but missed an opportunity, the team were very nervous. Now it's the opposite. Even if an opportunity is missed, everyone in the stadium feels that the team will create more opportunities and score more goals -and that is a very good sign."

Against SC Braga, Sporting CP were always ahead and in control, even though in the first 20 minutes of the second half the away team threatened to get back into the match.

“The game became much more difficult then and I, as a coach, was obviously worried because we were making mistakes in the first phase of our press. That was how we had scored the goals and controlled things in the first half. If one of the moves in which they pushed us into our area had ended up with the ball going in, the game would have been completely different, but we managed to do that to SC Braga. However, in this game and unlike others, we were effective at the key moments and had the luck.”

Asked whether Sporting CP deserve to be Liga Portugal champions for what they have done so far, Amorim said that it is too early to talk about the title.

“That is completely irrelevant. Until the 20th matchday, there were phases in which one team played better, others worse. As happened in today's game, I think we were better in the first half and for 20 minutes of the second half they were better, but we scored the goals and killed off SC Braga in mind and body. Therefore, I say again: it is completely irrelevant who deserves to be champions on Matchday 21. The important thing is to reach the end as champions."

He also spoke about Francisco Trincão, saying that, at this point, “he is physically stronger, more daring and, above all, closer to the confidence he had when he left SC Braga for FC Barcelona.”

On Eduardo Quaresma, who also scored from an unusual move, he added: “We've seen him do these things, it's a lot like him and he's been doing this since he was a kid. So it has nothing to do with the coach. It’s a lot down to his ability and the quality he has when he has the ball.”

A stellar display gives the team all three points at home

Sporting Clube de Portugal beat SC Braga 5-0 at home on Sunday on Matchday 21 in Liga Portugal.

There were 39,851 fans in the stands, the vast majority of whom were Sporting CP supporters, and the game was preceded by a minute of silence in honor of João Oliveira Pinto.

For the contest, Rúben Amorim brought Hidemasa Morita back into the XI for his first start since returning from the Asian Cup. He joined a lineup consisting of Antonio Adán, Eduardo Quaresma, Sebastián Coates, Gonçalo Inácio, Geny Catamo, Morten Hjulmand, Nuno Santos, Francisco Trincão, Viktor Gyökeres and Pedro Gonçalves.

After two early attempts, first from the left and then from the right, Sporting CP got their opening goal through Francisco Trincão: The winger intercepted a pass from Victor Gomez on the edge of the box and shot low past goalkeeper Matheus.

SC Braga responded soon after, but both Eduardo Quaresma and Sebastián Coates intercepted the breakthrough admirably. Sporting CP were attentive and consistent in defence, and clinical in attack, with Geny Catamo almost making it 2-0 as his shot went just over the Braga goal.

Even so, it didn't take much longer for the green and white to score again: after giving it to Francisco Trincão and Pedro Gonçalves failing to get the shot, after falling, Eduardo Quaresma appeared in the area, recovered and shot to make it 2-0 in a still very early stage of the game. Great play by central Leonino crowned with doubling the green and white advantage.

From then on, playing with the comfort of a two-goal lead after an intense start, Sporting CP started to manage the game more, but were always in control. As a result, they continued to reach the SC Braga area several times and, before the half-hour, won a dangerous free kick that Trincão shot over the top.

Only near the break, off a dead ball, would the away team manage to get close to goal. However, Zalazar's shot from the right did not threaten Adán. The Sporting CP goalkeeper also saw Álvaro Djaló's shot go wide of the mark.

The second half started without changes for either team, but began slightly differently to the first due to the low pace. Sporting CP continued to be the better side, but SC Braga also managed to show themselves more and force Antonio Adán to be more attentive.

In the 62nd minute, after Nuno Santos had shot inches wide and Amorim had brought Daniel Bragança on for Hidemasa Morita, Adán made a stop to deny Álvaro Djaló an almost certain goal. The Braga winger then had another opportunity, without success, and in response, Sporting CP made it 3-0.

Whilst in the first half Viktor Gyökeres had been more successful with crosses than shots, in the second stanza he got his almost inevitable goal: Receiving from Trincão, he beat a defender and, on the fall, shot with his right foot past Matheus.

Pedro Gonçalves then managed to pass to Bragança, and the newly introduced midfielder struck to make it 4-0.

Pedro Gonçalves then managed to pass to Bragança, and the newly introduced midfielder struck to make it 4-0.

Sporting CP still had more than 15 minutes remaining, and thus Amorim made changes again soon after with a double substitution: Quaresma and Gonçalves made way for Matheus Reis and Marcus Edwards, respectively. Before the end, Paulinho and Ricardo Esgaio came on for Gyökeres and Catamo, before the scoring was rounded off.

In a move that included a possible handball inside the area, the ball reached Nuno Santos and the winger made it 5-0 five minutes from the final whistle.

With yet another impressive triumph, Sporting CP gained three more points and returned to the summit of the Liga Portugal table. They will play again on Thursday in Switzerland, against BSC Young Boys, in the first leg of the playoff for the Round of 16 in the Europa League. The next league match is scheduled for February 19th at Moreirense FC.

The coach previews the latest meeting between the two teams

Sporting Clube de Portugal are in Liga Portugal action on Sunday against SC Braga, and coach Rúben Amorim answered questions from journalists ahead of the game.

Among the options available for the match will be striker Paulinho, and Amorim commented that “he did all the training this week and will be called up for the squad. Jeremiah St. Juste, although he is already much better, will not yet be an option to face SC Braga, but could be included in the coming games.”

SC Braga are currently fourth in the table with 40 points, and are opponents that Sporting CP have not yet beaten this season after two meetings: A 1-1 draw in Liga Portugal and a defeat in the recent Taça da Liga semifinal (0-1).

“We want to forget the last game between us, both in terms of the result and the performance. Both teams saw the last game and we will try to find other ways to win. It will be a different story and I hope there will also be a different result,” highlighted the coach.

“Our focus this week was trying to imagine what SC Braga will do. We explained to Viktor [Gyökeres] what he could improve if the situation with SC Braga's defence happens again, for example. I expect SC Braga to want to win the game, because they have to win it, and so do we. I think some of their movements will change."

“I made adjustments right after their goal last time, and I don't think that helped the team, who were doing well. Later, the fact that we conceded a goal after creating so many chances made us very nervous. These details were explained to the players and now we have to think about the game differently. We are capable of changing the story from the last two games against SC Braga."

Although a postponed game left Sporting CP with one match fewer played, and in second place, Amorim stressed that the objective remains unchanged.

“We simply want to maintain our position by winning every game. If we do that, we will be in a favourable position -even with one game less.”

Afterwards, asked about the return of Hidemasa Morita and the good performances by Pedro Gonçalves in the Japanese player's usual position, the coach spoke about the common and different characteristics of both, praising that they "make the team more complete and give us more options for a tough run and for changes during games."

“They have different characteristics, but they are two players who play well both high up and between the lines. Pedro Gonçalves scores more goals and Morita is more prepared for building up play, and knows how to time the movements."

Finally, when asked about the double header with SL Benfica in the Taça de Portugal semi-finals in an increasingly demanding calendar, the Sporting CP coach preferred to keep the focus on the present.

“We go day to day and the focus is on winning our games. We have neither the time nor the energy to think about other things,” he said.

A 0-3 victory over UD Leiria earns progress in the cup

Sporting Clube de Portugal secured a place in the semifinals of the Taça de Portugal with a 0-3 win away to II Liga side UD Leiria.

Nine days after their last match, due to the postponement of the game against FC Famalicão last weekend, Os Leões returned to action. Goals from Viktor Gyökeres (x2) and Pedro Gonçalves allowed the team to progress in the cup competition they last won in 2018/19.

UD Leiria had not made it to the quarter finals since 2003, and were playing Sporting CP for the first time in almost 12 years. The Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa was filled with 20,310 fans for the game, with a large number of away fans making the trip.

Coach Rúben Amorim made three changes - all in defence - from the 8-0 rout of Casa Pia AC. Cup goalkeeper Franco Israel returned to the starting lineup, while Geny Catamo and Matheus Reis were included in place of Ricardo Esgaio and Gonçalo Inácio .

Furthermore, Hidemasa Morita returned to the squad after representing Japan in the Asian Cup, and winter reinforcement Koba Koindredi featured on the bench. Conversely, striker Paulinho dropped out at the last minute due to an injury to his right foot.

If the idea in Leiria was to immediately increase the pace, as Amorim had mentioned in his press conference, it almost brought with it a goal. Gyökeres, after four minutes, was only denied by the post. After the first ten minutes had passed, with the action exclusively in the Leiria midfield, Marcus Edwards took a gamble with a solo move, but ended up shooting into the hands of Pawel Kieszek.

The first time UD Leiria entered the area, as a result of a throw-in, they created a lot of danger with a header from defender Bura. The trend of the match, however, remained the same, with Sporting CP in charge and taking the initiative with the ball.

Francisco Trincão found space off a loose ball in the area, but his reflex shot was saved by Kieszek, and a penalty for Os Leões was given and then subsequently overruled by VAR.

Right after, from a corner, Sporting CP broke the deadlock. Nuno Santos curled a ball towards the near post and Gyökeres rose to open the scoring with a beautiful header.

Just five minutes later the score was 0-2, as Gyökeres ran down the left and crossed low for Pedro Gonçalves to respond with a first time shot into the net. He moved up to 12 goals for the season.

UD Leiria then received several yellow cards and had more difficulties in holding off the momentum. Trincão had an effort off target and was also denied a strike from a rebound, as the game went into the interval.

Upon the restart, Lucho Vega and, above all, Jair Silva, provided serious threats, but the Sporting CP response was another chance for Trincão.

After Franco Israel blocked a one-on-one with Lucho Vega, Sporting CP settled things down and began to build for future chances with patience. Following a free kick, Nuno Santos subtly clipped the ball into the area. Eduardo Quaresma was denied by Kieszek, then it was a defender who prevented Trincão from scoring with a clearance off the line.

Morita, Inácio and Esgaio were all brought on, before Gyökeres forced Kieszek to save a strong strike for a corner. Finally, it was the Swede, who dealt the final blow to UD Leiria's dream: Inácio knocked the ball towards the near post and Gyökeres headed in again, for his 26th goal this season.

Up next in the Taça de Portugal are either FC Vizela or SL Benfica, in a two-legged semi-final. Sporting CP return home to the Estádio José Alvalade this weekend, hosting SC Braga on Sunday.

Sporting CP: Franco Israel [GK], Geny Catamo (Ricardo Esgaio, 72'), Eduardo Quaresma (Luís Neto, 87'), Sebastián Coates [C], Matheus Reis (Gonçalo Inácio, 72'), Nuno Santos, Morten Hjulmand (Daniel Bragança, 80'), Pedro Gonçalves, Marcus Edwards, Francisco Trincão (Hidemasa Morita, 72'), Viktor Gyökeres.

The coach readies his side for a game against FC Famalicão

In Liga Portugal action, Sporting Clube de Portugal face FC Famalicão on Matchday 20 this Saturday. Coach Rúben Amorim talked about this, and a busy month of February, in his pre-match press conference.

“FC Famalicão are a team who always have talent. In these games, without much responsibility to win, they have the ability to keep the ball and create danger for any team. Their stadium is a different ground, where it is always very difficult."

FC Famalicão are currently eighth and have lost their last two matches. Although they are the joint-lowest scoring team, they have made defensive consistency count, with the joint-fifth best record of 23 goals conceded.

The team led by João Pedro Sousa have not won at home since Matchday 10 (3-1 against Gil Vicente FC), but Amorim talked up the talent present for FC Famalicão.
“If Puma or Chiquinho play, I think they can both play together. Or Puma [Rodríguez] can come inside because he is very fast and very physically strong. [Jhonder] Cádiz touches the ball more often, inside the area, and has a lot of headers, so we have to safeguard the crosses in. On the other hand, a large part of their routine on the left goes through [Francisco] Moura, who is suspended. All of this will come into play,” he detailed.

“They have the talent to beat Sporting CP, but we have to respond to that, because we are fighting for the title and we want to maintain our place at the top."

With Sporting CP about to start a gruelling month of February, featuring seven games in three different competitions (Liga Portugal, Taça de Portugal and the UEFA Europa League), Amorim highlighted that the coaching staff look, above all, at “the space between games, with the focus in general being on the next match."

“Our job was to tell the players, and they are fully aware of this, that everything that happened in the last game - the atmosphere, the pitch, the duels we won and the shots we had - will now have no bearing on this game. It will be completely different."

In Vila Nova de Famalicão, winter signing Koba Koindredi will be among the options to play, but Jeremiah St. Juste will be absent again through injury.

Afterwards, asked to assess Sporting CP's movements in the January transfer market, Amorim highlighted that the idea was to “prepare not only for the present, but above all the future,” both in terms of arrivals and departures.

He first explained that loanees Afonso Moreira and Dário Essugo “needed minutes to gain confidence and take the next step up,” before also addressing Rodrigo Ribeiro's transfer to Nottingham Forest FC.

“For one reason or another, he couldn't develop like others did in the first team. What I wish is the best of luck for Rodrigo, because he has a lot of talent. In a very competitive league, a lot is down to him and his coach.”

Regarding Koba's arrival, he described him as a reinforcement to “prepare and safeguard the future and anticipate things that we think could happen."

“We are not only buying the player he is now, but also what he can become, because in a few years we would have to pay a lot more for a player like him. We didn't get certain players who, perhaps, would be a better value now and a better reinforcement for the immediate future, but Koba is a player for now and very much thinking about what he can become."

"He has a lot of quality, but he still needs a lot of work. The important thing is to see that there is talent and, without a doubt, Rafa Pontelo and Koba are very talented players."
“We have depth in the squad and there are, at most, nine days left until Ousmane [Diomande] and [Hidemasa] Morita will return. I feel that the squad is on the right track and, without major injuries, we have the squad to compete in all competitions and give opportunities to all of our players," he guaranteed.

“The main thing is the league title, but we are not going to give up on the Europa League or the Taça de Portugal. The focus is on becoming champions. It also has a psychological impact on the fans and on the way we want to win consistently, and the impact of us getting into the Champions League. If we can win everything, then great. We will need a lot of luck, but you know that luck is not lacking sometimes.”

​The midfielder bolsters the squad in the winter transfer window

Introducing himself, Koindredi described himself as “a player with a lot of quality with his feet, technique and physical ability, and very calm. I always want to help the team."

At GD Estoril Praia, Koindredi shared the dressing room with Mateus Fernandes, who is on loan there from Sporting CP.

“The atmosphere at the Estádio José Alvalade is amazing. It’s a very beautiful stadium, very big, and I’ve seen that with the fans there it’s a crazy atmosphere. I will work hard to do my best and to help the club win trophies."

The coach's verdict on an 8-0 win over Casa Pia AC

After the 8-0 win against Casa Pia AC for Sporting CP, coach Rúben Amorim, spoke at a press conference to discuss the match.

“It was a victory that we needed, but it's only worth three points and to maintain our position at the top of the standings. The important thing is to feel that the team, even with a great result, never take our foot off the accelerator and we always want more," he began by telling journalists.

"I think that against SC Braga we played better than today, but today we managed to score the goals and that unlocked the game. We also didn't concede goals and, in addition, we controlled practically all of Casa Pia AC's attacks, without letting them create anything.”

Amorim considered that his side demonstrated the “mentality of a big club,” both through their constant offensive stance and through their response to the defeat against SC Braga in the semi-final of the Taça da Liga.

“Despite it being a difficult week, we saw growth in our mentality and in terms of what we have to feel, because every trophy we fail to achieve is a failure -which is also part of football. It was also a reflection of the fact that the players want to win and repay the fans for the way everyone applauded after we were eliminated from the Taça da Liga. We really want to win trophies for Sporting CP.”

“I like the direct way of playing more, as we always want more goals. At home we have to be strong. Especially at home, we have controlled the games and had the most of the ball," he highlighted, before outlining the improvements that have been felt in the team from season to season.

“We are maintaining our level, whether we are losing or winning, and we are maintaining our level of performance. We are improving a lot in attack, which is also because we have new characteristics and Viktor [Gyökeres] also gives us that (…). I think we have all evolved, both coach and players, and we have seen what kind of characteristics were missing. I feel like this is a team that want more, and are aware of what we want to do and the difficulties we will face in the season. We still have three competitions to win."

Asked about some individual players, Amorim acknowledged that Pedro Gonçalves “is still recovering from his foot problem”, explaining his substitution at half-time, which also served to “give others the opportunity to get on the pace."

"Ousmane Diomande has not been playing for so long for his national team, which is something that worries me, and Jeremiah St. Juste felt, while warming up against SC Braga, that he had a problem with his foot."

Finally, he looked to the upcoming game, away from home, and the mission against Famalicão.

"We have to do our job. We need to win the next game to stay in first place,” he concluded.