Sporting Clube de Portugal returned to training at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo on Thursday. On the horizon is a trip to SC Farense, scheduled for Saturday at 8:30pm local time.
The work in Alcochete continues on Friday, with another training session scheduled for 10am. Then, at 1:45 pm, coach Rúben Amorim will hold a press conference at the Auditório Artur Agostinho to preview the Liga Portugal Matchday 7 contest, in which Sporting CP intend to continue their current run of victories.
Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim was satisfied with the victory against Rio Ave FC, which keeps his side at the top of the Liga Portugal. In his post-match press conference, he highlighted the importance of keeping another clean sheet.
“Not conceding goals is a very important sign, because last year we conceded a lot and this year things are different. This past week has included an away trip, but we have a squad that allows us to prepare well for all the games and today we were very strong again," he explained to journalists.
"We started the game well and in the first half we could have scored more. In the second half we had to be intelligent, control the game and give Rio Ave FC more of the ball. It ended up being a game of two very different halves, but we were always closer to scoring the third than conceding to make it 2-1. In the second half we started well again and were doing a good job, we just didn't have the exuberance of the first half."
“More than scoring a lot -and we always want to score more goals- we want to concede few and be one of the best defences in the league,” he added.
There is the possibility of Sporting CP becoming outright leaders of Liga Portugal next weekend, with rivals SL Benfica and FC Porto playing one another. Amorim said of this: “I'm not going to be cheering anyone on. The season is very long and a lot will happen. I'm not going to worry about that. Whatever happens, it will be good for us because they are two of our rivals, but I will be more worried about José Mota's SC Farense."
“This team are prepared to win any game. We cannot think about anything beyond that. It’s about taking this game by game, not thinking so much about the league table."
The coach, who said he did not yet know the extent of Ousmane Diomande's injury and that Viktor Gyökeres should be fully ready for the next game, also praised Marcus Edwards' performance, noting that the English player can give even more.
“For me he has the potential to play for England. We try to help him, but it’s all in his hands and in his head.”
First half goals keep the team at the summit in Liga Portugal
Sporting Clube de Portugal beat Rio Ave FC 2-0 in a Monday night fixture to close Matchday 6 of the Liga Portugal season, keeping them top of the table with five wins and one draw.
Coach Rúben Amorim made five changes to the starting XI that faced Sturm Graz in the Europa League. He fielded an initial lineup of Antonio Adán, Ousmane Diomande, Sebastián Coates, Gonçalo Inácio, Ricardo Esgaio, Morten Hjulmand, Hidemasa Morita, Nuno Santos, Marcus Edwards, Paulinho and Pedro Gonçalves.
In front of 34,355 fans at the Estádio José Alvalade, the home team began the game well and chased an early goal. Sporting CP took the lead after just 10 minutes, as Marcus Edwards sent Hidemasa Morita through with a pass through the middle, and the Japanese broke into the area and crossed for Paulinho to finish.
Minutes later, Edwards sent a pass to the right for Pedro Gonçalves, and the winger crossed to the back post. Nuno Santos' first time shot was saved by Magrão to prevent a second Sporting CP goal.
The second goal arrived before the half-hour, when Morten Hjulmand won the ball back near the area, going on to set up Edwards. The Englishman got to the light, took Aderllan out of the equation and, from a tight angle, converted the chance to make it 2-0.
With the next five minutes, Gonçalves received the ball from Paulinho and hit the woodwork, going on to have a subsequent shot saved by Magrão. Gonçalves controlled poorly on the rebound and his shot went wide.
Adán continued to be almost a mere spectator, and only in the final five minutes of the first half did Rio Ave FC get a shot off: Fábio Ronaldo's strike flying over.
The break came later with 2-0 on the scoreboard, a fair advantage for Sporting CP, but, let's say, a short one given everything that happened in the first 45 minutes of the match.
In the second half, Sporting CP started well once again and immediately looked for a third goal. In the 48th minute, Magrão denied Sebastián Coates by holding his header.
Rio Ave FC had the ball in the net on 50 minutes from Costinha off a free kick, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Sporting CP were always looking to score a third goal, and it was only Magrão who denied Nuno Santos. Shortly after, another shot from Gonçalves flew over.
After the hour matk, Sporting CP tried to control the game and gave more of the ball to the opposition. Rio Ave FC once again approached the box, with former Sportinguista Leonardo Ruiz trying to surprise Adán, but from the first opportunity the ball went wide and on the second the Spanish goalkeeper caught the effort without difficulty.
Amorim then made two double substitutions: First Morten Hjulmand and Marcus Edwards were replaced by Daniel Bragança and Francisco Trincão, then it was Nuno Santos and Ricardo Esgaio's turn to make way for Matheus Reis and Geny Catamo.
In the last fifteen minutes, Sporting CP continued to control the game, and they were able to manage the result to claim their latest victory in Liga Portugal.
The team are next in action on Saturday, at 8:30 pm, away to SC Farense.
The coach talks before the game against Rio Ave FC
Sporting Clube de Portugal return to action in Liga Portugal this Monday, hosting Rio Ave FC. On the eve of the match, Rúben Amorim, gave a press conference to talk about the game.
"Having a balanced squad can help in these stages when European competitions have also started, but not only that: It increases the quality of training. Everyone knows they can come into the team or drop out of it, and we lacked that a little last year. We were aware of this, we have another year of work under our belts, and we have brought in three players, losing only Manuel Ugarte," explained the coach, before guaranteeing that against Rio Ave FC “those who are in the best shape and have the best characteristics will be the ones who play."
“We are carrying out a physical and tactical assessment of the players, looking at the opposition and handling this game by game. We aren't keeping anything in reserve, especially in the league, which will always be our priority, although we will play every game to win in any competition."
Sporting CP are looking for their third consecutive victory in all competitions, with the three games they have played this season at the Estádio José Alvalade all ending in victories. With five wins and one draw, this is already the best start for the team under Amorim.
He talked about what he expects from Luis Freire's Rio Ave, who have one win to their name.
“They are a team with an excellent coach, very intelligent, with a similar system of three central defenders and in which changing the characteristics of the forwards also changes their way of attacking. They like to have the ball and we have to press up on them. It’s a difficult, dangerous game, against a quality team. I don’t look so much at the results as at the way they play. There are teams with whom it is difficult to score, because they understand our way of playing well. We will be up against a team without responsibility, that will want to play well and with the ability to press high."
"I'm sure it will be a difficult game, but at home we play with 12 men. We have had very strong support from the fans. We will try to win and play well," he continued.
“We are at the beginning of the season; nothing has been done yet. Obviously we are playing well, but I think we can play better. There is a lot to work on, as we have conceded goals that we shouldn't have, like in Austria, so the players have to fight for their place. Winning games should be the norm for Sporting CP."
“Each game and each season has its own story. We have maintained the foundation of the team and it was important to start well in the FC Vizela game, in that difficult situation. Now, creating a different dynamic, the fans have also become more confident and everything is coming together. We have reset after last year."
Amorim revealed that Pedro Gonçalves will come back into the starting lineup, commenting that "He is a difficult player to bench, because he is good at defending and attacking, plays well as a midfielder and forward, and is very competitive. I understood that the characteristics of the two central midfielders and the forwards had to be different in the last game.”
Of players who also might return soon, Amorim explained that “We still don’t have a firm date for [Jeremiah] St. Juste, but he is clearly improving," in addition to adding that João Muniz and Afonso Moreira are injured and Viktor Gyökeres “is doubtful."
Of the latter, he said that “He is a forward, scores goals, has had excellent performances and attracts a lot of attention. He has been the most talked about reinforcement, but whether he has been the best or not is a moot point, as we are still on the sixth matchday."
Finally, asked to comment on the choices for The FIFA Puskás Award for goal of the year, in which Nuno Santos is nominated, Amorim also considered that Pedro Gonçalves' goal against Arsenal could have been among those chosen.
"I don’t want to pick between them, because it’s like choosing between one child’s goal or another’s. I would have liked them both to be there and I think they deserved it. I haven't voted yet, and I don't even know how voting works, but I would like to see Nuno Santos at a gala, because he dresses well,” he said, smiling.
After Sporting Clube de Portugal won 1-2 away at SK Sturm Graz, coach Rúben Amorim analysed the match at the Stadion Graz Liebenau.
"We were the first Sporting CP side to win in Germany and we are the first to win in Austria. That's good, but it's not the most important thing. We showed that everyone can be a starter in the team and that was important. We really wanted to win: It was the first group game and winning makes the team grow. The first half was even, with a lot of struggle for us, with the opponents playing a more direct game. We started well in the second half, we conceded the goal, but we maintained our identity -with some mistakes, but with quality and competence. It was a fair result, at a difficult ground with a crowd that supported the opposition. We will certainly have the response to that in Alvalade. It was a good night and now we have to think about Rio Ave FC," he began by saying.
He also commented on the performance of some of the starters in the Thursday match.
"Several of today's players were starters in the first game of the season and performed quite well. When I look at the game, I am sure that if the other players were there today they would suffer. They came on in a phase in which there was more space. We didn't put anything at risk with the choice of starters; it was a very difficult game."
Asked about the performance of Iván Fresneda, who came on for the final quarter of an hour and played a second game for the club, Amorim highlighted the fact that he was introduced "at a difficult point" and that he responded "very well."
"He'll have time to get to know his teammates better, but I liked how he played. He's very mature, but he hasn't had much time yet. He did his job, did it well and helped the team win."
Commenting on Viktor Gyökeres, scorer of Sporting CP's first goal against SK Sturm Graz, Amorim considered that "he had more difficulty in the first half because of the tight marking of the central defenders. In the second half, with more space, he dropped more to the right side. He has very good fitness and I think he is in good shape. He took a knock and he is already recovering to be an option for the game against Rio Ave FC. He had a good performance -nothing special, just a normal game for him."
As for Geny Catamo, the coach was satisfied with what he saw and has no doubt that the young player "will grow."
"He's in a new position and will understand the moments of the game better in the future. It's in those moments that he still has some difficulties, but he worked hard. In the second half he had a great opportunity. I really liked Geny's performance, as well as that of the rest of the team," he underlined.
Finally, he commented on the work by SK Sturm Graz and the hostile atmosphere felt in the stadium.
"It was the team that I expected, but with a different system. They returned to the diamond they usually use with a line of four and surprised us a little at the beginning of the game. They were aggressive and strong on their transitions, shots and set pieces. It was a difficult game, as I expected. The atmosphere reminded me of Eintracht Frankfurt. I liked the detail, with the team losing, of everyone standing up and supporting. It reminded me of my best moment at Sporting CP: The support in the 0-5 defeat against Manchester City."
Sporting Clube de Portugal beat SK Sturm Graz 1-2 in their first UEFA Europa League Group Stage game. It was the club's first ever victory on Austrian soil.
At a Stadion Graz Liebenau that had hundreds of Sportinguistas present to support the team, coach Rúben Amorim made five changes to the starting XI: Geny Catamo, Daniel Bragança, Matheus Reis, Francisco Trincão and Paulinho were the new additions to the squad that took to the field against Moreirense FC.
Before the opening whistle, a minute's silence was observed for the victims of the recent earthquake in Morocco and floods in Libya.
When the game got underway, the first chance to score went to Sporting CP after three minutes, when Daniel Bragança took a dangerous free kick and Sebastián Coates appeared in space to head wide. In response, Jusuf Gazibegović threatened at the other end and Coates had to cut across for a corner that resulted in a header from Otar Kiteishvili, saved by Antonio Adán.
On a pitch that was not in the best condition, the Austrians decided to play high up the field, putting pressure on Sporting CP's buildup play. Little by little, Os Leões began to control the action and got closer to the opposition goal. After Daniel Bragança's free kick into the hands of goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen, Morten Hjulmand placed a set piece into the heart of the area and it went just around the post.
Paulinho met Matheus Reis' cross with an attempted header, which went just over the top, and the game went into halftime with the score at 0-0.
The start of the second half was intense from Sporting CP, with two great opportunities in the opening moments. On the first, Geny Catamo broke between two opposition players before shooting over, while Francisco Trincão had a header met by a save from Scherpen.
Completely against the flow of the match, SK Sturm Graz scored in the 58th minute: Kiteishvili's first shot hit the post and William Bøving turned in the rebound.
The equaliser could have come in the next minute, but Scherpen made a stop off Paulinho's shot on the turn.
Amorim brought on Pedro Gonçalves and Nuno Santos to replace Trincão and Matheus Reis, in his first substitutions, as Sturm Graz' Scherpen continued to be tested. In the 66th minute, Paulinho's effort was parried and, off the rebound, Gonçalo Inácio's header was kept out by another save from the goalkeeper.
Finally, Sporting CP made it 1-1: Ousmane Diomande played over to Pedro Gonçalves with a quality ball and he took a defender out of the equation with a magical touch, before shooting on goal. Scherpen blocked, but Gyökeres followed up to score.
A triple change removed Geny Catamo, Daniel Bragança and Morten Hjulmand and put Iván Fresneda, Marcus Edwards and Hidemasa Morita on. Sporting CP continued to push and finally managed to take the lead in the 84th minute: Gonçalves, with a direct free kick, placed the ball into the area, and it was left to Ousmane Diomande, to shoot into the back of the net -the ball taking a deflection off Coates on the way.
Tomi Horvat's dangerous shot went close to Adán's goal, but Sporting CP were able to control things and manage the victory until the end, earning their first three points in this edition of the UEFA Europa League.
Os Leões next host Rio Ave FC in Liga Portugal on Monday, September 25th at 8:15 pm, at the Estádio José Alvalade.
Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Ousmane Diomande, Sebastián Coates [C], Gonçalo Inácio, Geny Catamo (Iván Fresneda, 76'), Morten Hjulmand (Hidemasa Morita, 76'), Daniel Bragança (Marcus Edwards, 76') , Matheus Reis (Nuno Santos, 62'), Francisco Trincão (Pedro Gonçalves, 62'), Paulinho and Viktor Gyökeres.
Sporting Clube de Portugal start their UEFA Europa League campaign this Thursday with an away game against SK Sturm Graz.
Upon arrival in Austria, coach Rúben Amorim gave a press conference to talk about the keys to victory.
"Only a Sporting CP at our best level will be able to bring the three points home. The objective is always to win and it is a source of extra motivation that Sporting CP have five defeats and two draws in Austria from our seven games. In order to win, we have to play very well and take the game to the terrain that we want. We have to have the ball and if we manage that, we will be closer to winning. It will be a very difficult game, but we have the desire to win, as always," he began by saying.
The coach of SK Sturm Graz, Christian Ilzer, named Sporting CP as complete favourites, something that Amorim rejected.
“That was kind of Christian. I've always had good players and that's why maybe there's that idea. We don't let ourselves be carried away by being favourites, as we know very well the challenge we face tomorrow. To overcome all the challenges, we have to have all our players at their best. We will make normal rotations according to the characteristics of the players. Some players who will be starters have already been so in the league."
"We want to have the ball. No one is tired, everyone is hungry to play, but we will bring in the best players for the characteristics of the game and the opponents."
"SK Sturm Graz will press all over the pitch. They are a very courageous team. The coach wants to put the pressure on the opponents. SK Sturm Graz were closer to getting into the Champions League than us, and Sporting CP have more appearances in the Europa League. We want to reach a level where we go into the Champions League every year and it didn't happen last year because of our own fault. The objective is to win the game and get through the group stage. What matters is what happens on the field of play, and it will be very difficult tomorrow. I don't care about favourites and I'm excited to see our team's response," he replied.
“Our opponents are good as a whole, but their number 10, Otari Kiteishvili, impressed me in the offensive and also defensive aspects, with the way he presses and his fitness. They are very strong in duels, on set pieces, they have a very fast central defender, several players who play in different positions, very fast wingers... The way they press left me very impressed. We have to be strong with the ball to impose our identity. The pressing across the entire pitch and the speed with which they win the ball and counterattack are their characteristics,” he warned.
Amorim assured that Sporting CP are treating the Europa League with maximum ambition, although he did not hide the importance, above all, of Liga Portugal.
“The main objective is to be champions and we are going game-by-game for that, as that brings us Champions League football. Being champions is the ultimate objective and it is the most important thing, not only for the future and for the financial aspect. We want to advance in the Europa League, we have the cups as well, and everyone has to be prepared and feel important. Marcus [Edwards] and Trincão are international players, we are not talking about players that we will rotate in and that the team will suffer for having. The rotation will be done with one priority: Becoming champions. We want to be champions again, because that's what's most important; it has nothing to do with our opponents."
“The Champions League looks at Sporting CP as outsiders. The Europa League does not. The degree of difficulty is different. It's people's perception, also because Sporting CP have spent more time in the Europa League, have a different history in the competition and have reached very advanced stages in several editions. This gives a different status. In the Champions League, any away win is a very important result. As for us, we don't view competitions differently; there are also unknown opponents in the Europa League, but of great quality."
Amorim also revealed that Adán will be the starter in goal and that Coates will be part of the first eleven, before expressing his confidence in a Sporting CP side that, season after season, are increasingly prepared for the demands.
“Knowing whether you are more prepared or not has to do with time. It's still very early. Let's see in the future if we are better prepared. The team have more experience.The team have grown, we know better what we want from games. Before, we were searching for our identity more. The LASK game [Linz, in 2020/2021] never left our minds, it was perhaps the worst day we have had in Alvalade. It reminds us of where we started from. We are much more of a team now, but we know that those days can happen. We are more prepared now, let’s see if we can prove that tomorrow."
The midfielder addresses the media before the game against SK Sturm Graz
Daniel Bragança was confirmed as a starter against SK Sturm Graz by coach Rúben Amorim, whom he accompanied for a pre-match press conference on the eve of the Europa League game.
“We expect very competitive opponents who are comfortable playing at home and do a lot of pressing, but the coach has given us all the ideas to take to the field and try to win," Bragança told the media.
“We're going to face the Europa League in the best way, but we want to be focused on tomorrow's game and try to win. Being favourites is something that can only be seen on the pitch. That's where we have to show it and we have to be at our best to get the three points," he highlighted.
Afterwards, the young midfielder mentioned that the year he had spent out due to injury made him a stronger player, especially on a psychological level.
“We evolve a lot, because we overcome things we weren’t expecting. I grew both mentally and physically."
“After a very difficult year off, it has been very good so far this year. Preseason was more difficult in terms of pain, but that's completely over now and I feel pretty good. I feel prepared. Those feelings went away right from the start, when I returned to the pitch, and I already feel one hundred percent fit. It was a motivation for me that the coach praised my return, but we had several high-quality signings come in and the most important thing is that we are all prepared. We have a high-quality group and that is the most important thing.”
Bragança sees the competition in the midfield as a benefit for the team.
“I always look at it in the best way, because I have already been in the midfield with other great players. Competitiveness helps us to grow. I want to do my best and try to play as much as possible," he expressed.
At the end of Sporting Clube de Portugal's 3-0 victory over Moreirense FC, Rúben Amorim began his press conference by praising his players, especially for the work done in the first half.
"What I liked most was a phase in the first half when we had more difficulties. I liked the attitude of the players, who slowed play down when they had to do so. We have to settle the game down, not allow transitions and get into position. It was my favourite thing about tonight. They did what I said, despite the reaction from the fans in the stadium. It hadn't happened for a long time. I looked at them and thought we were growing. For better or worse, it's my choice, and it shows the team's maturity."
The coach then went on to analyse the match: "Moreirense FC did very well in the first half, they covered the spaces, but it became more difficult in the second half. We continued to play the same way, Moreirense FC's speed dropped a little , the team and the fans grew in strength. But we also had opportunities to go into the break ahead."
For Amorim, "the first half and the second half were two different games, both of which we must know how to play. Moreirense FC defended differently and that was enough for us to have some difficulty in the first ten minutes. Apart from the first ten minutes, we controlled the game well and had more space in the second half. The game seemed more fluid and easier also due to the scoreline."
Asked about the performance of Morten Hjulmand, who scored a goal, the coach expressed that he was very satisfied.
"I really liked his showing. He made a lot of tackles and he was very intelligent. He's going to improve a lot physically. He's going to increase his goal tally because he appears in the right places a lot, and he even hit the post before scoring. He has great ability with the ball, and that's his main role at Sporting CP. He's going to grow a lot," he assured.
Regarding Viktor Gyökeres, Rúben Amorim recalled that "he had several clubs that he could have gone to, and we must give credit to Hugo Viana and his connection with the president and the Board of Directors. They deserve the praise. I'm very happy that he runs a lot because it's the only thing that is mandatory here. I'm interested in them always breaking fitness records because it shows that they want to grow," he said.
Regarding Pedro Gonçalves, Amorim assured that he "gives everything and plays in all positions, which greatly harms him, even with the national team. I'm very proud to be his coach. He gives me an understanding of the game and helps the team. It's very difficult to have your best goalscorer do that, and he does."
Finally, the coach spoke again about the midfield.
"We talked a lot about Morten [Hjulmand], but Morita played very well. His growth has made him very complete. There's no definitive pairing in the midfield. It depends on the moment and the game. They are players with different characteristics and we are changing things. There will be rotation because there has to be or we won't be able to do well in all the competitions. It's a competitive and quality squad, and everyone has to play to be better in the future."
Sporting Clube de Portugal beat Moreirense 3-0 on Matchday 6 of the Liga Portugal season, through second half goals from Morten Hjulmand, Viktor Gyökeres and Ousmane Diomande.
In front of yet another strong attendance at the Estádio José Alvalade, before the opening whistle, Sporting CP futsal players Guilherme Cintra, Bruno Maior, Duarte Correia, Tiago Macedo, Diogo Silva, Pedro Santos and Andriy Dzyalo were honoured for having been part of the Under-19s European Championship winning Portugal side.
Coach Rúben Amorim made one change in the starting XI from the team that began the game against SC Braga (Marcus Edwards replacing Paulinho). Sporting CP did not begin the game in the best way and allowed Moreirense FC to make some dangerous approaches, such as shots from João Camacho -saved by Antonio Adán- and from André Luís -which hit the post.
However, they quickly shored up and began to control the play. In response to the visitors' strong opening minutes, Sporting CP also hit the post: A free kick from Pedro Gonçalves was met by Hidemasa Morita at the back post, who struck the woodwork. The Japanese went for the rebound, but goalkeeper Kewin Silva saved for a corner.
The team's chances increased, including another strike against the post from distance by Morten Hjulmand, who had been set up by Viktor Gyökeres.
Soon after, Sporting CP had the ball in the net through Ricardo Esgaio, but the goal would not stand due to a marginal offside in the moment of Morita's pass.
Goalkeeper Kewin Silva made two great saves from attacks by Nuno Santos and Morita, keeping the score goalless at the end of the first half.
The second half started at full steam. After 48 minutes, Gyökeres came close to turning in Santos' cross with a well-aimed header, but his effort went slightly wide.
After that, Gonçalo Franco tried to score from a long distance, before Sporting CP finally broke the deadlock: Gyökeres played for Morten Hjulmand who, from outside the area, shot hard, low and into the back of the net for his first goal for the club.
It wasn't long before it was 2-0: Santos crossed perfectly into the heart of the area, where Gyökeres, alone, headed home.
The second goal further reassured the home team, who were very comfortable, and Amorim began to change the team, introducing Paulinho, Matheus Reis and Geny Catamo to replace Marcus Edwards, Nuno Santos and Ricardo Esgaio.
Paulinho went close to scoring again shortly afterwards, when, following a cross from Matheus Reis, he headed the ball against the post.
Francisco Trincão and Daniel Bragança then came on to replace Pedro Gonçalves and Hjulmand, but Sporting CP continued on top, with Sebastián Coates having several headers kept out by Kewin Silva.
Against ten men after Macarás was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, Sporting CP made it 3-0 in added time: Geny Catamo's corner was met by Ousmane Diomande to turn it in.
Sporting CP are now top of the Liga Portugal table, and will now go to Austria to face SK Sturm Graz in the first game of the UEFA Europa League group stage.
Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Ousmane Diomande, Sebastián Coates [C], Gonçalo Inácio, Ricardo Esgaio (Geny Catamo, 75'), Morten Hjulmand (Daniel Bragança, 82'), Hidemasa Morita, Nuno Santos (Matheus Reis, 75'), Marcus Edwards (Paulinho, 75'), Pedro Gonçalves (Francisco Trincão, 82') and Viktor Gyökeres.
