The squad ready themselves for a vital game against SL Benfica

The Sporting Clube de Portugal squad trained on Thursday morning at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo in Alcochete, ahead of the derby against SL Benfica scheduled for Sunday (6pm) at the Estádio da Luz.

Rúben Amorim once again had his entire squad available, with the exception of Daniel Bragança and Hidemasa Morita, who are still undergoing treatment for long-term injuries with the Medical Department. He also brought in youth team player Youssef Chermiti to train with the first team.

The Sporting CP coach's verdict on the loss to CS Marítimo

Rúben Amorim was disappointed with the defeat for Sporting Clube de Portugal against CS Marítimo, and expressed in his post-match press conference that his side did not start the game in the best way.

“We didn't get into the game well and we lacked quality in our duels. They were stronger than us at that stage of the game and we had problems bringing the ball out. We couldn't settle down," he said.

"Then we managed to balance the game out, but we had to be better than we were. We weren't fast enough to create more danger. In the second half we started very differently, but we ended up conceding the penalty and that made everything more difficult. CS Marítimo defended the result and we created some chances, but the game became very confusing and with many stoppages."

“This team have a lot of talent when things go well and they start seriously. When they don't, we have to look for things within ourselves and we, as a team, haven't managed to take that step yet. We have to work on all these aspects. There is a lot to do and a lot to win," he added, then recalled what he had said before the game:

"What we do at home, we have to do in every game."

A 1-0 defeat to CS Marítimo hinders Os Leões

Sporting Clube de Portugal's trip to Funchal ended in defeat for Rúben Amorim's men, as they were bested by CS Marítimo at the Estádio dos Barreiros. A harsh loss left the team unable to carry momentum into their big derby next weekend against SL Benfica.

Amorim made changes to his starting eleven, fielding Antonio Adán, Gonçalo Inácio, Sebastián Coates, Matheus Reis, Pedro Porro, Manuel Ugarte, Mateus Fernandes, Arthur, Marcus Edwards, Paulinho and Francisco Trincao.

CS Marítimo started the match well and, during the first 15 minutes, caused problems for Adán and did not let Sporting CP break into the final third frequently.

After the first quarter of an hour, just two minutes, Sporting CP came close to opening the scoring three times.

First, Paulinho received the ball from Pedro Porro from the right, and forced Marcelo Carné to make a great save for a corner. From that set piece, Gonçalo Inácio to head over. That was followed by a deflection that prevented Paulinho from scoring.

CS Marítimo responded to Sporting CP's warnings and again created danger, in particular with a shot by Bruno Xadas that went over, but after an extended spell of possession for Os Leões, the game reached the interval goalless.

On their return from the dressing room, Sporting CP were a faster, more focused prospect. As a result of this momentum, Porro was brought down twice in a row in the area, but referee Hélder Malheiro did not blow for a penalty on either occasion.

Minutes later, a spot kick was given, but in favour of CS Marítimo after a foul by Mateus Fernandes on Liza. Cláudio Winck converted to make it 1-0.

Sporting CP were forced to chase the game and, for that reason, Amorim immediately introduced Nuno Santos, and then Rochinha. Pushing higher up the pitch, the team were almost caught on the counterattack but survived the break.

With 15 minutes left, Jeremiah St. Juste and Jovane Cabral replaced Sebastián Coates and Marcus Edwards.

Intensely looking for an equaliser, in the 84th minute Sporting CP nearly got their reward, with Matheus shooting into the side netting.

In the 89th minute, after the referee had checked VAR for a possible penalty in favour of Sporting CP sent in a low cross from Santos, but Porro did not quite reach the ball in time to shoot at the back post.

Rochinha hit wide and the siege on the opposition area continued, but CS Marítimo survived the onslaught and Sporting CP went home from Madeira empty handed.

Next up is the Lisbon derby against SL Benfica, away at the Estádio da Luz.

The coach analyses Liga Portugal opponents CS Marítimo

Sporting Clube de Portugal's next game sees them take on CS Marítimo on Sunday, on Liga Portugal Matchday 15. The two teams last met in December in the Taça da Liga, but Rúben Amorim is well aware that things could be different in this contest.

“We can take some things from that game, knowing that in the past, coach José Gomes played with a winger closing off the channel and a line of five in defence, then building with four, while in that game he played with three centre backs. We have taken that into account, as well as the individual characteristics and what we know about José Gomes. We have used everything to prepare for this game," the Sporting CP coach said in his pre-match press conference.

Amorim also noted that this match being an away fixture could also have an effect.

"In the last few games we have increased our intensity and it is important to score early, but we have to be aware that this happened at home and that we have had some difficulties on the road. It's not our stadium, our fans or our pitch, and every detail has an impact on our team, which has many young players in it."

"We have to do the same thing away as we do at home, because we have few away wins; we have to be consistent. A great team is not one that plays great games at home and always struggle away. A great team has to win away from home, even if they don't have a good game. We have to be consistent from the first minute onwards, start very strong and try to score first. That's what I'm always saying to the team, but now we're stronger and more consistent."

“The players are more prepared now," he continued. "The World Cup break was better than preseason, when we played a lot and trained a little. It went very well, we trained well and the team improved."

Luís Neto and Hidemasa Morita will not be at the game, but there will be two novelties in the squad: Jeremiah St. Juste, returning from injury, and winter signing Mateo Tanlongo, who was praised by the coach ahead of the match in Madeira.

“He is a young player with great potential, who has played in a league with a lot of pressure at a big team. He's only 19, but he already has that experience. He's an intelligent defensive midfielder and, from what we've seen, he has adapted well, picking up our ideas very well and very quickly. He is very fast and very intense, but he has to grow. We are very happy, but know that this type of player that we are looking for will always need some time."

Amorim also said that he was not looking ahead to the derby with SL Benfica on the next matchday.

“I'm more worried about CS Marítimo, I'm not thinking about the next game. We have to beat CS Marítimo and then fight in the next game, which is against the league leaders. We'll go one step at a time, but of course it's crucial for us to win both games. We're going to play to win the league until the end and we can't drop points because of our objectives: Not just the Liga Portugal, but also European competition."

A demanding month of January awaits, and the coach believes“it will be a crucial and decisive month, and there is no need to hide that fact. As a big club, this month will decide a lot. In addition to the league, we have to stay in Europe and fight to win the Taça da Liga, because it's important to win trophies, whatever they may be. Whatever will be, will be."

The Sporting CP boss also spoke about the winter transfer market and the continued speculation about players such as Pedro Porro and Marcus Edwards.

“I'm not afraid of anything. We have to to be aware of the moment the club and our league are in; here it is not possible to pay the fees that are paid abroad. We are prepared for this. The market is what it is, but these players are happy at Sporting CP and they know that they will only leave if their buyout clause is met."

The squad work at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo

This Tuesday, Sporting Clube de Portugal held their first training session of the year at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo, preparing the Liga Portugal Matchday 15 game against CS Marítimo, on Sunday (6pm local time) at the Estádio dos Barreiros.

Luís Neto's participation was the main novelty of the session, having already trained together with his teammates under the orders of coach Rúben Amorim on the pitch.

Daniel Bragança and Hidemasa Morita continue to undergo treatment from the Medical Department.

The squad will train behind closed doors on Wednesday.

The Sporting CP boss analyses the win over Paços de Ferreira

At the end of Sporting Clube de Portugal's 3-0 victory over FC Paços de Ferreira, Rúben Amorim spoke in a post-match press conference.

Asked about the performance of Dário Essugo, who was in the starting line-up but would be sent off towards the end of the contest, the coach explained that the midfielder "demonstrated what he is all about, but also the shortcomings of being 17 years old."

"He made the tackle in a dangerous way, but without malice. He made that mistake, but he gave a good showing of himself, was more daring with the ball and strong in stopping transitions. He still wants to go for every ball and that has a lot to do with his lack of experience. He didn't go through the Second Division, which is a problem. He had a very good game, he's visibly growing and will grow even more with these games. It's good to see the evolution of a player in such a difficult position. There will be time for him and there's a lot to improve," he began by telling journalists.

"We dominated the whole game. In the first half, we settled down better and realised that FC Paços de Ferreira were stopping on the halfway line, so we put a lot of balls over the top. In the second half, we had opportunities but not so much quality in our play. It happened with SC Braga and we have to learn this, because at other times it will create problems. It's another good victory, without conceding goals, but we can do better."

Regarding Pedro Porro, Amorim said that "it is impossible not to look at him as one of the best fullbacks in Europe."

"He has to remain focused on Sporting CP. If teams come in and pay his buyout clause, it will be impossible to keep him. Until then, he's part of my plans."

Asked to take stock of 2022, the coach explained that "it wasn't a very satisfactory year", but that he is well aware of the objectives.

"We have to cut the gap between league titles, and not take 20 years between them. It's good to have the feeling that it's not enough, but we also have to realise that we are a step behind other clubs in Portugal. We are on our way and we know what we want to do. It was a difficult year, but it wasn't excellent."

The next match is against CS Marítimo, in Madeira, Sporting CP's recent opponents in the Taça da Liga. However, Amorim assured that "it will be a different game" and that, bearing in mind that Dário Essugo and Pedro Gonçalves will not be available, the coaching staff will use either Manuel Ugarte, Mateus Fernandes and Sotiris Alexandropoulos in midfield.

A trio of strikes help Sporting CP to a 3-0 victory

Sporting Clube de Portugal bested FC Paços de Ferreira 3-0 on Matchday 14 of the Liga Portugal season, with goals in the first half from Pedro Porro, Nuno Santos and Paulinho.

Coming into the game on a run of six consecutive victories in which they scored 23 goals and conceded just once, Sporting CP were in good form as they continued to try to move their way up the table.

After just three minutes, when the FC Paços de Ferreira defence lost the ball, Nuno Santos crossed from the left for Pedro Porro, in the heart of the area, to head in to open the scoring.

The perfect start set the tone for the game, and soon after a tremendous long pass from Matheus Reis found Marcus Edwards, the Englishman knocking an opponent out of the way before shooting wide.

The second goal arrived in the 22nd minute, off a counterattack emanating from an FC Paços de Ferreira free kick. A slick transition saw Pedro Gonçalves releasing Edwards and he, selflessly, set up Nuno Santos.

The match was being completely dominated by Sporting CP, who continued to threaten through Paulinho, Trincão and  Edwards, while FC Paços de Ferreira managed their first and only shot of the first half in the 36th minute - Antonio Adán saving Holsgrove's attempt.

Before the break, Sporting CP made it 3-0, this time thanks to Paulinho's header from Porro's cross. It was the striker's seventh goal in the last five matches.

The masterclass continued in the second 45 minutes, with only only team managing to create opportunities in the opposing area. Early on, Gonçalves headed wide, which was followed by a shot by Matheus Reis from distance that was saved by goalkeeper Jordi, who then kept out an attempt by Paulinho.

Trincao, from outside the area, missed the target, and with 20 minutes left, coach Rúben Amorim started to make substitutions, bringing Arthur Gomes and Jovane Cabral on in place of Nuno Santos and Edwards. For Paços de Ferreira, an emotional Vitorino Antunes, league winner with Sporting CP in 2020/2021 and captain of the visitors, was substituted and left the pitch to applause from the Estádio José Alvalade.

The pace and intensity of the game dropped and the substitutions continued, with Paulinho and Gonçalves giving way to Rodrigo Ribeiro and Mateus Fernandes, respectively.

In the 82nd minute, referee António Nobre showed Dário Essugo a straight red card after a challenge on Holsgrove, leaving the team down to ten men. However, they remained firmly in control and claimed another victory.

Sporting CP will return to action in January, traveling to Madeira to play CS Marítimo.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Gonçalo Inácio, Sebastián Coates [C], Matheus Reis, Pedro Porro, Dário Essugo, Pedro Gonçalves (Mateus Fernandes, 78'), Nuno Santos (Arthur Gomes, 71'), Marcus Edwards ( Jovane Cabral, 71'), Francisco Trincão (Sotiris Alexandropoulos, 85') and Paulinho (Rodrigo Ribeiro, 78').

The coach looks at the final game of 2022

Sporting Clube de Portugal round off 2022 with a Thursday game against FC Paços de Ferreira, on Matchday 14 of the Liga Portugal season.

Ahead of the match, coach Rúben Amorim gave a press conference at the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo and, rather than taking stock of the year as a whole, he preferred to focus on the contest ahead.

"We played an excellent game last time out, but that's done now. We're feeling good, we've won six straight games and we're returning to league action, which is our priority. What we want to do is keep playing well, because that way we are closer to winning, not conceding and scoring as many goals as possible," he began by telling journalists.
 
Amorim also warned of the "uncertainties" that FC Paços de Ferreira pose, as the team in 18th place in the table and with only two points to their name.

"We know that they are not in good form, but that brings us many uncertainties. We don't know which starting XI they will have or how they will play, as they have their third coach of the season and they have already used several formations. We have tried everything to try to understand and be prepared for everything, but we have to play our game."

"We have to win games to bring our good feelings back. I think we've recovered that 'hunger' we had, and we're playing more intensely and better. Six or seven wins in a row is nothing for a team who want to get closer to the places above us," underlined Amorim, reinforcing the focus on the game.

"Our focus is to win matches, go game-by-game and then in the end we will do the maths."

Asked about Paulinho, who has scored six goals in the last four games, Amorim said that "He lives off good games and goals too. It's important to have good moments, but knowing that each game is a different story and everything changes from game to game."

"Dário Essugo has responded well, he's evolved with the work we've been doing with him and he's only 17 years old. He made his debut when we were champions, when he was very young, and today he's a completely different player. He is the most similar player we have to [João] Palhinha, with very specific characteristics, and we believe in him a lot."

Captain Sebastián Coates could reach the mark of 300 games with Sporting CP, but his coach still believes he has more to offer.

“I want to offer him congratulations on his beautiful career, but he can still improve a lot. That's what I tell him every day. Nowadays he's still considered a very young player and he can evolve a lot. He's not such a slow or static player, he can improve on the ball and we're going to demand more and more from him. I congratulate him on what he's doing, but he has only one league title, so we have to demand more from all of us and especially from the captain. We will be here to help him."

With the winter market just around the corner, Amorim fielded a question about potential interest in Pedro Porro.

"He is experiencing one of the best moments of his career and is focused on Sporting CP. He can only leave if his clause is met. My contract renewal has been done, and there is trust from the board and the coach."

"There may be some adaptations in the market. We have to know exactly what we are going to do, not only now but in the future as well. I think there is a lot of talent in the Academy in certain positions and we will have to take risks. I am focused on the youth players, such as Rodrigo [Ribeiro], who renewed this week and will start to have more of a role on our team, but it depends on him. I think he will be a great player in the future."

New contract agreed for 17-year-old midfielder

Sporting Clube de Portugal and Dário Essugo have agreed terms on an extension to the player's contract, through to 2025 with a buyout clause of 45 million euros.

The 17-year-old midfielder expressed his satisfaction with the confidence shown in him by the club since he arrived in 2014.

“I'm very happy to have renewed my contract. I have always been working towards this and it's like a Christmas present for me. I'm very happy," he said at the official presentation of the renewal.

"I will continue to work with my feet firmly on the ground, because I know I want to achieve many things here. It's all about focusing on the day-to-day work, because everything will happen naturally that way."

The Portuguese Under-20 international, who has played five matches this season and last year became the youngest player ever to make his debut for Sporting CP, aged just 16 years and 6 days, reflected on his time at the club so far.

“I've had a lot of good times here already. It was easy for me to join the first team, because my teammates help me and, in addition, all the young players who come to train for the first team are very well received. This is very important. The coach believes in youth a lot. I will work to earn his trust.”

“Professional football is faster, and we also have to take into account that it's more physical, but you get used to it. Winning Liga Portugal in 2020/2021 is something I will never forget. It will stay in my memory forever because it was a dream come true. I still get goosebumps thinking about that moment."

He also had words for the supporters, saying that "They are spectacular. I can really feel their support and that's the most important thing, because they're always with us. We are relying on their support for what remains of this year and for the next."

The coach analyses the 5-0 win over SC Braga

After his side made it through to the Final Four of the Taça da Liga with a 5-0 win over SC Braga (5-0), Sporting Clube de Portugal coach Rúben Amorim praised his players by saying that the first half “was close to perfection."

“There are days when everything goes well, and this time it happened due to the intensity we imposed at the start of the game. We started well, we scored from a set piece and from then on we played differently, as we went from an organised attack to a lot of transitions. This is a good sign, because it means that we know how to adapt to games, and then we resolve the situation early with the talent of the players,” he began by saying in his post-match press conference.

“The only criticism I have to say is that we lowered the pace in the second half, but I can't be upset with the players because I think it was really an inability to keep up the intensity. That concerns me because we are going to have very difficult games and when we are in a game like that, more or less solved, and the players are no longer able to maintain their speed going backwards and forwards, it is something that we have to work on. I congratulate them on the excellent game they played. We killed it off early, but also deserve a lot of merit."

Amorim then commented on the performance of Francisco Trincão, who played on the left and scored one of the goals.

“Trincão improved a lot when he went onto the left. He moved there because Marcus Edwards doesn't have as much speed to play on that side, besides he likes to come inside and he's very good between the lines. He adapted well and we discovered that we have a player who can play on both flanks, and he is better on the left."

He also addressed the improvements seen from Paulinho, who scored his sixth goal in four matches.

“Paulinho is doing very well physically and his head rules everything. He's scoring goals and we look at his game in a different way because of that. He's had games where he played well like today, but he didn't score,” he underlined.

The coach was then asked about the team's 100% winning record in the League Cup, which has seen four wins and 18 goals, with none conceded.

“Above all, we have to be aware that everything can change. We are in good form, we have had more time to train and the players are growing. The players have the potential for more, but I know that we will suffer in many games because when the pace drops as it did in the second half...

"It was a good result, we are doing better because we had more time to train and we are defending with more rigour, but we still have a lot to improve," he stressed.

“About two months ago I said that the team lacked some hunger, but the truth is that many of them are the same players as two years ago, and they have that hunger. What they have to do is have consistency, and then talent appears, but hunger is essential."