Portuguese Football Season 2021/22

[rpo.castro]

New season just about to start.

18 teams will battle in the championship, with 4 of them qualified for EC GS (Sporting and Porto in CL, Braga in EL and Benfica in CLnC Q3). Santa Clara (for 1st time) and ECL Q2 and Paços de Ferreira ECL Q3 complete last season top 6.

The Supercup between Sporting Lisbon (champions) and SC Braga (cup winners) will be held on 31 July.
The League will start in the following weekend.
The League Cup first rounds will start at 24 july. The top 4 will enter only in the group stage (4 groups of 3 teams). Winner of each group advance to final-four. Its a competition designed for big teams and every change is made to make their task easier.

There hasn't been much changes during this pre-season. All top-4 teams kept their coach which if not unique, is a rare situation. Until now the top players hasn't been transfer (except if count Benfica president at home arrest and 3 M€ bail).

So despite the title, Porto and Benfica are seen as the main contenders for the title. Sporting will try to challenge them, but they will have at least 6 european matches (which they hadn't last season, only 1) and attendance (expected to have 33% at each stadium) which was useful last season.
Braga will try to reduce the gap for top 3 and try to get in between but is a very hard task giving the difference in the budgets.

The battle for ECL is always unpredictable: some teams that start fighting for ECL end in relegation.
Paços Ferreira, 5th, lost their most valuable asset: their coach moved to Vitória Guimarães. A 2nd season in top 6 is unlikely.
Santa Clara, 6th, kept their team and coach. Lets see what will they get in ECL. They might be in the battle again.
Vitória Guimarães, with a good coach will be the stronger candidate for P5.

Moreirense will try another peaceful season and try to develop and sell their players. EC is not something they want.
Famalicão had a very hard season until they change for last coach. The change was from black to white. They will give hard fight to V. Guimarães for P5.

The remaining teams goal is staying away from relegation:
Belenenses SAD, Gil Vicente, Tondela, Boavista*, Portimonense, Marítimo, Estoril (L2), Vizela (L2) and Arouca* (L2).

Boavista and Arouca managed to get a license in the last days despite Boavista facing the risk of bankrupcy (something on the table every season for last 15 years) and Arouca is already since march with a bankrupcy management plan on going. But as long they have followed the payment plan to Government and no debts to players and coaches, they get a license.

Estoril, Vizela and Arouca got Promoted from 2 Liga. Its a return for the 3 of them Estoril after 3 years, Arouca after 4 years (which include 1 relegation to 3rd level and 2 consecutive promotions from 3rd level to 1 Liga) and Vizela returns 36 years after their only season in 1st Division.

Estoril has a good team and might fight for something more than just avoiding relegation.

[xavier_]

I just don't get the League Cup format... it is a broken record to say this but the 5th and the 6th team should not play so early. They have European matches in between, such a mistake. Either all teams play, this includes the big4, or the teams that qualified for EC shouln't have to play in July games for the League Cup.

Having said that, I can not remember a season where all the big4 kept their coaches from last season. When was the last time that happened? Covid indirect effect?

[xavier_]

Some interesting friendlies between Portuguese and France teams in the next couple of days, not sure why they all decided to chose French teams this time.

Lille x Benfica
Sporting x Angers - 2-0
Braga x Marseille
FC Porto x Lyon

Almost like a little tournament

[rpo.castro]

Portuguese Supercup next Sunday 20.45 (Lisbon time) at Aveiro with 10k fans in stadium (30%).
Sporting (champion) vs SC Braga (cup winner).

League Cup also this weekend (2nd round).

[ngfsmg]

Sporting won the Supercup 2-1 a few days ago, and yesterday started the league with a convincing 3-0 victory against recently promoted Vizela

[rpo.castro]

With 1,5 matches to go, 2 surprises: Portimonense win at Guimarães (0-1) and massive win for Tondela over Santa Clara (3-0). Paços is beating Famalicão (2-0). If they confirm the win, the last season top 5 will finish MD1 with victories.

[rpo.castro]

This is not from an amateur GK. Its really a player from top division:

https://videos.sapo.pt/0Ykfj4ljbdoYmTAuF4G3?jwsource=cl

[ngfsmg]

This is not from an amateur GK. Its really a player from top division:

https://videos.sapo.pt/0Ykfj4ljbdoYmTAuF4G3?jwsource=cl

Some context: the referee first said it was offside, but as the ball went to the GK, the referee let the game go without the free kick. The GK didn't notice this second part, and was getting ready to take the free kick when this happened
And looking at the video again, it seems like the Benfica attacker didn't notice it at all either, he only started running when the Arouca defender did it too...

[rpo.castro]

Portuguese cup 3rd round, the first with I Liga teams, all facing teams from lower tiers (by regulations).
From the 18 I liga teams, 3 are already out: Arouca (beaten by a 4th tier team) Boavista and Marítimo (eliminated by II Liga teams).

Forth round, 32 teams with
15 I Liga
10 II liga
3 III Liga
4 CP (4th tier)
0 from regional championships

[Phocea]

MT : Belensenses 0-7 Benfica. Only 7 players for Belenenses at the start of the match.

There was nobody to have some decency to say "This match is a nonsense"?

[rpo.castro]

MT : Belensenses 0-7 Benfica. Only 7 players for Belenenses at the start of the match.

There was nobody to have some decency to say "This match is a nonsense"?

Another day at office in this farse called portuguese liga.
Benfica got 3 points and an easy recovery training session.
Belenenses got some ticketing money and most important, didn't cost points to their mother club, so all good at the end.

B SAD started with 9 players (2 GK), with only 1 being from main squad. Scored own goal at minute 1, got back with only 7 players and had an injury at minute 46. Just a farse like every matchday.
Business as usual

[anty1975]

Another day at office in this farse called portuguese liga.
Benfica got 3 points and an easy recovery training session.
Belenenses got some ticketing money and most important, didn't cost points to their mother club, so all good at the end.

B SAD started with 9 players (2 GK), with only 1 being from main squad. Scored own goal at minute 1, got back with only 7 players and had an injury at minute 46. Just a farse like every matchday.
Business as usual

Belenenses didn't request postponement of the match?

[Phocea]

MT : Belensenses 0-7 Benfica. Only 7 players for Belenenses at the start of the match.

There was nobody to have some decency to say "This match is a nonsense"?

Another day at office in this farse called portuguese liga.
Benfica got 3 points and an easy recovery training session.
Belenenses got some ticketing money and most important, didn't cost points to their mother club, so all good at the end.

B SAD started with 9 players (2 GK), with only 1 being from main squad. Scored own goal at minute 1, got back with only 7 players and had an injury at minute 46. Just a farse like every matchday.
Business as usual

And I thought French League was a joke. Seriously...

[angel_87]

MT : Belensenses 0-7 Benfica. Only 7 players for Belenenses at the start of the match.

There was nobody to have some decency to say "This match is a nonsense"?

simple question: couldn't the hosts ask the League or Federation to postpone the match?
when i saw 0-7 at the end of the first 45 minutes I couldn't believe my eyes ...

[SimonB]

MT : Belensenses 0-7 Benfica. Only 7 players for Belenenses at the start of the match.

There was nobody to have some decency to say "This match is a nonsense"?

simple question: couldn't the hosts ask the League or Federation to postpone the match?
when i saw 0-7 at the end of the first 45 minutes I couldn't believe my eyes ...

According to this article on the CNN website they did and were refused

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/28/foot ... index.html