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Portuguese Cup: Porto’s Hulk and Helton combine to defeat Sporting

Sporting 1-1 FC Porto (Porto win 5-4 on penalties)

It was close to midnight last night when FC Porto finally overcame Sporting on penalties to reach the 5th round of the Portuguese Cup after an incident-packed match at the Alvalade Stadium.

Liedson’s first-half goal was scant reward for a superb 45 minutes of attacking football from the hosts. But the Dragons recovered well, and the outstanding Hulk netted a magnificent equaliser to take the match into extra time. Three men were sent off but no further goals were added, and Porto goalkeeper Helton saved two penalties to knock Sporting out of the competition they had won in the two previous years.

In the very first minute Hulk skipped past Polga but was crowded out before he could get his shot in. Sporting roared back and a flowing move in the 9th minute saw the ball worked to Izmailov 15 metres out in an excellent position to open the scoring, but the Russian lifted his shot over the bar.

Rochemback then hit a powerful shot from 20 metres that forced Helton into a fine diving stop, and Postiga then tested the Brazilian keeper again with a cheeky back-heel as Sporting threatened to overrun the shaky Porto defence. But Porto hit back when a fine Mariano cross was headed just wide by Lisandro.

Liedson strikes

The home team took a richly deserved lead in the 28th minute when Liedson scored a typical poacher’s goal. A poor clearance from Rolando looped into the box, and Liedson reacted faster than the static Pedro Emanuel to outjump the defender and power a header into the top corner.

Just before the break Hulk again showed the danger he posed with a firm snapshot that flew into the side-netting.

Porto came out with a different attitude in the second half, yet it was Sporting who were close to doubling their lead in the 49th minute. A pinpoint Veloso cross was headed towards goal by Moutinho, but Helton again proved equal to the task, producing a fine stop to deflect the ball for a corner.

Brazilian striker Hulk was proving a real handful for the Sporting rearguard, and a powerful mazy run had the Sporting defenders backpeddling in panic. The ball eventually fell to Lucho who shot tamely over the bar.

Brilliant goal

Two minutes later Hulk scored a quite brilliant equaliser. Sporting lost the ball carelessly from a corner kick and the Brazilian, picking up the ball well inside his own half, ran 70 metres leaving Rochemback in his wake, before unleashing an unstoppable left-foot drive into the roof of the net.

Bruno Alves then headed wide from a corner, and things got even worse for Sporting when Caneira was harshly shown a second yellow card and given his marching orders with 20 minutes left to play.

Hulk and Tomas Costa tested Patricio from distance, while at the other end Izmailov showed good skill to dance past two players before firing in a shot that whistled just over the bar.

In the 82nd minute the home team were given a boost when a clumsy Pedro Emanuel tackle resulted in his second yellow card to make it ten against ten. Yannick Djalo almost immediately spurned a gilt-edged chance to win the game for Sporting when he headed a Rochemback corner over the bar when left completely unmarked eight metres from goal.

Penalty appeals

Sporting also had two very loud shouts for penalties turned down as Abel appeared to be body-checked by Alves and a Rolando hand-ball was not penalised in a breathless spell of play, but the score remained one apiece on 90 minutes to send the tie into extra time.

The chances kept coming in the extra half hour, with an Abel rocket-shot from the edge of the area giving Helton the chance to shine again, before a Veloso free-kick was easily gathered by the Brazilian.

At the other end of the pitch a Lucho Gonzalez shot was deflected wide and Argentine compatriot Lisandro twice came close – first with a 25-metre daisy cutter that was deflected just wide, then a header over the bar. In the final minute Porto were reduced to nine players when Hulk was shown his second yellow card after simulating a foul in the box.

There was no further scoring which meant the lottery of penalties. Porto came out on top as the inspired Helton saved from Rochemback and Abel.

Sporting:
Rui Patricio, Abel, Caneira, Polga, Veloso, Rochembach, Romganoli (Pedro Silva, 70), Izmailov (Tiui, 120), Moutinho, Postiga (Djalo, 82), Liedson
Yellow Cards: Caneira, Polga, Liedson, Pedro Silva, Veloso, Abel
Red Card: Caneira, 67

FC Porto:
Helton, Fucile (Lino, 125), Rolando, Bruno Alves, Pedro Emanuel, Mariano (Tomas Costa, 46), Fernando, Meireles (Rodriguez, 56), Lucho Gonzalez, Hulk, Lisandro Lopez
Yellow Cards: Bruno Alves, Pedro Emanuel, Hulk, Helton
Red Cards: Pedro Emanuel, 83; Hulk, 119

Goals:
[1-0] Liedson, 29
[1-1] Hulk, 58

Penalty shoot-out:
[0-0] Lucho Gonzalez misses (hits bar)
[0-0] Rochemback misses (Helton save)
[0-1] Lisandro scores
[1-1] Miguel Veloso scores
[1-2] Tomas Costa scores
[2-2] Rodrigo Tiui scores
[2-3] Lino scores
[3-3] Joao Moutinho scores
[3-4] Bruno Alves scores
[4-4] Polga scores
[4-5] Cristian Rodriguez scores
[4-5] Abel misses (Helton save)