8 January 2007, by Tom Kundert

Porto dumped out of Cup by minnows

FC Porto 0-1 Atletico

FC Porto were sensationally dumped out of the Portuguese Cup by lower-league side Atletico yesterday, in one of the biggest upsets in the competition in years.

A second-half goal by David was enough to give the part-timers a famous victory over the current holders and Portuguese champions. It was Porto’s first defeat at home for 15 months.

Jesualdo Ferreira selected only four first-team regulars, but even so the 30,000 strong crowd expected nothing less than a straight-forward victory over the team from a Lisbon suburb that plays three divisions below the top flight.

After Bruno Moraes had twice gone close for Porto, Atletico’s players showed they were not overawed by the occasion as Vitor Baia had to be alert to turn a deflected free-kick over the bar.

The amateurs held on comfortably until the break, and Ferreira decided to adopt a more attacking approach, taking off defensive midfielder Paulo Assuncao and sending on striker Lisandro Lopez.

But it was a defender, Joao Paulo, who almost got the breakthrough for the holders as he saw his strong header bounce back off the post.

Nevertheless, Atletico were far from a defensive side and after three good attacks took them close to Porto’s goal, the crowd was silenced when David turned the ball into the net after a goalmouth scramble.

Ferreira immediately sent on winger Alan and striker Adriano to try to prevent the unthinkable. Just when it seemed Atletico had done enough to knock out the Dragons, Porto won a penalty in the last minute of normal time.

But Quaresma struck the spot kick against the post and shortly afterwards the referee blew the final whistle to trigger wild celebrations on the pitch and an all-night party in the Lisbon quarter of Alcantara.

FC Porto:
Vitor Baia, Fucile (Alan, 62), Ricardo Costa, Joao Paulo, Marek Cech, Paulo Assuncao (Lisandro Lopez, 46), Raul Meireles, Ibson (Adriano, 62), Ricardo Quaresma, Bruno Moraes, Vieirinha
Yellow Cards: Joao Paulo (31)

Atletico:
Marco, Pedro Pereira (Hugo Freire, 86), Ricardo Aires, Rolao, Junior, Simoes, Lapinha (Gonçalo, 69), Marco Bicho (Rui Andrade, 94); Nuno Gaio, David, Edmar
Yellow Cards: Lapinha (62), Marco Bicho (84), Ricardo Aires (91), Marco (95)

Goals:
[0-1] David, 60