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| Thursday, 03 November 2011 22:39 |
Sporting lose winning run and RinaudoFC Vaslui 1-0 Sporting Sporting’s ten-game winning streak was ended by FC Vaslui, with Denis Zmeu scoring the only goal of the game on a cold night in Romania. More damaging than the defeat is the news that Rinaudo appears to have picked up a broken leg that will keep him out of action for several months.
Sporting made seven changes from the team that won against Feirense at the weekend, Valeri Bojinov, Alberto Rodriguez, Marcelo Boeck and Bruno Pereirinha all coming in to the side. Domingos Paciencia could afford to give game time to under-utilised players with Sporting having already qualified for the knockout stages. Rinaudo blowThe game started off with high pressing from Sporting to try and put pressure on Vaslui but a major cog in that game plan was lost in the eighth minute. Fabian Rinaudo, who has made such a positive impact at Sporting, injured himself as he slid to intercept a Vaslui pass. The gravity of the injury was only discovered after the final whistle, with a suspected fracture of both the tibia and fibula. Further tests in Lisbon tomorrow will confirm the extent of the injury. Andre Santos came on for the Argentine
It took thirteen minutes for the game’s first shot on target to appear. Zmeu’s low effort forced Marcelo Boeck to parry the ball out for an FC Vaslui corner. Adailton went even closer for Vaslui with his header going over Marcelo Boeck’s bar from just a few yards away. Deflection leaves Boeck strandedFC Vaslui opened the scoring on the half hour mark. Sporting failed to deal with a corner and Zmeu was the first to react to a loose ball and his shot deflected off Andre Santos leaving Marcelo Boeck with no chance. On the overall run of play in the first half it was a deserved goal for manager Viorel Hiz’s hard-working team.
The goal forced Sporting to up their game and they started to retain possession better and attack more. Valeri Bojinov’s chance shortly before half time that went just wide of Cerniauskas’ left hand post was the pick of Sporting’s six first half shots. But seconds before the interval Vaslui were again close to scoring, with a sliding Yero Bello inches away from converting a low cross. After the break Domingos Paciencia showed he wanted to try and go for a club record five consecutive European wins as he replaced Valeri Bojinov with the free-scoring Ricky van Wolfswinkel. But the hosts continued to have the better chances. The dangerous Bello forced Marcelo Boeck into another solid save and the ball bounced out to Adailton who failed to convert the rebound. Wolfswinkel chanceSporting’s main problem was finding a rhythm in attack with Vaslui defending solidly and stifling their Portuguese opponents. Ricky van Wolfswinkel went closest for Sporting as he got on the end of a Matias Fernandez pass but couldn’t convert from close range.
Deep into stoppage time Sporting’s players were incensed when Diego Rubio was denied a penalty and then booked for diving by Icelandic referee, Kristinn Jakobsson. Replays showed that Rubio had indeed been fouled, although his theatrical fall probably did little to help his cause. The result still leaves Sporting top of the group with nine points and needing two points from their final two games to guarantee finishing first in the group. Sporting:
Marcelo Boeck, Pereirinha, Daniel Carrico, Rodriguez, Evaldo, Rinaudo (Andre Santos, 12), Schaars, Diego Capel, Matias Fernandez (Diego Rubio, 65), Andre Carrillo, Bojinov (van Wolfswinkel, HT)
Goals:
[1-0] Zmeu, 30
Richard Cole
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The problem is that Andre Santos is technically excellent and more of a deep-lying playmaker than a tough-tackling defensive midfielder. For many years Sporting seemed a little soft in the midfield and Rinaudo has definitely added some muscle to Sporting's technically gifted midfielders.
Against weaker teams Andre Santos will do well as a holding midfielder, but in the big games, they'll miss Rinaudo's tenacity and aggression. Andre Santos is much better technically, but he isn't as good as Rinaudo defensively.
The most disappointing thing is the loss of Rinaudo, but thankfully Sporting have much more depth in the squad than has been the case in recent years, so they should be able to recover and keep up their winning ways.
Focus should be on the domestic league and the game against Leiria this sunday, whcih they should win handily. All the best to Rinaudo, I hope he has a swift recovery.
As for the non penalty call and the yellow to rub salt on the wound, I wish players would stop being so theatrical.
Yes it should have been a penalty, but he obviously hurt his pleas due to his theatrics.
Diving isn't good enough anymore. Players have to roll around as if they lost a limb. Even if players get the calls deserved or not, once they start crying and rolling around they should have to go to the sideline.
James dive vs APOEL was bad, but his immediate rolling around was worse. I think that even Porto players noticed and went to him and stood him up right away. He was fine.