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| Friday, 22 April 2011 08:31 |
Liga Orangina set for thrilling season finalePromotion and relegation issues remain wide openSince the last update from the Liga Orangina – and by the way, apologies for the gap in coverage, blame Portugal’s ongoing Europa League conquest – the division has taken my previous description of it as “tighter than a boa constrictor’s embrace” and raised the bar for drama, unpredictability, and all-around entertainment.With five rounds remaining, not one of the sixteen clubs can relax: all are battling for promotion, scrambling for survival, or trying their damndest to force their way in or out of those contests, as the case may be. At the top, four sides have opened up a gap between themselves and the chasing pack, and it appears increasingly as if the two automatic promotion spots will be divided between them. Whilst my previous round-up highlighted three of them as teams to watch, the current table-toppers were, until recent times, struggling to poke their heads out from the mid-table morass. In their last ten outings, Quim Machado’s Feirense have won eight (including four on the bounce) and lost just twice.
Feirense show mental strength Crucially, two of these eight victories have come against their closest rivals, Trofense and Oliveirense. Both were tense, hard-fought affairs, particularly the trip to local rivals Oliveirense, which saw Feirense hang on for a 1-0 victory, despite finishing the encounter with just nine men on the field. Machado’s finest achievement (in his first season coaching in Portugal’s second tier) has been the instillation of a dogged determination in his squad. Feirense are neither the best at the back nor up front, but as a succession of 1-0 or 2-1 victories illustrate, they are mentally the toughest side in the Liga. That isn’t to say they can’t turn on the style occasionally – last weekend saw a 5-2 hammering of Moreirense, which put them top of the table with 45 points.That victory saw Feirense leapfrog Trofense, who had temporarily moved to the summit of the division with an underwhelming but crucial 1-0 victory over Belenenses at the Restelo. In truth, Trofense ought to have opened up a gap of their own at the top, but have in the last month seen their form desert them somewhat. Defeat at fellow promotion-chasers Oliveirense was no disgrace, but throwing away victories at home to Fatima and then on the road Estoril were not exactly title-winning form. Trofense have centred their campaign around a solid defence, and with a run-in that sees four meetings with sides in the top half of the table, the likes of Joao Dias and Igor will need to maintain their composure. Trofense have already spent a season longer than they wanted to in the second tier, and Amorim is staking his coaching reputation on his mission to guide them back to the top flight.
Gil Vicente the entertainersTwo points further back are Oliveirense and Gil Vicente, who were my tips to fill the promotion spots. The pair met last weekend in Oliveira de Azemeis, producing a ding-dong battle eventually won by the boys from Barcelos, by four goals to two. Despite this loss, and despite the fact that both sides are three points behind Feirense, I would stand by my prediction that these two will be playing top-flight football next season. Gil Vicente in particular have been a fabulously entertaining proposition all season long, even with the recent loss of talented young attacking midfielder Hugo Vieira. Forty-one goals scored and thirty-three conceded reflects their aggressive style, and with the likes of Braga-bound Rodrigo Gallo and Ze Luis (who has scored seven in his last six matches) continuing their fine form, Paulo Alves and co. are set up nicely for what looks on paper to be a fairly negotiable run-in.
Oliveirense have been in something of a slump lately (one win in four), and have missed the goals of veteran forward Clemente, who has not found the net in his last eight outings. Despite this, the fact that all five remaining matches are against sides in the bottom half should see Pedro Miguel’s men there or thereabouts come May 29th.
Below the leading quartet sit a quintet of sides who, whilst not out of the promotion race, have lacked the consistency across the campaign to mount a challenge. Leixoes (36 points) have improved since the arrival of Litos as coach, but may well have left their drive for an instant return to the Liga a little bit too late. Arouca (also 36) have arguably been the story of the season, with Henrique Nunes masterminding a campaign that has seen the tiny club achieve beyond all realistic expectations. The goals of Jeremie N’Jock have been vital, and the veteran Cameroonian may well have put himself in the shop window for a top-flight outfit.
Santa Clara – a season of two halvesAves (35) have hovered around mid-table for most of the campaign, whilst both Santa Clara (34) and Estoril (33) have enjoyed much-improved segunda voltas. The side from Ponta Delgado in particular have been transformed from the relegation candidates of November time to a far sterner prospect, and whilst their late push for promotion has been tempered by a run of one win in five, the division’s most far-flung outfit look to be safe for another season.
The seven clubs below them are separated by just eight points, and as such can be broadly termed as those most engaged in what has been a fierce tussle to avoid relegation into the regional II Divisao. Freamunde (30) and Moreirense (29) perhaps have enough points in the bag to mean that only an unexpected slide would see them dragged back into the mire, but in a division where upsets are a fairly regular occurrence, nothing is certain. Freamunde boast in Marcelo Bock the division’s top scorer with 14. Insert your own beer-based joke here.
Belenenses fallen on hard timesIn 12th sit Belenenses, Lisbon’s third club now fallen on hard times. Whilst Jose Mota has managed to keep his side out of the drop zone for the time being, this is undoubtedly a critical moment in the club’s history. President Joao Almeida recently tendered his resignation, and with the young talent being cherry-picked by top-flight clubs (Andre Almeida is set to join Benfica, whilst Abel Camara and Fredy have been strongly linked with Braga), survival is the best that can be hoped for. Truly a sad state of affairs.
It is surely no coincidence that four of the bottom five clubs have all changed coaches this season. Belenenses, Penafiel (27), Sporting Covilha (26) and bottom side Fatima (22) have all been chronically unstable, and whilst the latter appear doomed, it is impossible to prognosticate about who may be joining them in the regional leagues next season. Fingers crossed that it won’t be Varzim. The northern side currently sit 15th on 26 points, and it would truly be a shame if the youngest squad in the division were to pay the price for such a prodigious output of homegrown talent. Eduardo Esteves has a titanic task on his hands, but with three matches against fellow strugglers (Covilha, Moreirense and Belenenses) to come before the end of the season, Varzim have their fate in their hands.
Boavista rising from the ashes?All in all, it promises to be a thrilling finale in Portugal’s second tier, where everything remains open. Before signing off, a nod to the regional II Divisao, where two of the three Zonas have been sewn up. Uniao de Madeira have won the Zona Norte, whilst Atletico Clube de Portugal (one of the most historic names in Portuguese football) have wrapped up the Zona Sul. The Zona Centro remains too close to call: with two rounds remaining, Tondela, Padroense and Boavista are separated by a single point. The winner will join Uniao and Atletico in a post-season round-robin playoff competition, with the top two gaining promotion to the Liga Orangina.
So if you’re feeling starved of drama now that Porto have wrapped up the title, don’t despair: it’s alive and well in the lower leagues.
by Ben Shave
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Santa Clara had a real shot last year, but trailed off in the end.
Karl, Belenenses were penalized points two seasons ago for playing a player that was inegiable. If you go and research what happened the FPF originally approved the player when Belem applied, but rescinded later on. The drop in points caused them to get relegated. They were allowed back in the 1st division due to Est Amadora disbanding. Belenenses had finished 15th, not last.
This was the same season that Porto was docked points for bribbing refs a few years back. Their drop in points weren't enough to keep them from winning the league.
Many will say that what Porto did is a lot more determental to the game. I can only assume you are not a Porto fan, due to their actions.
I too would like to see the black & white checkered jersey back in the 1st division.
I hope Belenenses never make it back into the top flight. They flouted rules and should have been relegated several seasons ago.