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| Saturday, 28 April 2012 21:57 |
Dragons take giant stride towards titleMaritimo 0-2 FC Porto A goal in each half from Hulk, both from the penalty spot, gave FC Porto a 2-0 victory at Maritimo to practically seal an 8th championship triumph in ten seasons for the Dragons. Porto go seven points clear of Benfica, who must win at Rio Ave tomorrow to keep their faint hopes of lifting the title alive.
Porto started like a team on a mission, and a strong opening 20 minutes was rewarded when Fidelis handled in the box and Hulk converted the resulting penalty. Despite taking their foot of the pedal the visitors continued to look the more threatening up until the break, and Salin had to be alert to save with his feet from James. Maritimo were far more dangerous in the second half. Only a superb save from Helton denied Fidelis the equaliser in the 69th minute, and almost immediately a fine Benachour effort grazed the outside of the Porto post. Lively second-half substitute Heldon then fired an effort over the bar for the hosts. Having weathered the Maritimo storm, Porto missed a great chance to kill the game in the 87th minute. A typically blistering run from Hulk was followed by a perfect cut-back into Lucho’s path, but with goalkeeper Salin out of his goal the Argentine failed to show his usual composure and blasted wastefully over the bar. It would not prove a costly miss, however, as soon afterwards Porto were awarded a second penalty as Rafael Miranda was adjudged to have felled Djalma. While there was little doubt about the first penalty, Miranda, who was sent off for a second yellow card, can consider himself harshly done by. Hulk expertly dispatched the spot kick, this time into the opposite corner of the net, meaning that Porto shall become champions tomorrow afternoon if Benfica draw or lose in Vila do Conde. Maritimo: Salin, Ruben Ferreira, Roberge (Pouga, 81), Robson, Briguel, Rafael Miranda, Joao Luiz (Heldon, HT), Olberdam, Danilo Dias (Benachour, 62), Fidelis, Sami FC Porto: Helton, Alex Sandro, Otamendi, Maicon, Sapunaru, Fernando, Lucho Gonzalez (Rolando, 88), Joao Moutinho, James Rodriguez (Defour, 75), Hulk, Varela (Djalma, 63) Goals: [0-1] Hulk, 19 (pen) [0-2] Hulk, 89 (pen) by Tom Kundert Follow PortuGOAL on Twitter and Facebook |
I don't know where that story originated, but Salazar never supported Benfica. He was a Belenenses supporter and there were many cases of persecution of members of Benfica's direction board and they even had to change the anthem. I could go on with more clear examples (like Benfica fielding plenty of players from the colonies and being the only club in whose direction featured members of the political opposition), but you can search for yourself and avoid embarking on the false facts train next time.
It's also funny that if you're analyzing statistics to prove that fact, it would become clear that 14 out of the 18 League titles that Sporting won was during the Estado Novo. Do I think that Sporting was backed by Salazar to accomplish that? No. In the same way that the European titles that both Porto and Benfica won were not backed by referees or anything of that sort.
Credit should be given to where it is due. I don't agree with Pedro/SA downplaying the importance of titles such as the World Club Cup. Porto is, without question, the most successful Portuguese club ever and seems poised to go on collecting trophies during the next few years. Benfica should get rid of people like Luís Filipe Vieira and Jorge Jesus, who spend more time talking than accomplishing anything real.
thems the facts
why is it that no benfiquista comments on luiz felipe vieira and joao 'pode ser' ferreira?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgB1SNWwRCI&feature=fvst
What do you guys ever say about this eh? What an embarrasment to be associated with! Yet he's the figure you all have to thank for your recent success. Portugal's FA is totally corrupt and Pinto Da Costa is the biggest player within this corruption...everybody knows this, but every Porto fan keeps absolutely quiet on this issue, because they also know it's the truth!!!
Two other points, firstly don't bring in the rediculous Salazar issue, because everyone who ain't a Porto fan (many of us haha) know that PDC has been a futebol-Salazar, as corrupt as they come...and that before he became the symbol of your club, you hadn't won hardly anything. And don't even try and extend Porto's dominance back to 1975 alright....Porto only became the dominant force in Portuguese futebol by the late 90s...
Let's just agree on what the reality is...Porto have no doubt been dominant in the last 15 years, that is obvious....but Benfica historically are still the biggest and most succesfull club in our country, that is obvious too...and it still will take at least the best part of 10 years for that to change (and that's providing our drought continues)...so perhaps in a decade or so we can continue the debate amigo.. I'm out now!!!
all time, Porto has 71 titles across all competitions vs Benfica's 69
titles since 1975 (you know what happened in 1975 right Pedro?):
FCP = 21 League titles, 13 Cups, 18 Super Cups, 2 Champions Leagues, 2 Europa Leagues, 1 UEFA SuperCup
5LB = 12 League titles, 9 Cups, 4 League Cups, 4 Super Cups... you went to a few CL finals, but how many did you win?
i've seen my club lift multiple European trophies in my lifetime Petey, how bout you?
And for all your trash talk, the reality remains Benfica is still more succesful than Porto on both of these...still more Liga titles (even though as you've pointed out we only won 2 of the last 10) and even though we both have 2 Champions League titles, we've been in 5 other finals (all against Euro giants let me add again, not Monaco or Braga lol)....Porto as i've already mentioned hasn't even been close to any other CL finals. So when you've actually caught up with us on both these fronts, then come talk to me.
Regardless of what anyone thinks or says, Benfica remains the greatest club in Portugal, even through this drought period we've been going through, and that won't change because we are a global phenomenon with millions of fans all over the place. The only people who like FC Porto are people from that city/district...or a handful of second generation portuguese around the world whose family originates from the city...or of course "bench-sitter" fans, who just "suppourt" the team that has been most succesful in recent times...which many of you may well be LOL! Adios amigos...
i was alive for all of porto's european trophies... benfica haven't been relevant in europe for over 2 decades (with a few rare exceptions)
in the last 10 years porto have won 2 europa leagues, a champions league and 8 liga titles... benfica have 2 liga titles... 'nuff said
I am not cr@pping on Benfica's accomplishments either, but that was a long time ago and you should be more concerned about making an impact NOW, not live in the 60's. Sure that was a great period for Benfica and Portuguese football. But instead of kicking your feet up and resting on the fact that Porto will never make it to 7 finals in your lifetime, you should be concerned that Benfica will probably will never make it to a final in your lifetime.
The power in Portuguese football has shifted from Benfica to Porto and it's been like that for quite a while now. "Just accept it fellas..."
Porto has never been a dominant team in Europe for an extended period the way Benfica were in their heyday, so don't act too smart alright just because you've just bought yet another Liga title LOL.. And this will always be the case because money rules the day in football these days and clubs like SLB and Porto have to sell their best players every summer. As a result no Portuguese clubs will ever likely be entirely dominant in europe again, and therefore Benfica's achievement in the 1960s will never be matched again by a Portuguese club...Just accept it fellas!!
hey pedro, when your team actually wins a european trophy in your lifetime, then you can talk...
european trophies? we're in the top 10 of clubs with european trophies... http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=1630669.html
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