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| Tuesday, 03 July 2012 20:08 |
Under-19’s off to winning startBorges’ men cruise past Estonia An early own goal put Portugal in the driving seat against Estonia in their opening European Championship match, and provided the ideal base for a comfortable 3-0 win. Sporting’s Betinho and Benfica’s Daniel Martins were on target either side of half time.
Edgar Borges selected an all-grande eleven in Tallinn, with Sporting contributing seven players, Benfica three and Porto one. Borges’ side got off to the perfect start when the unfortunate Pikk netted a horrendous own goal in front of his home fans after just four minutes. That set the Under-19’s up for a dominant opening half display, with João Mário producing a particularly accomplished performance in the midfield. Estonia consistently struggled to clear their lines, and a second duly arrived on 25 minutes. A half clearance fell to the unmarked Betinho, and the prolific Sporting forward tapped home with ease.  A decidedly drama-free second half saw Estonia attempt to raise the tempo, but their limited technical ability meant that Portugal were rarely discomforted. A Daniel Martins free kick from an acute angle put the result beyond any doubt with eighteen minutes remaining. Portugal’s next group match promises to be a far stiffer test: tournament favourites Spain were not entirely convincing in a 2-1 win over Greece earlier in the day, but just as is the case with their senior side, are not to be underestimated. That match takes place at 18:00 Lisbon time on Friday. Portugal: Rafael Veloso, Daniel Martins, Tiago Ferreira, Tiago Ilori, João Cancelo, Agostinho Cá (Ricardo Alves 72'), João Mário, André Gomes, Ricardo Esgaio, Bruma (Ivan Cavaleiro 65'), Betinho (Cafú 78'). Goals [1-0] Pikk 4’ (OG) [2-0] Betinho 25’ [3-0] Daniel Martins 66’ Ben Shave |
Heres the highlights. Martins goal was outstanding!
I didn't get to watch it, but it seems as if we had an easy time of it.