English outcome in Seixal | Sporting Clube de Portugal official website
Insufficient green and white reaction in the under-17 derby (3-0)
Back after practically a month of competitive interruption due to international commitments, the under-17 football team of Sporting Clube de Portugal visited SL Benfica this Sunday and fell by 3-0 in the match of the 14th round of the C series of the National Championship of the echelon.
Due to the opportunities created, especially at the beginning of both halves, the young Lions deserved more in the derby, however it would be the strength embodied in the right moments to make the difference in the match, resolving it in the last quarter of an hour.
With the two emblems separated by two points at the start of the derby, with SL Benfica ahead (36 points), José João, coach Leonino, bet on David Ivanov, Daniel Costa, Francisco Machado, Rafael Mota, Rayhan Momade, Eduardo Felicíssimo , Winilson Lopes, João Simões, Sérgio Matos, Rodrigo Viola and João Infante in the starting eleven.
After the minute of silence in honor of Fernando Gomes, with the ball rolling, Sporting CP created the first opportunities in the derby: first, André Moreira, the red goalkeeper, released a ball that almost ended up in the back of his goal and, shortly afterwards, João Infante, inside the area, shot hard, but wide.
Already after ten minutes, in a ball that was left after a corner kick, it was very close that Eduardo Felicíssimo was unable to take advantage of the advance of the rival goalkeeper. Despite the green and white ascendant, the eagles would come to the advantage, without having created any dangerous situation. In a bid divided inside the area, the referee considered Felicíssimo’s foul and captain Gonçalo Moreira converted the penalty kick into force, which penalized the good entrance of the Lions.
From then on, SL Benfica rebalanced the match and Ivanov immediately imposed himself with two important saves. After a more divided phase, the derby only revived in the last minutes before the break, when Momade shot into the hands of André Moreira and, on the other side, Rui Silva hit the woodwork.
However, everything could have changed right after the resumption, such was the green and white reaction brought from rest, although lacking in definition – an aspect that would be decisive in this match. First, Winilson Lopes’ deflection at the mouth of the goal found André Moreira’s ‘stain’ and, then, Sérgio Matos’ shot went very close to the post.
However, at the 52nd minute, the red team also wasted a superb opportunity in a one-on-one and, later, hit the woodwork again. The derby was alive and from the bench José João tried to refresh the Leonine attack with Manuel Kissanga and Gabriel Melo to change the course of events.
Sporting CP’s youths continued to chase after the loss, but the lack of accuracy in finishing remained, since neither Melo nor Kissanga – this one with a direct free-kick – managed to hit the red goal. This was an efficiency that SL Benfica had in the response, with Gustavo Ferreira and Duarte Soares, already within the last 15 minutes, sentencing the derby with the 3-0, which proved to be definitive.
On the next day, the young Lions of José João, who are in second place with the same 34 points, will receive CF “Os Belenenses”.
Sporting CP: David Ivanov [GR]Daniel Costa (Konstantin Nikitenko 68′), Francisco Machado, Rafael Mota, Rayhan Momade [C]Eduardo Felicíssimo, Winilson Lopes (Manuel Kissanga 57′), João Simões, Sérgio Matos, Rodrigo Viola (Gabriel Melo 68′) and João Infante (Gabriel Silva 79′).