Comeback and triumph against AA Espinho (3-1)

Sporting Clube de Portugal’s main men’s volleyball team won, this Saturday, AA Espinho by 3-1 in a game of the seventh round of series A of the second phase of the League.

Even so, at Pavilhão João Rocha, the Lions were forced to react after AA Espinho – coached by Miguel Maia, a national legend of the sport and Sporting CP – won the opening set. Well, from then on, the green and white answer was affirmative, initiated in the turnaround that put the Alvalade gang back on the path of triumphs. Individually, Josué López stood out with 16 points.

It was with great balance that the duel at Pavilhão João Rocha began (12-12), but with a slight visitor ascendant (17-20), which would be confirmed in the first set. AA Espinho also took the lead in the final straight and won by 23-25, complicating Leonine’s task from the start.

Even so, the green and white answer was not long in coming, but it would arrive after a lot of effort in a set so discussed that it lasted beyond 25 points. This time, it was the Lions who were on top of the set, managing to maintain a three-point advantage until the final stretch (15-12 and 18-15). However, at 19-19 there was a new ‘knot’ on the scoreboard, only untied with the 26-24, which reestablished the tie in the game.

It was the turning point in the match, from which Sporting CP definitely counts in the match. After a good start (9-4), the Lions shot up the scoreboard to 16-11, which gave the necessary balance to arrive, without surprises, at 25-18.

Continuing the improvements, the exhibitions in the meeting, the group from Alvalade dominated the fourth – and last set – to close the game. Achieving the opening 11-5, João Coelho’s team did not take their foot off the accelerator until confirming the triumph by 25-15.

With this result, Sporting CP reached 20 points and in the next round they meet AA Espinho again, but this time away from home.

Sporting CP: Josué López (16), José Masso (4), Toms Svans (9), José Jardim (2), Kelton Tavares (11), Thiago Gelinski [C]Gabriel Bertolini (14), Pedro Cardoso (12), Gil Meireles [L]Tiago Barth, Brian Melgarejo (6), Joaquín Gallego and João Simões.