Académica recorded their first win of the season when they won 2-0 at SC Farense. The home side started with Aberdeen-born Ryan Gauld making his debut on-loan from Sporting Lisbon. Gauld joined Sporting from Dundee United four years ago for €3.4 million.
Just 18 years-old he was being hailed as the ‘Scottish Messi’ such was his precocious talent. At the time, Gauld said: “Sporting have got a good track record with really good young players – Luís Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani all came from here – so I knew they must have the coaches to develop world-class players.”
The early signs were promising. Sporting manager Marco Silva (now at Everton) was impressed enough to name Gauld in his 25-man Champions League squad straight away and, by the end of the season, Gauld had played five first-team games, scoring two goals and making another.
But then Silva left for Olympiacos and Gauld’s career went into decline. Two years ago, Gauld finally got his first taste of Portuguese top-flight action with a loan move to V. Setúbal where he made just five appearances. Last season, he was loaned to struggling Aves scoring once in 23 appearances. Now at Farense, he is hoping to reignite his career.
In an even first-half, things went terribly wrong for Farense five minutes before the interval when Bruno Bernardo picked up a yellow card. His persistent berating of the referee resulted in a second yellow and the home side were down to 10 men.
Ryan Gauld was sacrificed at half-time as Borges took his place. The numerical advantage took its toll as Almeida gave the team from Coimbra the lead on the stroke of half-time. Eighteen minutes after the interval, Donald Djousse entered the fray for Académica and, with his first touch, extended the visitors’ lead which they defended until the final whistle.
Farense are in ninth position in the Segunda Liga with seven points from five games. On Sunday, the Faro-based team travel to Portalegrense 1925, in the Alto Alentejo, for a Portugal Cup second round game. Portalegrense 1925 lost 6-1 to Loures in the first-round but were one of 22 losing teams, drawn at random, who have been given a second chance.
C.W.
Photo: Ryan Gauld
