LIGA NOS: VITÓRIA GUIMARAES 1-0 PORTIMONENSE
A single mistake once again cost Portimonense all three points in what could otherwise have been termed a defensive stalemate in Guimarães.
Neither team showed much attacking initiative with the Algarveans managing a meagre six shots in the general direction of the opposition goal as opposed to the hosts’ eight, almost none of those combined efforts particularly troubling the keepers at either end. The decisive moment arrived just after the half-hour mark when the Portimonense defence only made half-hearted attempts to separate André André from the ball inside its own area, the Guimarães captain gratefully accepting the invitation to set himself up for an emphatic close-range finish through Anzai’s legs.
A raft of second half substitutions brought about little change to the rhythm of the match, late arrival Luquinha producing the only meaningful attempt at levelling the score with a rasping strike which grazed the crossbar five minutes before the end.
Manager Paulo Sérgio now has a week to rediscover his team’s fighting spirit ahead of Famalicão’s visit next Friday evening.
Meanwhile news broke from Colombia that Jackson Martínez, one of the most prolific strikers to grace Portuguese football during the last decade, but struggling with a chronic ankle injury since moving to Portimonense two seasons ago, has finally hung up his boots. A suitable replacement could already have been found in the shape of versatile Japanese attacking midfielder Keisuke Honda. The 34-year-old is unhappy at current Brazilian club Botafogo and could move back to Europe, where he gained a wealth of experience with CSKA Moscow and AC Milan, this January.
