Jornada 30 Preview: Final Preview of the Season and a Tribute to Rui Costa

By: Greg | May 9th, 2008

*** Completely Unrelated, Somewhat Breaking News *** The final verdict in the Golden Whistle trial is going to be handed down at around 10:30 Eastern time today. I’ll do my best to give you whatever information becomes available around that time. That is, as long as this thing called “work” doesn’t get in the way.

Well, kids, it’s been a beautiful journey this season. Porto won the league after about eight weeks of play. Apparently no one is getting paid for doing their job. Rui Costa is playing his final match this weekend and then retiring to Benfica’s front office. While these weekly previews will go on hiatus until next August, I’ll still be here updating you on transfer information and anything pertinent to the Portuguese Liga that might come out while the summer break hits us. Don’t forget to keep up with Portugal’s quest to win its first ever European Championship over on the Euro2008 World Cup Blog. If you hadn’t noticed, I write that blog as well. I’m just as excellent there as I am here, so if you haven’t had a chance to take a look, please do so. Even if there aren’t any league matches to be played, there’s still plenty to talk about in the world of Portuga football. If I proved anything last summer, its that I can certainly fill a fucking blog page with nonsensical blathering that’s somewhat topical and somewhat not.

Whoah… I started writing that above paragraph as a type of “season winding down summation” but then it turned into some corny speech and advertisement for my Portugal Euro Blog. Do me a favor and just ignore most of what I wrote above and continue to read my musings on both blogs, like you probably have been already. Don’t change anything; just because the league games are not going on doesn’t mean I’m not here… Don’t youuuuu forget about meee! You’re all my children and I love you dearly. Wow, I need a scotch.

Keep in mind that there’s still plenty to be played for at both the top and bottom of the table. A relegation spot is to be decided (by either P.Ferreira on 24 points or Leixões on 26) and some European Champions League goodness (one group berth and one qualifier berth) can still be had by Sporting, V. Guimarães or Benfica, with the lowest of the three going to the UEFA Cup. The only thing apparently NOT available to the players is wages.

-= Jornada 30 =- All times are local. The final edition of this season’s FixtureFacts is in honor of Rui Costa’s final match. Instead of pertinent facts about each team, each team will be accompanied by a fact about Rui Costa.

Saturday, May 10th @ 17:30 — Nacional (Born March 29, 1972) v. Belenenses (O Belem play in the same city of RC’s birth, Lisbon)

Saturday, May 10th @ 17:30 — Braga (Scored the tournament-winning penalty in the 1991 U21 World Cup) v. Académica (Was a key member of the “Golden Generation”)

Saturday, May 10th @ 19:45 — Naval (Named one of football’s greatest living players by Pelé) v. Porto (Began with Porto rivals Benfica at the age of 10)

Sunday, May 11th @ 18:00 — U.d.Leiria (Was loaned by Benfica to Portuguese side AD Fafe in 1990) v. P. Ferreira (Played 91-94 for Benfica)

Sunday, May 11th @ 18:00 — Leixões (Won the Taça de Portugal in 93 and the league in 93/94) v. Marítimo (Was sold in 94 to Italian side Fiorentina for the equivalent of 6 million Euros after Benfica hit a financial crisis)

Sunday, May 11th @ 20:15 — Sporting (Plied his trade at Fiorentina from 94-2001 until they went bankrupt) v. Boavista (Bought by AC Milan for a then club record transfer fee of 35 million Euros, and won practically every conceivable piece of silverware)

Sunday, May 11th @ 20:15 — Benfica (After 5 years and relegation to the bench, returned to his boyhood club to see out the end of his career) v. V.Setúbal (Scored 26 goals in 94 international appearances)

Sunday, May 11th @ 20:15 — V.Guimarães (Retired from International football after Portugal’s 2004 upset loss to Greece in the final ) v. E.d.Amadora (After his 150th appearance for Benfica this Sunday, he will hang up his #10 jersey and remove his boots for the last time)

We’ll be back Monday with a Jornada 30 recap as well as a summation of the 2007/08 campaign. Until then, marvel at the three well put together highlight videos in tribute of Rui Costa and his career. Obrigado, Number Ten. You’ll be missed.

PS — COME ON THE CHELS!!!! COME ON WIGAN, BEAT UNITED!!!! I will hopefully be writing Monday’s blog with a severe hangover after Chelsea slide by United into first place and take the league this weekend. If not, I’ll still have a severe hangover regardless.