Jornada 7 Preview: Still Lookin’ For A Hero

By: Greg | October 31st, 2008

The first six weeks of the season have been somewhat confusing. Sporting rolled out of the gates with three wins and those who were picking them as the favorite to win the league this year were licking their chops. Then they hit a wall. Actually, they hit a hell of a large barricade in the form of rivals Porto and Benfica. Two losses and a tie to lowly Paços de Ferreira later and they’re sitting fifth with ten points.

Benfica stumbled out of the blocks with a tie against newly promoted Rio Ave and then a hard-fought, club galvanizing draw against Porto. Aside from a tie against well in form Leixões, Benfica have been playing rather effective football and have finally come together as a team after a tumultuous off season of changes and mediocre results.

Porto are fresh off a tough home loss to the aforementioned in form Leixões this past weekend. Lucho has performed particularly well for them domestically but the defense is still a work in progress as there have been a number of communication and positioning breakdowns that will probably work themselves out as the players have more time on the pitch together. They’ll be in it until the end, don’t you worry.

This leaves us with yet another docket of matches hopefully filled with further surprises and twists. If the league continues this way throughout the year, we’ll be in for a hell of a finish…

-= Jornada 7 =- All times local. This week’s version of everyone’s favorite parenthetical blog item, FixtureFacts, features each club’s nickname in both Portuguese and English where applicable or necessary.

Friday, October 31st @ 20:30 — V. Setúbal (Os Sadinos / From Sado River) v. Trofense (N/A)

Saturday, November 1st @ 18:45 — Naval (N/A) v. FC Porto (Dragões / Dragons)
Saturday, November 1st @ 21:00 — Rio Ave (Rio Grande / Big River) v. Sporting (Os Leões / The Lions)

Sunday, November 2nd @ 16:00 — Académica (Os Estudantes / The Students) v. Braga (Os Arsenalistas & Minhotos / From Minho)
Sunday, November 2nd @ 16:00 — E. Amadora (Os Tricolores / The Tricolors) v. Belenenses (O Belém & Azúis do Restelo / the Blues from Restelo)
Sunday, November 2nd @ 16:00 — Leixões (The Babies & v. P. Ferreira (Os castores / the Beavers)
Sunday, November 2nd @ 19:45 — V. Guimarães (The White Angels) v. Benfica (Os Encarnados / The Reds & As Águias / The Eagles)

Monday, November 3rd @ 19:45 — Marítimo (Os Verde-Rubros / The Green and Reds & Os Leões / Sporting Ripoff) v. Nacional (Os Alvinegros / The White and Blacks)

The Sporting encounter will be live on RTPi, so smoke it if ya got it. Benfica’s match will be on RTPi on delay at 10:30 PM Sunday. Your mom is live 24/7, which I LOVE. Have a safe Halloween and a great weekend. Kisses ALL AROUND!!