To be played on December 2, 2007 @ 19:15 GMT / 2:15 pm EST. Match is LIVE on TVI in Portugal, SPT TV in the US, Bell ExpressVu PPV & Rogers Digital Cable in Canada and RTPi worldwide. Locale: Estádio José Alvalade XXI Match statistics Sporting's home record against Leiria: 9 wins, 5 ties, 0 losses. Sporting's biggest home win: 4-0 (1994/95 & 2000/01). Sporting's biggest home loss: n/a. Most typical result: 2-0 (4 times). Goals scored (only from the last 10 games): Sporting - 21 goals scored; 5 goals conceded. All-time results: bwin LIGA 2006/2007 Sporting 2-0 U. Leiria Liga betandwin.com 2005/2006 Sporting 2-1 U. Leiria SuperLiga 2004/2005 Sporting 2-2 U. Leiria SuperLiga 2003/2004 Sporting 2-0 U. Leiria SuperLiga 2002/2003 Sporting 1-1 U. Leiria Liga Portuguesa 2001/02 Sporting 4-1 U. Leiria Liga Portuguesa 2000/01 Sporting 4-0 U. Leiria Liga Portuguesa 1999/00 Sporting 2-0 U. Leiria Liga Portuguesa 1998/99 Sporting 2-0 U. Leiria Liga Portuguesa 1996/97 Sporting 0-0 U. Leiria Liga Portuguesa 1995/96 Sporting 0-0 U. Leiria Liga Portuguesa 1994/95 Sporting 4-0 U. Leiria Liga Portuguesa 1981/82 Sporting 2-2 U. Leiria Liga Portuguesa 1979/80 Sporting 3-0 U. Leiria
we need a win now..i can't remember sporting ever going through such a tough time.. we need a win to boost our morale..even though it is against leiria, we need to start winning now if we have any chance this season. first place probably will not happen but as long as we finish ahead of benfica.
Pathetic FH, we can't create one single goal opportunity. Something needs to change here. What could it be? We obviously can't replace the players.
Paulo Bento Sucks. Get him the F off this team. I'm sorry, nobody here likes Paulo as much as I do, but enough is enough.
1-1 final score Tonito (remember him?) scores the tying goal while Sporting miss yet again another PK, This time it was polga. We are now 12 points back of Porto and 5 points from Benfica. Stick a fork in us, we are done!
We will catch Benfica I think. Porto is gone. I'm not sure why Polga was taking the penalty to begin with. Sentimental reasons? Opportunity wasted. We will improve. Had and Purovic had lousy games in my opinion. Everyone else looked decent enough. Should have had the win. Tough break. Season not over yet. We must keep our heads up. Uefa Cup is around the corner and while most see it as a team defeated that we didn't make it past group stages in the Champions League we must remember that we haven't won the Uefa Cup before. Let the team take baby steps I say. Glad to see Veloso say the right things today (wants to stay through 2013). Don't believe it for a second but he needs to start at least saying the right things.
Before we all get crazy and start asking for people's heads, let's keep the continuity and build from here. Yes things look bleek, put let's keep the faith. After all we are still involved in 4 competitions and have a good chance to still walk away with silverware. As much as I would like to see SCP win the league finishing in second still accomplishes the same goal and that is to get into the CL, everything else is "window dressing" if we can make the CL again next year, that would be our 3 straight year and we can start building on that. We can then keep our youngsters here a little longer as we would generate some additional revenue. Remember these youngsters just want money, everything else is just window dressing. There isn't love for the jersey anymore, so the more we reduce our debt and increase revenue the more we can keep our young players longer and have some success on the field. It's not that difficult to imagine...we have a stockpile of talent in the Juniors and below. One other thing, I had a great conversation with my father who is in visiting from Portugal. It concerned Ronaldo and his antics when he scored the goal in the CL game this past week. Ronaldo he said is now a Man U player, and as much as you want to think he is one of us "Sporting" he isn't. Sporting served his purpose of getting him to the point where he could make millions and become famous. Same thing goes for Figo. But they do not love the Club anymore or the Jersey, so let's support "our" players and encourage them. Support Ronaldo when he plays for Portugal, after that you can enjoy his efforts and Man U. and enjoy the fact that he was developed at SCP but after that always keep in mind that he is a "Man U." Player full stop.
One more thing to add...Veloso picked a good day to say he wants to honor his contract till 2013 Both him and Romagnoli were just awful. These are the types of games he should dominate, and for him to have a subpar performace shows you were his head was at. On the opposite side Moutinho had a much better game. And don't get down on Rui Patricio, the kid has genuine talent and presence and will be a very good GK, he will be eventually on the NT. He is a giant with good feet and will improve with steady work in games.
Just my take on those two lines, the first is a fact and the second is conjecture. He did say he loves the club , and ,I , for one , believe him. To add conjecture of my own, I believe that Figo also remains a Sportinguista.
After the CL game last week, Ronaldo said he loved Sporting and has repsect for them, but is now a ManuU player...get over guys. I support him in his endeavors wherever they will take him. there would be absolutely no way SCP would be able to hang on to Ronaldo for long and pay him hat other clubs can offer, so it was a matter of time. Same with Figo.
I also read that Tonito remains a Sportinguista, and he's Spanish. BTW he also appologized to the Sportinguistas for that goal .
The game was awful. Rui Patricio should have done better on the play that led to the goal, and my pick of Polga as the PK taker blew up in PB's face. That was 3 points that Sporting needed badly to continue to have some sliver of a chance at the title. 12 points back at this point is a mountain too high to climb, though nothing in this world is impossible. That was enough about the game... Why are we still harping on CR? It's his job to score and play well for the team that he plays for, and that is currently Man Utd. At heart, I feel that he is still a Sportinguista. His celebration, or lackthereof, at Alvalade pretty much confirms that. At the end of the day, though, he plays for the team that pays him his millions per year...
I agree that Cristiano still has love for Sporting. As far as Figo goes, I don't feel the same. I for one did not like his response when he was asked whether he would come back to play for SCP. Now he loves Inter. Just facts. SCP is in the past and now he is too good for us in his mind. BTW, I loved to hear Romagnoli say that he would love to play for Man Utd one day prior to the CL game. He better get his act straight because he looks the Romagnoli prior to last season and maybe belongs back on the bench. Rui Patricio is a great talent. Should start every game from here on out. Stojkovic is a clown. Never plays. He's hurt all the time it seems. When are Derlei and Pedro Silva coming back? Should be this month right?
Romagnoli should be slapped in the mouth, he's a long ways off from Man united... concentrate on actually doing something for Sporting
