THE This Friday, Sporting left behind the defeat suffered against Académico de Viseu, at the José Alvalade Stadium, by 1-2, and returned to winning ways in the I League, by getting the better of Casa Pia, at the Rio Maior Municipal Stadium, by 0-2, thanks to goals scored by Pedro Lima and Geny Catamo.
In the press conference that followed the final whistle, Rui Borges was satisfied with what he saw from the team: “It was a very competent game on our part. In offensive terms, at times with a lot of offensive quality. We failed again in finishing, we are at that stage where it is difficult to score goals, but it is part of it”.
The Leonine coach also made a point of leaving a special word for Pedro Lima, who scored for the second game in a row: “It’s a credit to him, his work and what he responded too. Not just him, but everyone else’s. Silas (Andersen) also played a wonderful game, he came out because of the yellow card he had and because the game was getting into a lot of contact. Therefore, I’m happy with the response they give, but happy, above all, with what they show their coach on a daily basis in wanting to play”.
“It was important to get back to winning ways, more than that, everything else is noise”
Rui Borges then refused to comment further on the uncertainty surrounding his future on the Sporting bench: “Confidence is demonstrated by everyone on a daily basis, first and foremost by the president. That’s why I don’t think there’s any need for anything. I know what our day-to-day life is like, I know what the day-to-day life of the Sporting Academy is like.”
“Yes, we are looking to improve. It was important to win, yes, because we were coming from a negative result, because we were already many points – which we didn’t want – behind first place. And it was important to get back to winning ways, more than that, everything else is noise”, he said, in front of journalists.
“I felt that the team was always calm, understanding that they had to be connected. It’s part of the game that we sometimes fail, it’s part of the game that we sometimes have the block a little lower, but, even within the low block, Casa Pia didn’t create any danger for us”, he added.
“We didn’t come here to play opera, we came to play a football game”
Finally, the Mirandelenense took the opportunity to respond to the criticism he has been receiving: “It was a very competent game, a good victory, a good game on our part. A balanced game at all times of the game. We defended well while we had to defend well, we attacked with quality when we had to attack with quality, we came out in transition very well a few times when we had to leave.”
“So, a very good team, a good game, as expected. We didn’t come here to play opera, we came to play a football game against another competitive team, and it was a good victory and more than deserved. And we could have made it 0-2 much earlier”, he concluded.
