As one began to think, this season for the Benfica Juniores could not be going any better. After 9 games, the team amounted nine wins and with an outstanding goal average of 42 goals for and 6 against. The inclusion of Miguel Vitor and Romeu Ribeiro in the Senior squad seemed to worry a few fans at the beginning of the season as along with Andre Carvalhas, Miguel Rosa and Ruben Lima they form the “Leque” of main players.

Yesterday Benfica was not going to have it so easy as Casa Pia (10-0) and Nacional (7-0. In came Sporting Lisbon, the makers of Figo, Simao, Quaresma, Viana, Ronaldo and Nani. Seen to be the top European football school along with Barcelona, Ajax and possibly Man. Utd.

In a pleasant and warm afternoon, families and the more hardcore of fans came to the Seixal football ground to see this historic rivalry developing the same tension in the youth ranks.

Benfica’s line up was an offensive 4-4-2 with the following line up.

Daniel Casaleiro

Abel Pereira Miguel Vitor (Cap) Joao Pereira Airton Oliveira

David Simao Leandro Pimenta

Lassana Camara Andre Carvalhas

Wang Gang Orphee Demel

Sporting Lisbon did not come to lose any points, they have 5 points less than Benfica and they desperately needed to make up ground. This hunger was seen on the pitch as Sporting created the first goal scoring chance which Casaleiro stopped with a good save. Benfica were quick to react in an outstanding individual play by Carvalhas who nut megged a defender and crossed the ball to Orphee who’s shot was blocked, the follow through was not. A missile rebound by Wang Gang sent the ball to the back of the net. 1-0 to Benfica.

Sporting came back dangerous through set piece plays, but again in another counter attack Orphee Demel, the recent acquisition from Africa, beat two sporting players in pace, crossed to Andre Carvalhas, who with a slick finish to the far post puts it beyond the keeper to make it 2-0.

The team was getting confident but through a very powerful shot from the middle of the park, Sporting clawed back into the game. A rocket that surprised Casaleiro as he saw the ball quite late. After suffering this goal, Benfica’s merit was due to maintaining their composure and continuing to create havoc in the last third of the pitch through the magic of Andre Carvalhas, Camara and Simao. Mainly Carvalhas.

Always the link player, he kept feeding through balls to the pace of Orphee and the physical presence of Wang Gang. It was the Chinese who began to unlock the defense with two chances and just when the Sporting players began to mark him, Orphe received the ball from Andre Carvalhas, dribbled past a defender and with a potent shot took the score up to 3-1.

Sporting Lisbon equalized from a corner, when Casaleiro saved the first headed shot forwards and the rebound was there for the taking for Marco Matias. Benfica struggled at this stage when Sporting was actually coming closer to pulling back level. Taking a defender off at half time, and adding another midfielder added a lot of problems to Benfica’s game plan. Benfica was suffocated for the next 15 minutes where sporting just kept coming back with attacks. One of these had to be cleared off the line by our captain Miguel Vitor.

The moment of the game was to come, this one in all likelihood fell to the feet of Andre Carvalhas. Orphee Demel, crossing the ball to Carvalhas, who controlled it with his foot, then his knee, lifiting the ball high enough to volley the ball into the top corner of Sporting’s goal and lifting every Benfica fan from their seats. Benfica 4-Sporting 2

Benfica then simply had to manage the lead. In came Rivaldo (Daud Machude) and Miguel Rosa (just returned from injury). Both would have very unfortunate impacts at a late stage, Rivaldo missing the chance for 5-2 with an open goal and Miguel Rosa for kicking a ball into a Sporting player while on the floor was sent off.

This game without Romeu Ribeiro (senior squad), Miguel Rosa (just returned from injury) and Ruben Lima (still injured) would prove to be tough. Even with all our players it would be tough. But what the Benfica fan saw this Saturday was a cheer fusion of technical quality mixed with determination and belief. At this stage, Benfica has 10 wins out of 10 and 8 points in front of Sporting Lisbon. All that has to be done is ensured this attitude lasts until the end of the season. Yesterday will be a day in the memory of these Juniores for a long time. To beat Sporting so confidently and to be running away in the table the way they are, can only be good news for the Senior Squad.

Top Players

Miguel Vitor – Great game here for Vitor. He has returned from the Senior squad stronger mentally and physically. In two to three situations where Sporting was about to score, only his positional and physical self had the capacity to stop them on their tracks. Fantastic.

Lassana Camara – Where to start. The boy is fifteen, he is not even playing in the right youth rank. Covered in the right of midfield which is a few yards away from his natural center midfield role. He did everything yesterday, defended and helped the right back and his center midfield, he also ran the wing where him and Orphee together did the damage. Lassana is an assured talent and all the coaches are over the moon with this boy.

Orphee Demel – Bought recently from an African team and with an immediate impact. Ran every where, took defenders with him, combined brilliantly with Carvalhas, Lassana and Wang Gang. All of these done with an extremely high technical degree and adding to all of this, a sweet goal against Sporting.

Andre Carvalhas – Words are running out to describe this player. He is absolutely vital to this team and continues to damage defenses for fun. He can do so in three ways, passes, outstanding dribbling and one on one confidence and great technique in shooting and finishing. The countdown to his inclusion in the Senior squad and it will be a massive and disappointing surprise if he is not included in the Senior Squad next year. Along with Vitor and Ribeiro, this player is ready and desperate to make an impact in the senior squad and he has bags of potential to do it with.