I don´t know if I mentioned it or not, but I am on my way to Amsterdam for a short 5 day trip.  That is the reason for the late update.  I am writing this post from the airport and I will have it posted as soon as I have internet access.  Meanwhile during the next few days I am not sure how much I will be able to update.

It was because of this trip that I was not at the game Tuesday, and although I have not had a chance to see the official numbers, it is estimated that there were about 60000 fans on hand.  I did however watch the game on my giant screen at home

As far as the game is concerned, SL Benfica played almost as bad as the score itself.  Granted the 1 – 1 tie would have been much worse.  With a 1 – 1 tie Benfica would start the game in Copenhagen with a disadvantage, and at least with a 2 – 1 win Copenhagen has to try to score one goal, so the pressure will in the beginning be on Copenhagen´s side.  Like I said, Benfica played a bad game.  I wasn´t expecting much, especially since Simão and Manuel Fernandes left the team at a late stage in the pre-season and Benfica has not had a chance to adjust to this.  Rui Costa was the hero for Benfica.  He scored two goals (!) and was the one offensive push for Benfica.  This was an especially big game for Rui Costa considering some of the controversy that surrounded the comments made by Joe Berardo about him in the pre-season.  Not that Rui Costa needs to prove anything, but he was clearly looking to give an answer like this one.  The second bright spot for SL Benfica was David Luiz.  He was clearly the best defensive player on the field, and at times actually brought the ball up the field himself.  Luisão was on the losing end of the Copenhagen goal, and was substituted shortly after with an injury.  He is clearly not going thru his best phase since arriving at Benfica.  Luis Filipe, who played for Nelson was a dissapointment, both offensively and defensively.  When Luisão was substituted still in the first half, Karagounis went to the defense and Freddy Adu came in for Benfica.  Adu, who everyone expects a lot from, did not play a good game, and at times seemed like he was hiding from the game.  But it would have been hard to expect more from him.  This is not the MLS, and he did not have much training time before this game to really make any kind of a difference.  Bergessio played the first half, without much to show.  Oscar Cardozo played the whole game but was clearly handicapped in the final stages of the game.  He had some nice details, but much more is expected from him and he could have, with a little luck, actually scored a goal.

Benfica will have a much harder than expected game in Copenhagen, but judging by last season´s game, when Benfica tied 0 – 0, but did enough to win the game, the odds are still on our side.