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Tanel · 03-12-06, 01:17 PM

Corrupted leaders! What a Leixões!

3rd of December 2006

It was going to be one of our biggest games ahead as we travelled to Gil Vicente in the first match of December.

The board meeting really got into my heart and I was getting more and more tense due to the lack of consistent victories. I had earlier yesterday sat down with the players and talked about what is going wrong, I gave them chances to express opinions about what can be changed. Even tactically. I was willing to listen to them and analyze their idea's.

The defensive scheme was the biggest flop in their eyes as it was like learning a book in heart. I worked on it, to make it easier and more effective. I was going to explain the new system in the training in the evening in Barcelos, the hometown of Gil Vicente.

Our bus arrived in front of a small hotel nearby the stadium after the long drive at 6 PM. I took a personal room there, put my little bag of clothes and hygen accesorries on the bed, taking out the training suit from the bag and getting myself into it. In 6:45 PM we were scheduled to have a training on the stadium.

The training was promising, some players continued to be in great shape. We had a small defence vs. attack training which was concentrating on tactical stuff and new adaptments.

vs

Portugese Liga de Honra
Week 12

When match was hour away I needed to decide the squad and hand it over to the referee and league offical. Pedro Cervantes was going to start at attacking midfielder as impressive performance in the training made me pick him instead of Hugo Morais and Jorge Goncalves who usually share the time at the position.

On my teamtalk I noticed up the importance of the game with my last sentence, "Win this and we're going to roll over everyone in the league. This game is a vital point in our season."

It was time to invade the corridor and stadium after that, the crowd was cheering loud and it was a huge plus for Gil Vicente. I sat down on my chair, putting scratching my cheeks with two fingers and applauding the players with a weird look. The match had been kicked off.

I was up from my chair when Leandro Tatu missed a one vs. one chance in the 3rd minute, bursting the ball over.

Though dozen minues later it was all cheers for Leixões. "El Capitano!!!!" the couple of hundred fans travelling with us shouted behind the goal. Bruno China scored a 20 yarder bomb, uncatchable for Gil Vicente goalkeeper, what a start for Leixões!

It was known that Gil Vicente has great pace, but our defenders had very well covered it up with some brilliant positioning, but it was goalkeepers mistake in the 20th minute as Gil Vicente managed to score it through from tough angle into the near post with goalkeeper Beto leaving a huge hole between himself and the post.

The goal livened up Gil Vicente's play, but Beto made up with his earlier mistake by two fantastic saves in 28th minute. Following counter-attack ended with equal amount of skills from opposing goalkeeper, making a brilliant save on Leandro Tatu. And after the corner Xavier shoot over from 7 meters.

In 35th minute it was a shocker for us, Pedro Moita got a tough injury and Hugo Morais had to make a very fast warm up to get onto the pitch. Moita's loss wasn't going to be a easy thing to handle. It gave the home team even more chance to show why they haven't lost a game yet, but we had to thank Beto for another couple of unhuman saves.'

But the same man Beto was in the middle of sad controversy as he was awarded a penalty againist as he went to jump for the ball in his own area after a corner, but referee somehow translated that into a penalty. I was furious, I sweared at him, almost getting sent off. That wasn't a damn penalty! And after Everson converted the penalty I shouted "cheats" at Gil Vicente which was followed by a huge boo from the fans behind me.

I was angry at Leandro Tatu wasting chances so I had to bring him off in 70th minute for Joao Pedro (S) to have a striker that wouldn't burst over everytime.

The game was over in my view when it was 1-3 in the 84th minute after Gil Vicente headed in a corner. But there was a lifeline immediately, Jorge Goncalves scored a empty netter after we attacked immediately with the kick off. But the referee thought otherwise! NO GOAL!? There was a ridicilous foul decision now. Xavier almost punched the referee himself. I shouted "Idiot!" to our lovely man in black and finally got sent off.

Just as I reached the upper stands of the stadium I was jumping around the terrace! Joao Pedro scored his first league goal of the season in the 88th minute, this could've gone exciting!

And only if I could describe my feeligns after the 94th minute of the game. Joao Pedro got the ball on his own half, dribbled past one defender to get a clear run at the goal. So there he ran for 30 meters until sending the ball into the top corner from the edge of the area. 3-3! The referees couldn't screw us over!

I was watching at the sky, jumping, waving with my fist like I'd be a commander going into battle.

We may have lost one position in the table thanks to the draw, but it was a great result. It was fantastic spirit. Referee damaged us twice, giving away a most ridicilous penalty and then disallowing a completely legal goal, only if we would've won we would've made a rocket-rise in the table. But I guess that is left for future.

Thanks to the match being on TV I knew we won ourselves some friends over Portugal and the match had been talked about quite lot in the evening news with the highlights and controversy.