Another “clássico” weekend in Portugal saw Sporting dramatically continue their title tilt with a late victory over fierce Lisbon rivals Benfica. Porto kept up the pace with triumph over Rio Ave whilst Braga battered Moreirense.
Further down the table there were vital wins for Tondela, Nacional and Boavista to boost their respective hopes of staying in Liga NOS. Paços Ferreira and Vitória Guimarães also continued fine campaigns in overcoming Gil Vicente and Marítimo respectively.
One side who is quietly going about their business is Santa Clara. The islanders recorded back-to-back victories in defeating Belenenses SAD and under the management of PortuGOAL Figure of the Week Daniel Ramos they are progressively establishing themselves as top flight mainstays.
At the age of 50 Daniel Ramos has plenty of time on his side in his managerial career yet he has already accrued plenty of experience in Liga NOS. Last summer he sealed a return to the Azores to manage Santa Clara having left them in 2016 to go on to take charge of Marítimo, Chaves, Rio Ave and Boavista to admittedly varying levels of success.
The coach has often stuck to varying 4-3-3 formations in his career but since taking over at Santa Clara he has shown a little more flexibility in occasionally implementing 3-4-3, especially after bolstering his centre-back options with Venezuelan Mikel Villenueva, who has proved a good compliment to the existing partnership of Fábio Cardoso and João Afonso.
After some recent inconsistencies in form it has been a return to his tried and tested 4-3-3 that has brought about success in recent matches. Another aspect of the squad that Ramos has managed very well is rotation, his selections have kept us guessing with it being very rare for him to repeat a presented XI but overall this squad management policy has seen him largely keep his charges at a good level of fitness amid the increased demands of this pandemic-affected season.
Ramos led his team to an impressive win away at Rio Ave in the league match prior to Monday’s home fixture against Belenenses SAD and it was that formula he attempted to replicate having shuffled his side around for a Taça de Portugal quarter-final against Braga that had sandwiched the two league encounters.
One of those changes was to restore Brazilian striker Cryzan to lead the line and this proved a successful move throughout the match. It was he who sent Santa Clara on their way in the 13th minute, drawing a clumsy challenge from opposition defender Cafú Phete to win a penalty that he picked himself up from to convert.
The game was hardly a classic but it was almost lit up with what would have been a Puskas award contender midway through the second half. Cryzan was at the heart of it again as his sensational, improvised rabona-style effort cannoned off the crossbar.
Santa Clara and Ramos would have to wait until stoppage time to make the game safe as substitute Jean Patric saw his cross turned into his own net by Diogo Calila.
An important win for Santa Clara that saw themselves firmly established in 7th place in the table.
Santa Clara historically have not been considered a club that belongs in the higher echelons of Portuguese football but they have been quietly set about changing this in recent seasons and arguably have confounded expectations in this regard. Having earned promotion back to Liga NOS back in 2018 they survived any predictions of struggle with comfortable 10th and 9th place finishes in the subsequent seasons. With Ramos at the helm they look to have every chance of continuing this apparent steady level of improvement
By Jamie Farr
@FRfutebolJamie
