Sporting moved to within touching distance of the league title in a dramatic 31st round of Liga NOS, overcoming Rio Ave and in doing so taking advantage of a 1-1 draw in the Clássico between rivals Benfica and Porto.
Pacos Ferreira capped a fine season to secure European qualification after drawing with Braga, while Belenenses SAD, Gil Vicente and Famalicão all moved away from the relegation zone with important victories.
One side that remains very much in the latter fight is Boavista, who battled to earn a point against Tondela. PortuGOAL Figure of the Week Alberth Elis has been one of the team’s shining lights and he made another potentially pivotal contribution to their cause last night.
Alberth Elis was not a name familiar to many observers when he arrived on Portuguese shores in September last year, signing for Boavista from MLS side Houston Dynamo. His career beforehand had seen him come through the ranks with Olimpia in his native Honduras, whom he left for Mexico with Monterrey nearly five years ago.
A versatile player in attacking areas, this season Elis has featured on either wing for Boavista as well as leading the line centrally, and he’s been one of the individual standouts for the club amid a below-par campaign on the pitch, which has seen As Panteras battle for survival in the lower reaches of the league table, a fact that has made Elis’ season tally of eight goals a more impressive statistic in this context.
The goals scored by the powerful forward look to be Boavista’s best bet of staying in the top flight. With so many sides involved in the relegation fight, turning to the bet calculator may be necessary to work out who will avoid the drop.
For Friday’s contest with Tondela, Elis had gone into the match off the back of a superb personal display in the previous round’s thrilling draw with Santa Clara. His performance this time around was not necessarily vintage but more one full of determination, and proving to be the epitome of the mantra: if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
The Honduran was repeatedly denied by an inspired Pedro Trigueira in the away side’s goal, the first occasion being as early as the third minute as Elis’ excellent run behind the defence was spotted by Cristian Devenish, only for his resulting shot to be foiled.
Elis then sought to turn provider as good work on the left side of the pitch saw him set up Gustavo Sauer for an effort on goal only for Trigueira to prove equal to the test again. The forward was proving difficult to manage as he went close once more just before the break, again the run off the shoulder of the last defender causing the damage but the finishing touch remained absent.
The second half followed the same pattern as the first, Trigueira coming out on top of his personal duels with Elis, who did manage to get the ball in the net around the hour mark only to be denied by the offside flag.
Tondela rubbed salt in the wound further by taking the lead through recent PortuGOAL of the month winner Mario González and it looked like another defeat for Boavista only for Elis to finally get his goal with time running out. Terrific work on the right flank from substitute Nathan Santos was followed by some predatory penalty box play from Elis to anticipate the incoming cross, evade his marker and bury the ball home from close range.
The point earned not quite what Boavista were hoping for on the night, but one that could yet prove pivotal in the relegation battle.
The coming weeks will decide Boavista’s fate but on a personal level Alberth Elis has repeatedly proven throughout the campaign that he is a player that belongs on this kind of stage. City rivals Porto have reportedly taken an interest in his signature, so one way or the other expect to see the Honduras international bothering Primeira Liga defences up and down the country in 2021/22.
By Jamie Farr
