PortuGOAL Figure of the Week: Paulo Sérgio propels Portimonense into 4th place

A low scoring fifth round of the 2022/23 Liga Bwin season saw early pace-setters Benfica retain their 100% record with a contentious victory over Vizela. Porto and Sporting responded to setbacks in the weekend with defeats of Gil Vicente and Estoril respectively.

There was also a much-needed first win of the campaign for Santa Clara, narrowly beating struggling Marítimo in a battle of the islands. Braga also edged Vitória Guimarães in a typically tense Minho derby.

One of the league’s surprise packages so far has been Portimonense, and they are in focus after the southerners registered a fourth win in a row to sail into fourth place. The man guiding the ship Paulo Sérgio is our PortuGOAL Figure of the Week.

In charge of Portimonense for around two and half years now, Paulo Sérgio’s beginning weeks at the helm of the Algarve side could scarcely have been more jarring as the realities of the global pandemic took hold just weeks after his appointment. At the time of his hiring the team were battling relegation, but when football returned Sérgio impressively reversed their on-pitch fortunes, albeit scraping to survival ultimately on a technicality.

Slim permanence in the division was achieved in the following season too but real progress was made last time around as 2021/22 saw the team finish in 13th place, beating the extended drop zone (due to the introduction of the relegation playoff) by a full nine points.

As with most clubs of Portimonense’s ilk, this summer’s transfer window has been a testing one for Sérgio, seeing many of the team’s regular fixtures in the XI leave, most notably goalkeeper Samuel Portugal and defender Willyan Rocha. Frustration has been experienced in terms of incomings too, the club unable to agree the return of Shoya Nakajima, an integral figure of Portimonense in varying deals over the past five years.

However, barring an opening day defeat to Boavista, Sérgio has masterminded a stunning start to Portimonense’s season, responding to that initial loss with three straight victories. Maintaining a solid core, in this case the likes of experienced campaigners Pedro Sá, Ewerton and Fahd Moufi, but also blending in the new acquisitions is always a manager’s bread and butter and Sérgio has so far managed this effectively.

On the latter point, risks were taken in bringing in a number of players lacking in top tier experience, for example former Leixões full back Moustapha Seck signing from the second division and striker Yago Cariello coming from even lower down in Portugal. Both have seamlessly transitioned to Primeira Liga though, breathing new energy and hunger into the side.

Looking to make it four consecutive wins, Portimonense hosted Famalicão on Sunday evening as Sérgio made some enforced changes to his formula. The injured Cariello was replaced by fellow summer signing Bryan Róchez, while the recently departed Willyan was deputised by Henrique Jocú.

The away side had confidence themselves, going into the game off the back of a win over Santa Clara, and they put some pressure on early in the match. Portimonense goalkeeper Kosuke Nakamura, starting after Samuel’s recent exit to Porto, had to be alert to tip a stinging strike from Rúben Lima over the crossbar.

Portimonense responded, Róchez sending a looping header narrowly over the Famalicão goal. The Honduran striker looked dangerous throughout, hitting the post in the second half just after the hour mark as the home side became increasingly frustrated.

With the attackers struggling, Portimonense's defenders took it upon themselves to step in and break the deadlock in Portimão. Seck received a short corner before swinging in a cross to the back post, where centre back Filipe Relvas headed across goal to his awaiting partner Pedrão to bury a finish from close range.

The lively Welinton Júnior threatened to extend the advantage, firing wide seconds later before hitting a post very late on, but Pedrão’s solitary goal was enough for a mightily impressive fourth win on the bounce for Portimonense, sending them 4th.

It remains to be seen how long Sérgio and his troops can maintain this momentum but a total of twelve points from fifteen is quite a remarkable start, as is the fact that only two goals have been conceded in that time, a total only one other team (newly promoted Casa Pia) can better.

Two and half years in charge can feel like an eternity in this division, given the rate at which coaches are given the bullet by the increasingly itchy trigger fingers of Portuguese football chairmen. Sérgio deserves huge credit in seeing Portugal’s sole southern representatives rising to the northern echelons of the Liga Bwin table.

By Jamie Farr

@FRfutebolJamie