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PortuGOAL Figure of the Week: Jota Silva’s strike sees Vitória soar into 5th

Liga Bwin’s twentieth round was dominated by a typically fiercely contested heavyweight contest between Sporting and Porto, the latter coming out on top to maintain pace with league leaders Benfica, who stayed five points clear by courtesy of victory at strugglers Paços Ferreira.

Arouca continued their fine season by beating Santa Clara, while there were relegation battle boosts for Rio Ave and Gil Vicente, overcoming Estoril and Famalicão respectively.

Another team on the up is Vitória Guimarães, who defeated Portimonense thanks to a lively display from match-winner and PortuGOAL Figure of the Week Jota Silva, whose goal was enough for a third straight league win.

This season represents the first taste of top flight Portuguese action for João Pedro Ferreira Silva, better known as ‘Jota Silva’, the 23 year old shining in the second tier in 2021/22 to help Casa Pia to promotion to Primeira Liga to convince Os Conquistadores of his talents.

Previously passing through Paços Ferreira’s youth team, the Gondomar-born attacker has shown versatility across the front three positions but is best suited to the wider positions, a dynamic mover between the lines with an eye for goal, netting fourteen times in the prior campaign.

Making a considerable step up in quality meant there was pressure on Jota to deliver for Vitória but he started the season well, starring in the team’s early forays into European football in the Conference League playoff rounds, but a loss of form saw him fall out of favour in September as the team in general struggled to find their best.

Since his reintroduction to the starting XI in the winter though Jota and Vitória have shown steady improvement, and while results were initially not matching up with performances they have really turned the corner to find themselves back competing for the goals they set out for the season, to finish or at least battle for 5th place in the league.

Going into Saturday evening’s contest at home to Portimonense, Vitória had registered consecutive wins against Chaves and Estoril respectively to go into the match with some positive momentum, knowing that a further three points would edge them into that targeted top five position.

Jota kept his place in the lineup for the encounter, in support of strikers Alisson Safira and André Silva, the latter of whom has been recently adapted to a left winger by Vitória manager Moreno to notable effect.

André Silva combined well with Jota inside the first twenty seconds of the match, the latter’s neat flick round the corner setting his team-mate free in the box, but Portimonense keeper Kosuke Nakamura was equal to the effort from a tight angle.

It was an omen though for a sharp performance from Jota, who thought he had opened the scoring in the 18th minute, smartly collecting and finishing when played through only for the offside flag to correctly deny him.

Minutes later Jota was not to be denied however as the home side took the lead. Quick thinking from Bruno Varela saw the Vitória goalkeeper launch a long ball upfield to pick out Jota’s this time perfectly judged run in behind the Portimonense defence, and the winger showed great composure to nod past Nakamura before tucking the ball into the vacant net.

Jota, and incidentally Varela’s passing range, continued to cause havoc for the away team’s defensive line, and the lead should have been doubled after the goalkeeper’s latest raking ball in the 29th minute, picking out André Silva’s run. His square pass to Jota almost found the Portuguese in too much time and space, his eventual clipped finish over Nakamura lacking power before being comfortably cleared off the line.

Into the second half Jota again went close to doubling his tally, this time from a far different situation. The winger rose at the near post to meet a corner, and his header across goal was not far from creeping in, Portimonense’s Fahd Moufi heading away from danger to be sure.

Vitória ultimately held out to make it three wins on the bounce, and move up to fifth in the table with a two point buffer after nearest challengers Casa Pia drew at Boavista.

There looks to be more to come from Jota and indeed Vitória but the player has made a solid transition from the lower leagues to look totally at home in Liga Bwin company. His fourth goal of the season was a vital one in his team’s bid to return to European competition, and also gives them momentum going into next week’s match, one that currently represents a “six pointer” in the battle for fifth, fittingly a trip to Jota’s old club Casa Pia. 

By Jamie Farr

@FRfutebolJamie