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PortuGOAL Figure of the Week: Felippe Cardoso brace keeps Casa Pia in hunt for 5th

Primeira Liga football pauses for the international break after what could prove a pivotal 25th round of action. League leaders Benfica tightened their already vice-like grip on the title race, thrashing Vitória Guimarães to take advantage of championship rivals Braga and Porto sharing the spoils with one another.

Rio Ave and Famalicão continued some fine recent form to improve their top half credentials, with Vizela and Chaves also heading in the right direction after triumphs this weekend.

Another team on the up is Casa Pia, whose dream year in the top flight after promotion gets better and better. Their new signing Felippe Cardoso struck twice as his team defeated Marítimo to stay in the top five race, the Brazilian forward is our PortuGOAL Figure of the Week.

Not too much was known about Felippe Cardoso on Portuguese shores when Casa Pia brought him to the club on a free transfer at the end of the January transfer window of this year. The Brazilian forward was acquired from Santos in his native country, the player having previously spent the best part of 2022 on loan in Japan with Vegalta Sendai.

Casa Pia clearly saw something in Cardoso, albeit his acquisition was largely based on a dearth of attacking options at the club, particularly in light of fellow Brazilian Léo Natel’s long term injury meaning manager Filipe Martins needed an extra body in the squad to bolster his choices.

Cardoso’s initial weeks at Casa Pia had reflected this somewhat emergency nature of his transfer, restricted to bit-part appearances off the bench as well as missing some squad lists entirely. However, as impressive as the team’s transition to Primeira Liga football has been, having secured promotion last summer and excelled at this level in 2022/23, if there is one arguable weakness of the starting lineup it is in central attacking areas.

Existing options Clayton, and veteran campaigner Rafael Martins, have shown glimpses in the lead striker role within the coach’s preferred 3-4-3 setup without either of the Brazilians ever truly able to stamp their authority and dominate the position. After a little slump in form of late, the boss decided to mix up his attack by letting Cardoso off the leash from the start for Sunday afternoon’s clash against Marítimo, and the new boy was only too keen to show what he can do.

Cardoso in truth was struggling to impact the game for much of the first half but like every proper “number nine” when a chance finally came his way he was deadly with it. The Brazilian pounced on Marítimo defender Vítor Costa’s sloppy back pass, threw in a couple of step-overs to round goalkeeper Marcelo Carné and roll into an empty net.

A first Liga Bwin goal for Cardoso, providing the breakthrough at just the right time for the hosts. Not long after the restart the Brazilian grabbed his second to ultimately put the match beyond Marítimo. This time it was a more earned goal, a slick team move on the edge of the box seeing fellow winter signing Beni Mukendi cross in to find Cardoso lurking in predatorial fashion to power home a header from close range.

The Brazilian striker found himself withdrawn by his manager soon after, perhaps the 24 year old not quite ready for 90 minutes just yet as he acclimatises to the pace of his new league. Regardless, his work was done as Casa Pia ran out 2-0 winners to consolidate 7th place in the table and stay firmly in the hunt for a top five finish.

An unknown quantity for Casa Pia he may be but Cardoso’s first start for the club could scarcely have gone better, and he provides his manager with a significant headache in terms of his attacking options for the remainder of the campaign. A firing frontman usually provides the difference in these tight battles for the bigger prizes come the end of the season, if Cardoso can keep this sort of form up then Casa Pia’s already dream year could yet have a spectacular ending in store.

By Jamie Farr

@FRfutebolJamie