Almost unnoticed during the FIFA World Cup 2022, the group stage of the Taça da Liga (Portuguese League Cup) has been played out during the last month.

Only the winners of the eight groups made it through to the quarter-finals, with the major surprise reserved for the final Group C game last night. Second-tier Moreirense held Benfica to a 1-1 draw, thus knocking the Eagles out of the competition. 

Much has been made of the fact Sporting Clube de Portugal have not supplied a single player to Portugal’s squad for World Cup 2022, making it the first time the Seleção has headed to a major tournament with no Lions in the group. However, four Sporting players have made it to Qatar 2022.

Hidemasa Morita, although he did not play, will be overjoyed with Japan’s shock win over Germany today. And in Group H, one Ghanaian, Issahku Fatawu, and two Uruguayans, Sebastián Coates and Manuel Ugarte, will be striving to break the hearts of Portuguese football fans. 

Much has been made of Canada making only their second appearance at a World Cup, and their first for 36 years, particularly with regard to a hungry new generation of talents such as Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, and Stephen Eustáquio who have taken them to the biggest sporting competition on earth.

But amongst this crop of new players are a handful of veterans whose role on and off the pitch will be to shepherd those younger players through unchartered waters, one of whom is GD Chaves’ Steven Vitória. 

After rising to the top in Portugal, Hidemasa Morita will want to gain recognition on the world stage at World Cup 2022, but his Japan side will come up against tough opposition against Spain and Germany in Group E.

Morita’s time in Portugal has been impressive, the combative midfielder garnering widespread praise in his debut season for Santa Clara before earning a move to Portuguese giants Sporting this past summer.