Lothar Matthaus - Forza Milan

Pre-Season Results and Review

Results

ADO Den Haag 2-1 Sporting - Salomao
Boavista 1-1 Sporting - Viola
Sporting 1-0 Real Madrid - Neto
Sporting 3-0 Recreativo - Adryan, De Bruyne, Viola
NAC Breda 0-1 Sporting - Labyad
Wolfsburg 1-0 Sporting - None

Review

I think pre-season went pretty well. We brought in some good players, made good sales, and we are £15m in the black so far this season. We also recorded a fantastic win over Real Madrid, although there are some concerns regarding the games against teams like Boavista, who we should easily be able to beat. Still, it bodes well for the season, and our first game is the Supertaca Portugal against Rio Ave, before the season starts against Academica at home in the league. We also face Barcelona in the UEFA Super Cup at the end of August, a match I am greatly looking forward to.

Some NICE sales and a fantastic win against Real Madrid. The ADO den Haag result and the Wolfsburg result was plain lucky from the clubs. SPORTING!

2013-02-05 00:09#79978 PaukerJ : Some NICE sales and a fantastic win against Real Madrid. The ADO den Haag result and the Wolfsburg result was plain lucky from the clubs. SPORTING!

Sack the Real Madrid game, I've got Barcelona soon!

Rio Ave v Sporting - Supertaca Portugal - 3.8.2013

Here we are Vila do Conde for the traditional opener to the Portuguese season: the Portuguese Super Cup. This year it will be between league champions Sporting CP, and Portuguese Cup runners-up Rio Ave. Rio Ave have been designated the home team, but as we know Sporting can put in a fantastic performance wherever they are playing.

This will be our first chance to see Sporting play competitively this season, and we are eagerly anticipating seeing how their new signings, especially De Bruyne, perform. Rio Ave, however, will be intent on causing an upset and are seeking revenge for the Portuguese Cup final defeat back in May. Sporting fans will also fondly remember that they sealed the Liga ZON SAGRES title against Rio Ave.

Here are the lineups for both teams:

Rio Ave (4-2-3-1): Taborda, I Pinto, Nivaldo, Sereno, T Pinto, Abreu, Filipe, Manu, Braga, Tarantini, Paulo

Sporting (4-6-0): Patricio, Rodriguez, Boulahrouz, Carrico, Insua, Kara, De Bruyne, Elias, Carrillo, Adryan, Capel

Commentary from Martin Tyler

1 min: Sporting kick off this Supertaca match. What will we see here today?

12 min: Carrico plays the ball back to Patricio on the edge of the Sporting box. He's taking it forward towards the half-way line. He trys to play it back to Carrico square... oh, Paulo intercepts! He's running towards the open goal... and PAULO SCORES!!! Rio Ave take the lead, and it's another defensive error from Patricio!

14 min: Capel has it on the right side of the box. He cuts inside and plays it to DE BRUYNE!!! Sporting draw level, and it's a 25-yard screamer from De Bruyne on his debut! Now Sporting have the momentum, and wth plenty of time left!

17 min: Capel has the ball near the left corner flag. He takes it inside and plays it on the ground to Insua in the box... INSUA!!! Sporting take the lead coming from behind, and it's Insua with his first goal of the season! 2-1 Sporting!

32 min: Adryan has it in the centre-circle. He plays it through for Elias... SCORES!!! Sporting are entirely in control of this game now, and Elias has his first goal of the season! 3-1 Sporting!!!

HT: Sporting in control at half-time, and they are heading towards a fifth trophy under Lothar Matthaus!

70 min: Wires has a free kick for Rio Ave about 20 yards out, centrally. He starts his run up... WIRES!!! Rio Ave have a goal back with 20 minutes left, and Sporting will be slightly worried!!! 3-2 now!!!

FT: The ref blows the whistle and Sporting will be relieved to have won this. However, they have won it, and Sporting get to take the Supertaca back to Lisbon with them! This should bode well for the rest of the season, although Sporting will have to start performing better.

Manager's Press Interview

Winning another trophy is brilliant, and breeds a winning mentality in the sqaud. However, you can't ignore our poor performance, but you can look at it one of two ways. Either, you can say we were poor and are going to have a bad season. Or you can say that we are brilliant because we managed to win a trophy despite not playing particularly well. Anyway, so far it's looking like it'll be a good season.

So you win a cup but the players performed below their standards?
It could be a good thing tbh, I mean if your even able to win matches with a poor performance. How good will your team perfrom if they'll play above average.

Congrats with the cup though and may many prizes come your way this season

Nice story.. keep it going, let's hope that the money will come flowing in soon

2013-02-05 11:31#80001 RandydeB : So you win a cup but the players performed below their standards?
It could be a good thing tbh, I mean if your even able to win matches with a poor performance. How good will your team perfrom if they'll play above average.

Congrats with the cup though and may many prizes come your way this season

I should be able to win that match with 9 men anyway if I'm honest

2013-02-05 11:32#80002 Levz : Nice story.. keep it going, let's hope that the money will come flowing in soon

I've made £23m-ish so far this season

Matthaus' Diary - The City Is Ours

I know this might seem stupid, but honestly I can’t see how Benfica can still think they are a bigger team than we are. We beat them 5 times last season, won the title, and finished miles clear of them. It’s a great time to be a Sporting fan, we are on our way to becoming one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

But if you’re a Benfica fan, it must be awful. They have 20x as much money as we do, yet I wouldn’t have a single one of the players they signed this summer. They won nothing last season, and now lots of players don’t want to go to a club in a downward spiral.

I’d feel sorry for Benfica, but because of their arrogance, their hopelessness and the fact I manage Sporting means I’m enjoying every second. I can’t think of any reason Benfica are bigger than us now, and I predict us to do the league double over them again this season.

time to beat them again this season and make it another 5 wins ^^ in your favor

2013-02-05 12:19#80007 RandydeB : time to beat them again this season and make it another 5 wins ^^ in your favor

Haha, I'll resign if they beat me 5 times!

Do you really rate Wilfred Zaha that much? I haven't seen much of him so can't comment on his ability.

A great story and it is great to see you haven't just moved on and continuing the success.

Great win in Supertaça mate
Good luck against Barcelona

2013-02-05 17:53#80041 Jamesg237 : Do you really rate Wilfred Zaha that much? I haven't seen much of him so can't comment on his ability.

A great story and it is great to see you haven't just moved on and continuing the success.

He was transfer listed and has always performed for me before, so I thought "go for it"

Murtagh:

---

Great win in Supertaça mate
Good luck against Barcelona

Thanks!

Matthaus’ Diary – August 2013

Sporting 3-0 Academica – Liga ZON Sagres – 17.8.2013

Sporting (4-6-0): Patricio, Rodriguez, Carrico, Rojo, Insua, Kara, De Bruyne, Elias, Carrillo, Adryan, Capel

Subs Used: Adrien for Adryan (HT), Zaha for Carrillo (75)

Goals: Kara (11), Elias (19), Carrico (73)

MOTM: Insua (Sporting)

Nacional 0-4 Sporting – Liga ZON Sagres – 23.8.2013

Sporting (4-6-0): Patricio, Rodriguez, Boulahrouz, Carrico, Rojo, Kara, De Bruyne, Elias, Carrillo, Adryan, Capel

Subs Used: Van Wolfswinkel for De Bruyne (HT), Zaha for Carrillo (71)

Red Cards: Skolnik (Nacional, 79 mins)

Goals: Kara (33), Elias (60, 81), Van Wolfswinkel (90+1)

MOTM: Elias (Sporting)

UEFA Champions’ League Group Stage Draw

Sporting CP
Juventus
Galatasary
Spartak Moscow

Barcelona 0-1 Sporting – UEFA Super Cup – 30.8.2013

Sporting (4-6-0): Patricio, Rodriguez, Boulahrouz, Doria, Rojo, Kara, De Bruyne, Elias, Carrillo, Adryan, Capel

Subs Used: Adrien for De Bruyne (61), Insua for Doria (83), Schaars for Capel (83)

Goals: Adryan (90+4)

MOTM: Pique (Barcelona)

Monthly Review

A great month and a great start to the season, typified by our fantastic win over Barcelona, with Adryan scoring an injury time goal. Our league performances have been fantastic, with two wins out of two, but we need to start being more ruthless in front of goal to keep up with the pace Braga and Benfica are scoring at. Elias has undoubtedly been our best player this month. He netted four goals in as many games, and is meant to be playing defensively. De Bruyne’s performances so far have also been encouraging for the rest of the season. We could even try and sign him next summer if he keeps this up. We also sealed two trophies, which is half as many as last season.

League Table

We sit fourth behind Porto, Benfica and Braga, although have a game in hand over the top two. Braga should be easily dealt with as well, so it's going goood so far.