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While we are out in the Champions play, I still want to win today’s home match, if for no other reason that to bring home a cool million Euros. I begin countering, and wish my boys luck. Mexer and Javi are still starting. Franny has begun to solidify his spot across from Rondon. They are over powering us across the pitch early on, so I tell them to increase marking and hassling. Then Skolnik finds Rondon for score off the left side for a score in the 16th. Our finishing has been letting us down, we’ve had control, had good chances for 20 more minutes, but no finish. Work the ball into the box folks. In the 37th minute the other Rondon (Striker for Zenit, also a Venezuelan international) scores, but its waved off. Peratta did everything he could to stop that 1:1 break away by Rondon and pushed it aside, but they score off the corner kick. Half. Go get us a goal! I sub out Martins for Rodrigues when he collect s aknock. Their Rondon gets a yellow (I was scared, I thought it was ours). Lucas Castro is then injured and forced to come out. I swap over Rodrigues, slide Aurelio to MR, and then put in Sequeira for the DL spot. In the late 60s I tell my guys to pick up teh pace. For my final sub, I pull out Franny for Dj. Much higher tempo! Attacking! Game. Disappointing.
We won 500k Martins is out for a week with a gashed arm. Meanwhile, Candeais should be back for the next game.
After crushing Sporting, Porto have moved to 2nd. If we beat Benfica today, they will had had some major losses. Even though we are at home, I begin countering and let’s keep up the run! No one is close to goal for a while. Much later, Candeais finds Lucas Castro who shoots, the ball is pushed back to Rondon who scores in the 31st. Half time. Played well, room for improvement. When Daniel is driving at goal, they give a professional foul to keep him from getting to close and a red card in the 49th minute. I make some changes. Up the tempo, begin hassling and tighter marking, move to control, and more. Nothing happens with the IFK. We are already pushing up the flanks and get two major surges that are just pushed away. We get a goal disallowed by Franny. I toss in Agra for Franny. He’s not been playing well today. They get a very lucky IFK to sink in the 71st from 40 yards away. Attacking, Marc gets a yellow, much higher tempo, but we still can’t get that second goal. That was annoying. We could have 6 points yup right now on Benfica and Porto, not 4 on each.
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