This was a protected recreation. However how a lot? Goodbye to the period of Rio Ave and goodbye to the soccer performed on the pitch by Benfica and Ukra. One other potential farewell: Roger Schmidt taking part in his final recreation as coach of the “eagles”? And Di Maria? Would you have got mentioned goodbye per week in the past at Luz, like Rafa? Questions that can be answered quickly. As a farewell recreation for the season, during which neither aspect meant something, it may have been quite a bit worse.
Benfica mentioned goodbye to Vila do Conde after a season during which many issues didn’t go effectively, with one other recreation that didn’t go effectively and during which they conceded a last within the final minutes (1-1), Rio Ave. Farewell to one among their greatest gamers in current instances and even get one other level.
Let’s begin right here. Within the eleven of Luís Freire for the primary time this season was quantity 17, André Filipe Alves Monteiro, who is understood in soccer as Ukra. It was his farewell at Arcos, the place he spent seven years of a profession that lasted 17 – and it was in a kind of years that he even made it to the Portuguese nationwide crew. It might be a dream come true if it had a fabric affect on the sport, but it surely was quickly realized that that title was solely symbolic.
Within the seventeenth minute of the sport, Luís Freire ordered his gamers to throw the ball away, in order that Ukra could possibly be changed by an oval and a guard of honour. The 36-year-old kissed his knees and the sphere earlier than heading to the touchline, the place his teammates and opponents have been there to greet him. Within the stands, it was additionally clear that the individuals of Vila do Conde wouldn’t overlook quantity 17, one other participant in Portuguese soccer. A poster displayed on the stands learn, “Lengthy stay King Ukra”.
And the remainder of the sport? It was Benfica who ended the season of frustration with extra frustration, the place Schmidt was maybe working towards some issues for subsequent season. Rafa was now not within the recreation, neither was Di Maria, and the Argentines Rolheiser and Tengstedt entered the “eleven” – one other information, the absence of Trubin and António Silva and the presence of Samuel Soares and Morato. With Kokçu taking part in within the place he ought to all the time have, additional up the pitch, the place he makes the distinction.
Benfica’s first opponent within the recreation was a newcomer, Cezary Miszta, a younger Polish goalkeeper from Rio Ave, who closed his purpose as greatest he may, at 6′ and 17′, with pictures from Tengstedt, at maintaining the rating at zero Ukraine. Rio Ave did effectively to share the sport and even had some attacking makes an attempt, first with Patrick Williams’ shot that Soares stopped safely, then with good play on the suitable by Joca, with no correct response from Boateng.
Benfica ended their dominance with a purpose within the thirty second minute. Aursnes Tengstedt made a run, the Dane did what he needed with Aderlan and left it to Kokçu to make it 0-1. The “reds” may have scored two or three extra objectives in Vila do Conde, however Miszta closed his purpose to different risks, together with from his personal teammates, and left the door open for an additional kind of outcome.
The outcome remained the identical and Schmidt nonetheless felt assured of fielding a few different younger gamers – Gustavo Varela, a “made in” Seixal striker, and Prestianni, a younger Argentinian who has been labeled a prodigy. However it’s all the time a mistake to handle a minimal benefit, even when the dominance is pronounced. And, proper on the finish of the sport, Florentino deflected Aderllan’s header together with his hand, which nonetheless hit the publish. The referee noticed the pictures, he was awarded a penalty and, from the 11 meter mark, equalized, leaving a giant smile on the face of Ukra, the large determine of the evening.