Portugal

Taça de Portugal 4th Round

Saturday 25th November 2023

Kick Off 17.00 Actual 17.01

F.C. Penafiel 3 Vitoria F.C. Setubal 2 (A.E.T.), attendance 675

1’ 0-1

27’ 1-1

60’ 2-1 (pen)

77’ 2-2

96’ 3-2

@ Estadio Municipal 25 de Abril

Rua de Abílio Miranda

4564 Penafiel

€7 Admission

No Programme.

It was a 40 minute drive east to Penafiel for the second game of the day, again in the Portuguese Cup. Arriving so early meant we were able to grab a space in the car park right next to the stadium, at the foot of some steps that led up to the corner of the ground, but on the right side for the ticket office. Again, no problem obtaining tickets and no need for identification either. We chose the main stand, but could also have gone in with the away fans behind the goal if we’d wanted to. Both sections were priced the same.

The game was another with a possibly of producing an upset. Penafiel are 16th in Liga 2, whilst visitors Vitoria Setubal are two levels lower, currently sitting in second place in Campeonato de Portugal Prio 4D. I had only visited Setubal in December 2019, when I saw them host Vitoria S.C. Guimaraes in a Primeira Liga game, so they’ve plummeted very quickly, although perhaps they’re now on the way back up?

The two level gap between the teams certainly wasn’t evident. They seemed very evenly matched and it produced a good end to end contest from start to finish. The visitors got off to a perfect start, scoring with their first attack, after a break down the left saw a cross to the far post put into his own net by a defending player trying to clear, much to the delight of the 162 away fans behind that goal. They thought they’d scored again after twelve minutes, with an exact build up to the first goal, but it was ruled out for offside. Penafiel levelled just before the half hour mark, scoring with an angled shot across the ‘keeper into the far corner.

On the hour mark Penafiel went 2-1 up, scoring with a penalty, but Vitoria deservedly equalised with thirteen minutes left, breaking down the right before putting a striker clear and his shot was deflected over the ‘keeper, which was credited as another own goal. Neither side tried to win it from here and both seemed happy to take it to extra time. Just six minutes into the first period, Penafiel got what turned out to be the winner, when a cross in from the left was volleyed in side footed from 12 yards.

The stadium here has a 6,500 all seated capacity. The main stand runs the full length of one side, made up of 14 rows and has a section of VIP seats at the back. The visitors end is to the left, whilst the opposite goal end is just fenced off and displaying adverts. The opposite side has an old section in the centre, with newer looking blocks on either side.

Portugal

Taca de Portugal 4th Round

Saturday 25th November 2023

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.05

C.F. Canelas 2010 1 Club Sport Maritimo 3, attendance 525

6’ 0-1

45’ + 3, 0-2

75’ 0-3

90’ + 4, 1-3

@ Estadio de Canelas

Largo dos Fundadores

4410 Canelas

€5 Admission

No Programme.

This morning saw a 25 minute drive to Canelas, a few miles south of Porto, on the southern side of the Douro River from the city itself. The stadium is a real throw back, having been opened in 1966. It has a listed capacity of 10,800 although that figure would be way off the mark nowadays, especially with far tighter health and safety restrictions now in place, but impressive, nonetheless. The pitch is inside a cycle track, which you don’t seem too often either.

As with last night, this was a Portuguese Cup match, this time with the potential for a ‘giant killing’, as 4th in Liga 3A hosted 5th in Liga 2, with the morning kick off presumably to aid in the visitors scheduling their travel arrangements to/from Funchal, on the island of Madeira, although I believe the game was also being shown on live television, but whatever the reason, it certainly suited us!

We arrived around an hour before kick off, parking less than 50 yards from the ground entrance. The ticket windows were still not open, but were soon ready for business. Tickets were only €5 and we didn’t have to show any identification to buy them. The option was to go on the side of the main stand, which we did, or on the covered terrace opposite, where the visitors (83 of them) occupied one half and a handful of locals, the other. Both goal ends were out of bounds. There were refreshments (very limited choice) available in a room underneath the back of the stand, where the walls displayed numerous old photographs of past team lineups, back to 1966, when the club were formed, then known as Canelas Gaia F.C. Financial problems saw the club cease in 2006, but four years later they were reformed, following that up with a debut in the national cup competition in 2019.

It only look Maritimo six minutes to go in front, heading in at the far post, in a first half that saw both teams create plenty of chances. Maritimo hit the post, having gone round the ‘keeper and Canelas saw their best effort well saved, but it took until three minutes into stoppage time at the end of the half before the second goal came and again it went the way of the visitors, scoring with a free kick from the edge of the D that went in off the inside of the post. When they added a third, fifteen minutes from the end, curling in a free kick, it was game over. Six minutes from the end, Maritimo had a man red carded, but it was too late to affect the outcome, although Canelas did round off the scoring four minutes into stoppage time, finishing with an angled shot into the far corner.

The game finished just after one o’clock, so plenty of time to reach our second game of the day. It was only 31 miles east of here and certainly wasn’t going to be a problem, as we’d got four hours to do it!