04 | November | 2024 | Hopping across The Pond

Portugal

Primeira Liga

Monday 4th November 2024

Kick Off 20.15 Actual 20.18

Clube Desportivo Nacional 2 Clube Desportivo Santa Clara 0, attendance 1,425

9’ 1-0

13’ 2-0 (pen)

@ Estadio da Madeira

Camino do Terco

9060-329 Funchal

Madeira

€50 Admission

No Programme.

Tonight was the final match of the trip and a game at Estadio da Madeira, home of Clube Desportivo Nacional, the other half of ‘the big two’ on the island, although they are (in my opinion) the second club (despite currently sitting a division above city rival Clube Sport Maritimo). They shared the Estadio do Maritimo up until 2008, when Nacional made the move to the newly built stadium here, which for some reason is built high above the city and certainly not accessible without transport. The main stadium has an all seated capacity of 5,132 and there are also three other pitches at the complex, including the ground where their ‘B’ team play, the Cristiano Ronaldo Futebol Campus-Estadio, named after their now world famous ex youth team player, who was born in Funchal. Unusually, the Estadio da Madeira only has stands along the sides, the main one being fully covered, with the other only covered in the middle third, whilst the goal ends just have mesh fencing. Tickets for this game were not available to buy online, so we’d bought them in the club office in Funchal on Thursday afternoon, although the crowd was so pathetically small that we could have waited until arriving for the game. Having bought the tickets in advance was a slight gamble though, as the last home game here, versus Benfica, had been postponed half an hour before kick off, due to fog. It was a little disconcerting, when ten minutes before kick off, cloud began swirling across the pitch. Thankfully, it only lasted about five minutes and once it lifted it remained clear. On the way up to the stadium (via the ‘Bolt’ app) the driver moaned most of the way and said he wouldn’t have taken the trip if he’d realised where we were heading before accepting it. When he realised we were going to the match (what else would we be heading there for on a Monday night?) he started going on about how everyone hates going here, due to it’s location and because of how many games are lost to fog!

The match certainly affected both ends of the table. Nacional were second bottom, but knew a win would lift them clear of the relegation zone, whilst Santa Clara, from The Azores, were fifth and three points here would see them climb back into fourth and a qualifying position for the European competitions. Nacional got off to a perfect start, when Isaac headed in a cross from the right that looped over the ‘keeper from 12 yards. Four minutes later it was 2-0, when Ruben Macedo coolly dispatched a penalty that was awarded for a handball. They could have put the game beyond doubt, but missed an absolute sitter in stoppage time at the end of the first half, when a ball found a striker unmarked at the far post, but instead of shooting into the open side of the goal, he went for the side the ball had come from, which saw the ‘keeper make an initial save, before scooping the ball off the goal line. Neither side really looked like scoring, in a second half that was very dull. Santa Clara were very poor throughout and it is hard to see how they’ve managed to be so far up the table. Not too much to shout about for the 18 fans in the away section.

After the game we managed to get a ‘Bolt’ to pick us up at the corner of the stadium, which we were in within a minute of the final whistle and back at our hotel by 22.30. It was €13 getting up to the stadium and just €11 coming back down. So, another successful trip completed and a relief to have got the two Madeiran teams in the top levels of the Portuguese League done on the same trip. Back home on the British Airways 1505 flight to London Gatwick on Tuesday afternoon, which left on time.