Portuguese Primeira Liga

[DC76]

Most of the time when one thinks about Portuguese football, they think about diving. 


Their league is actually pretty good, kind of like a poor man's La Liga. However like La Liga, the same teams are usually found up near the top - Benfica, FC Porto, and Sporting Club Portugal (sometimes called Sporting Lisbon or just Sporting). It's a little more lopsidedly so than La Liga as well - in the league's 80-year history, only twice has the champion not been one of those three; once of those two was actually relatively recent, with Boavista winning the 00-01 championship; for the other you have to go all the way back to 1946 when Os Belenenses won. Sadly, Boavista's financial troubles have caused them to spiral down to the fourth level of Portuguese football.


Outside this "Big Three," the most consistently good team has been Sporting Braga, whose worst finish since 03-04 is seventh (07-08); they have participated in Europe every single season since 03-04, mainly in UEFA Cup/Europa League - they entered the 08-09 UEFA Cup via the very last Intertoto Cup, which they won. Their best league finish came in 09-10, where they finished second, five points behind Benfica; this resulted in their only Champions League appearance, in which they made it all the way to the group stage, where they were dropped into the UEFA Cup and went all the way to the final before losing to FC Porto. They also made the group stage of last season's Champions League, but weren't quite as fortunate, going home afterwards rather than to Europa. They did find some consolation in winning the Portuguese League Cup, though. They haven't won the Taça de Portugal since 1966.


Aside from the Big Three and Braga, there isn't much consistency in teams in Portugal, although usually at least one other team will slide up and have a decent season.


Now for what's happening this season.


After seven games, Porto (19) and Sporting (17) have yet to be defeated, while last season's runners-up Benfica (14) have lost only their opening match against Marítimo (7) and haven't lost since (while the Madeira-based club have only won once more since then ). Nacional (13), the cross-town rivals of Marítimo, and Braga (12), hold down the remaining European spots early, with Estoril, Gil Vicente (both 11), Vitória SC (who play in Guimarães), and Rio Ave (both 10) not at all far behind.


There is a three-point break between the ten-pointers and the lesser-thans in the table. Following these are Marítimo, Os Belenenses, and FC Arouca (all 7). Vitória FC (who play in Setúbal), Academica, and Olhanense all have five points, with Academica in the red by having scored far fewer goals than the other two, and Paços de Ferreira following up a third-place finish last season with a headdesk-inducing start, only managing four from a possible 21 points.





So, that's Portugal for now. I'll be back in late November to give the rundown on the Primeira Liga. 

[DC76]

Honestly, why is Portugal ranked as high as it is when it's always the same three teams making the grade every single flipping season? They should have a section in the UEFA coefficient factoring how many individual clubs make it into the European tournaments regularly. Competitive leagues need to be rewarded.


What am I talking about? Benfica (27), Sporting (26), and Porto (24) are 1-2-3. Gee, surprise flipping surprise. But there is a pleasant surprise in fourth - Estoril (20). If they were to sustain this ranking, they'd equal their best-ever finish in the top flight, for which one'd have to look all the way back to the 1947-48 season! Gil Vicente (18) hold the other Europa spot at the moment, with Nacional, Vitória Guimarães (both 16), and Braga (15 - they just snapped a five-game losing streak) within a win's distance. Académica (14), Rio Ave, Marítimo, and Vitória Setúbal (all 13) aren't doing horribly either, even though they are lower in the table. It's more Os Belenenses (10), Arouca (9, out of the red), Olhanense (9, in the red), and Paços de Ferreira ( who have to worry. But it's gonna be close.

[DC76]

Well, going into the Christmas break, not much has changed in the standings. The Big Three are still 1-2-3, albeit now all even on points (33). Sporting is tops by goal differential, sitting at +24, while Porto is +20 and Benfica +15. Estoril (24) is still fourth, with Vitória Guimarães (23) coming in fifth, and Nacional (21) and Braga (19) leapfrogging Gil Vicente (still 18), who are on a three-game losing streak.


Arouca and Os Belenenses (both 12) haven't had the greatest luck of late, but they're still both further from the red than they were last update, as Paços (9) only gleaned one point, and Olhanense (also 9) didn't gain at all, extending a losing streak to six matches. Ouchies.


The Portuguese pick up again on 12 January.

[DC76]

Update time!


The Big Three still lead the table, only this time actual points separate them; Benfica (40) is tops, with Sporting (38) following and Porto (36) not exactly starting 2014 off with a bang, but still looking good in the big picture.


The Europa League race is also close, with the two spots held by Nacional (28) and Estoril-Praia (27), and Vitória Guimarães (26) being hot on their heels. The league is close enough at this point, though, that even the lowest teams still have a shot. The next-closest teams aren't really that far behind. Braga (23), Academica (22), and Rio Ave (21) are just two wins' worth of points out of a spot. Granted, there's only one team outside the top three and bottom two that isn't either two wins from a Euro spot or two wins outside the red. That would be Marítimo (20). In the red right now are Paços (13) and Olhanense (12), and they aren't out by a whole lot. Os Belenenses (15) and Arouca (16) could easily drop. Gil Vicente and Vitória Setúbal (both 19) are a little further out.


So the long and the short of this is, even though the race for the championship is not competitive at all, the race for Euro spots and the fight to stay up is very much so!

[DC76]

Man, I really lost track of this one! 

Oh well, new season. 11 matches in thus far, and you've got Benfica (28) with an almost perfect record, having dropped just five points all season, and Porto (25) yet to lose (7W 4D). There's a big surprise early on near the top, though, in the form of Vitória Guimarães (26), who are on a five-game win streak after their first and only loss this season against Marítimo (15).

While it is early, it surprises me nonetheless that Sporting (20) sits sixth, even with only one loss (against Vitória) on the season. Between them and the leading pack are Braga and, also surprisingly, Os Belenenses (both 21). Paços de Ferreira (19) is also in close reach to fifth-place and the Europa spot that comes with it.


In the nether regions, you have Penafiel and Gil Vicente (both 4) languishing more than a win from safety. Académica (8 ) is the team they are chasing, but Arouca and Nacional (both 9) are also fairly close. Boavista (10) isn't looking so hot right now, either.

EDIT: someone really needs to change the code for to B) or something like that, coz this is really starting to annoy me.