New England Soccer Today

Sporting CP Update

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With the summer break officially over, Portuguese clubs returned to action this weekend, and Sporting club Portugal were looking to start the new campaign off on the right foot. Sporting, winners of the 2015 Portuguese Cup, squared off against their bitter and city rivals Benfica, defending national champions, in the annual Portuguese Super Cup.

After a big offseason for Sporting, many were looking forward to this match, and very few came away disappointed. Sporting won the game 1-0 on the back of an Andre Carrillo goal. Although it may have been the narrowest of victories on paper, Sporting looked in midseason form, as they enjoyed majority of the possession, and were fluid in their movement.

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Just a reminder to anyone who may of missed it: days after Sporting won the Portuguese Cup, the organization lured Benfica manager Jorge Jesus, who just helped the team win a second-straight league title, after his contract with Benfica expired. The arrival of Jorge Jesus, of course, meant the departure of Marco Silva, the man who guided the Leoes to a Portuguese Cup trophy. Such is life in the Portuguese league.

Jorge Jesus is manager with a winning track record, and a few new off signings to be mixed in with the strong young core of players already in place, expectations are high for this season. In many ways, this season feels like “league title or bust” for Sporting.

Sporting’s first game of the league will be Saturday against Belenenses.

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