IMORTAL FOOTBALL CLUB ALBUFEIRA

Well a good run had to come to an end but what a bad game. We were all over them in the first half, had a penalty saved then were in turn massacred in the second half.

Neutrals might have enjoyed it. Two red cards, seven yellows, two penalties and a right old row on the field. But I didn't.

Os Armacanenses 2 Imortal 0

The game was played on the synthetic pitch at Messines. The weather was cool, cloudy and dull, crowd about 70. Imortal started well enough, putting early pressure on the home defence. They were rewarded in the 23rd minute when a shot by Benje was blocked by a hand, one of those that referees are now giving because a player has an arm.

But Pita took the worst penalty in football history, going for placement he scuffed his kick and the keeper was diving the right way before the ball was half way on its route to goal.

A couple more chances came Imortal's way, including this one for Benje who controlled well, saw his first shot blocked and the rebound tipped over the bar for a corner.



Armacanenses made a mess of a breakaway attack right at the end of the first period, but the ease with which they went through the Imortal defence was a bit of an omen as it turned out.

So, no goals at half time, only five free kicks and the penalty awarded by the referee. His apparent leniency,not penalising every little touch, was to bring big trouble in the second period!

Armacenenses came out all guns blazing after the interval and took the lead after just five minutes. The attack plan was similar to that which had failed just before half time, a swift break down the right, Imortal's defence was too slow to react and an easy tap in from the cross.

Most of the next twenty minutes or so was a midfield battle. No goalscoring chances came about for either team, but things were getting increasingly tetchy. Armacanenses missed a  golden opportunity having broken the offside trap then came the first major incident. It was pretty straightforward. Another rapid attack by the home side caught Imortal on the back foot. Rui Sacramento, as last defender, was in an impossible position and tugged back his opponent just inside the penalty area. He was duly sent off and the penalty scored. 2-0.

A series of late tackles by both sides saw a flurry of yellow cards. Imortal's ten men couldn't manage anything resembling a decent attack, in fact they managed only one shot at goal for the entire half.

Then on 83 minutes came the major flare-up. Imortal were attacking, Marco Benje went to win a ball and caught a defender in the stomach with his boot.The player went down but the referee didn't give a foul. Eventually his team mates kicked the ball out as he remained on the ground. Imortal's coach, Baba, expressed his opinions about time-wasting and play acting rather forcefully. After consultation with his assistant, the ref sent Baba into the stand. Meanwhile the afflicted defender was being helped to his feet and started cursing all and sundry, especially Benje. After a few moments, he seemed to lose the plot and lunged towards Benje but was restrained by his team mates. He was then being taken to the sidelines when he shouted something across to the Imortal bench, which enraged everyone there. The ref heard it too and the defender got a red. That didn't stop him and he moved off towards the bench to take everyone on. To their credit the Armacanenses players held him back and eventually he went to sit in the spectator seats, still simmering.  The elderly policeman nearby looked decidedly worried and went off to consult with his younger, fitter and heavily armed colleagues.

There followed several minutes of ludicrous play acting and timewasting as the home players tried to get more Imortal players sent off or booked. The ref was having none of it and booked their goalie for timewasting and another for a ridiculous high tackle.

The end of the game saw further frank exchanges of views, with the two younger police having to earn their money by keeping the warring factions separated as they made their way into the changing rooms.

All that in match in which a total of just fifteen free kicks and two penalties were given, the lowest total of fouls for any match here I can remember.

Imortal will remain in fourth place. I will post the adjusted league table (remember that Algarve United are out of the League) as soon as I can get hold of it. Two league games were played last night and the results I cannot find on any of three websites.

Match statistics

Free kicks (and pens) conceded : Imortal 9, Armacanenses 8
Offside : Imortal 1, Arma. 3 (it was that sort of game!)
Shots on target :Imortal 3 including the saved penalty, Arma. 2 (the goals and nothing else!)
Shots blocked : Imortal 3, Arma. 1
Shots off target : Imortal 5, Arma. 1
Corners : Imortal 4, Arma. 3
Yellow Cards : Imortal 3 (two for fouls, one for unsporting conduct); Arma 4 (2 for fouls, one for timewasting and 1 for unsporting conduct)
Red Cards . Imortal 1 (denying goal scoring opportunity), Arma. 1 (foul or abusive language)

Next Saturday Imortal will be at home to Castromarinense, a mid-table team who we would expect to beat. But not unless we play rather better.

Indeed!

Today's result Imortal 2 Faro e Benfica 0.

Once again not the best match, but two goals very worthy of a better stage and we were unlucky not to get a third with a 25 yard shot that smashed against the crossbar.

Ferreiras and Moncarapachense both won. Culatrense were due to be playing Algarve United tomorrow, but word has it they have been chucked out of the League as they have nowhere to play after not having paid rent to their landlords.

More tomorrow.

I forgot this! Resident on one of the floodlight towers at Odíaxere last Saturday.

Thanks Tom.

Imortal's performance has improved a lot since this time season. 8 points behind the leaders. A really good defensive record (of recent).

How many games have Imortal left to play this season and are there any home games against the top 3 placed clubs?

If Imortal did manage to move up to 3rd or 2nd spot in the league, are there any implications (positive or negative) which the club may or may not want to entertain?

Imortal 4 - 0 Machados. Imortal's first 45 minutes was dire as I said. We managed only two decent chances despite having most of the play. Wayward passing again was the problem and when the chances came Miguel (the right winger Miguel , they are all called Miguel) shot tamely wide and Marco Benje had a header tipped over the bar.

I don't know what coach Baba said at half time but it worked, to a point. Miguel was alternately brilliant, beating his opponents with ease then crossing to nowhere in particular. But he was on hand to pick up a rebound on 53 minutes for the opening goal.

Nearly twenty minutes passed before a spell of three goals in ten minutes put paid to Machados. It was Miguel again with the second, a tap-in from close after the 'keeper had failed to handle a cross. He was then instrumental in the third and fourth goals, crossing for Pita to add the third with another easy tap in. The same pair combined for the fourth but only after Miguel had spurned the chance of a hat-trick by passing instead of shooting when faced with what looked like an easy chance.

Such was Imortal's domination of the second half that Machados managed not a single shot nor corner. Goalkeeper Leandro was obviously bored, so he was subbed ten minutes from time.

Match stats

Free kicks conceded : Imortal 11, Machados 18
Offside : Imortal 6, Machados 2
Shots on target : Imortal 9, Machdos nil
Shots blocked : Imortal 4, Machdos 1
Shots off target : Imortal 15, Machados 2
Corners : Imortal 8, Machados 2
Yellow cards : Imortal 2 (1 for dissent, 1 for bad tackle), Machados 3 (2 for shirt pulling, 1 for bad tackle)

Imortal remain in fourth place and have a tougher test next week away to Odeaxere. The record shows only one goal conceded in the last eight league matches and fifteen scored, so something is going right.

It didn't feel that much warmer I can assure you! The wind was blowing straight down the pitch, so the stand offered no shelter. We had a game called off earlier in the season when the pitch was waterlogged following days of rain and you will have heard of the tornado in November that laid waste to the Silves FC ground. Weather does happen here, but many clubs have synthetic pitches which allows games to go ahead even in fairly extreme conditions.

Ferreiras did win on Saturday night, so Imortal are in 4th place.

The weather was even worse on Sunday afternoon. Down the road at Portimão, where the average crowd is 1100 they had only 667. There is no cover at the stadium to speak of, so small wonder people stayed at home to watch Spurs v Man Utd on TV. No blackouts here, they don't care about smaller teams losing fans to TV from other countries!

Imortal 4 - 0 Alvor

A poor game in difficult conditions, but the expected victory for Imortal. I am missing last night's result between Silves and Ferrieras but assuming Ferrieras won, which they should have, Imortal will be 4th and six points behind the leaders.

I won an Imortal scarf in the raffle.

Highlight was the second goal, an excellent free kick from 20 yards by Rui Sacramento carried by the wind beyond the goalkeeper's dive.

The wind blew, the rain fell, Imortal made hard work of it. They could have scored more, hitting the post twice in the space of two minutes mid-way through the second half. The third and fourth goals, by Benje and 'Big Roberto' were from close range. Anything in the second half from outside the penalty area risked being blown backwards,  with Imortal playing into the wind.

The Ficha do jogo

Goals : Two in each half for Imortal
Free kicks conceded : Imortal 7 (a record probably but we did have the ball most of the time) Alvor 18
Offside Imortal 4, Alvor 4
Shots on target : Imortal 9, Alvor none
Shots blocked : Imortal 5, Alvor 1
Shots off target : Imortal 10, Alvor 1
Corners Imortal 9, Alvor 3 (and two of those were in the first two minutes)
Yellow cards : Imortal 0 (another record possibly) , Alvor 2 (1 for dissent, one for shirt pulling)
Game time : 1st half 46:23 Second Half 48:23

Imortal's next home game is Saturday 26th January when bottom club Machados will be the visitors.