IMORTAL FOOTBALL CLUB ALBUFEIRA

The B team had a good 4-2 win down at Bensafrim, with William Jr resuming his goalscoring exploits with two, Martins and Azeitona the others. They are now second in the league behind Guia only on goal difference. Three games remain before the playoffs with the Eastern Division top places.

I was able to attend the Estadio Algarve, there was no queue to get in.

Imortal Albufeira 1 - 1 Real SC

When bottom plays next to bottom, you probably wouldn't expect a good game. That was definitely the case on Sunday, especially the first  half. Passes were poor, shots were weak or off target from both teams. Things improved a little in the second half, but the groans from the crowd of about 100 were frequent. Imortal's goal was well constructed and well taken, but the goal conceded was a direct result of trying not to lose the ball and taking too much time over everything.

Imortal's team showed six changes from Wednesday's disaster. Texeira was back in goal, Pereira and Santos in defence, Gonçalves, Miranda and Romeiro in midfield.

Real did manage to create some half chances early on, one shot went way over the goal and a floaty cross almost deceived Texeira, who had to pounce on the ball at the last moment. Imortal likewise had opportunities. Torres collected loose ball on the edge of the area, but his tame shot went straight to the 'keeper.  A rare semi decent move was ended with some good goalkeeping, goalkeeper Mosca diving at the feet of Romeiro to grab the ball as he ran through. Santos shot miles over from about 30 metres out. The game then became the customary backwards and sideways movement. No-one seemed to want the responsibility of taking a chance with a forward pass to put defenders under pressure. For their part, Real had a winger with some fancy footwork, Matar Manga, but his final passes were pretty poor.

He did cause one problem with across the front of the Imortal goal, bodies falling everywhere but eventually the ball was cleared.

Could the second half be any better we wondered? Well, it started fast and furious. At last Imortal played the long ball, Torres was through but his shot hit a post, the rebound was clawed off Alves' head by the goialkeeper, fell to Gonçalves who put it wide. Imortal were having more of the ball. One promisingmove was ended with a bizarre offside. Torres had gone down on the penalty spot, the defence had come out. The ball was cleared but came to Santos. His low cross hit Torres, who hadn't moved and up went the flag. Down at the other end, Texeira made a good interception, taking a cross off the head of an attacker.

Imortal went ahead on the hour after a rare piece of decent football. Neat work on the right wing found Santos, he laid on a neat little pass inside a back pedalling defencer which Romeiro collected just inside the corner of the penalty area. Two steps later he beat the ´keeper with a low shot across goal into the far corner. Imortal won their first corner a couple of minutes later. Real's defence dealt with it.

The lead didn't last long. A combination of errors and terrible passing just outside the area gifted the ball to Real. An old fashioned boot up the field would have avoid this. Instead, defenders were trying to be too clever, passing the ball back and forth to go nowhere. Real's striker Piñerez took the initiative, got amongst them to win the ball and had a pop from 20 metres which maybe Texeira should have saved, but the shot squirmed under his body and into the net.

And that was just about it! The last twenty minutes were Imortal trying to get through, around or over a nine man defence and failing for the most part. Santos did have one good effort from way out on the touchline. Caught by the wind, it almost found the far top corner but just dropped over the goalkeeper and onto the roof of the net. Romeiro had the only other effort worthy of note, but that too went over.

Five minutes of added time only increased the tedium! I suppose that on the positive side Imortal are now on their best run of the season, two league games unbeaten but they still have to win a home game! It's a short league of 26 games, compared with the 42 or 46 games of an English semi-pro season and with only six games to go and four of them away, will it be a winless home season?

Next Sunday, Imortal travel to second placed Moncarapachense. In fairness, the home game against them, a 1-0 defeat, was one of the better performances I have seen. Despite being second, Moncarapachense have scored only 23 goals in their twenty league games. In their last fourteen games, they have only once scored more than one goal. Boring or what? Maybe there is hope.

Imortal team  : Texeira;  Santos, Pereira, Rodrigues, Cruz; Cortez, Romeiro, Torres, Gonçalves;  Alves, Miranda. Subs used : Prates, Bede, Ramos, Almeida.

Match Stats

Free kicks conceded : Imortal 8. Real 12. (Good referee, who didn't penalise every slight touch)
Offside : Imortal 3, Real 1
Shots on targert : Imortal 3, Real 5
Shots off target  Imortal 6, Real 6
Shots blocked : Imortal 4, Real 2
Corners : Imortal 2, Real 5
Yellow cards : Imortal 0 (some kind of record I think!), Real 1(Mr fancy footwork Manga who took objection to a couple of hard tackles).

Imortal Albufeira 1 - 2 Serpa

Too little, too late, from Imortal. Although the game plan was notably different from the past few weeks, Imortal could not capitalise until almost the end. There was far more in the way of a quick and direct approach, defenders were put under pressure and did make mistakes, but the run of the ball was against Imortal.

Visitors Serpa were more in need of the points than Imortal and were cheered on by a noisy group of travelling fans. The day was cool and windy, the sun did come out from time to time. The pitch did look a bit worn in parts because of the recent various friendlies and U-19 matches.

The first quarter - hour was pretty shapeless, neither team creating anything like a scoring chance. Things woke up a little when Ramos shot just wide for Imortal from a narrow angle, Serpa also had a half chance moments later. More tedium, then a goal out of nothing for Serpa. The ball was loose around Imortal's penalty spot, an attempted clearance bounced high into the air and was seized upon by one João Macuia. His overhead kick gave Bova in goal no chance. A goal worthy of a higher stage etc etc.

Imortal responded. Miranda, who had good first half out on the right wing but faded towards the end, sent in a bueatiful low cross which eluded defenders and attackers alike. Torres got in behind the defence, but his cross was blocked for a corner. Miranda had another good moment, chasing down a loose ball to win a corner, but nothing came of that. Just before half time, Macuia had a golden opportunity to increase Serpa's lead but scuffed his close range shot. The referee had been playing an advantage, but somehow Macuia felt it necessary to complain about not being given a free kick. Lucky not to be booked.

Imortal one down at half time, but the signs were there. Miranda and Santos had been causing trouble for the whole 45 minutes, Ramos up front was eager, but not succeeding. Santos had a chance from distance early in the second half, but his shot was easily gathered. Imortal were working the ball up both wings at pace, much more effective than the tippy-tappy football we had seen in previous weeks.  Miranda sent in yet another good cross that was just too far ahead of everyone, then Santos saw a cross deflected off a defender's heel just as Ramos and Romeiro were coming in. Ramos shot wide from five yards, but was offside anyway. Meanwhile Bova had saved well low down and then came out of his area to thwart a counter-attack, denying Santana with a well timed interception.

Serpa's second came on 69 minutes, a free kick well delivered from the right, low and hard across the goal and converted at the far post by Cande. The free kick had earned Imortal two yellow cards. One for André Silva for the foul itself and one for Perdo Rodrigues for his opinion concerning the decision. The game went flat after that. Imortal players looked dejected and defeated. Substitute Xavier picked things up with a decent effort, just wide from a narrow angle. Serpa almost made it three when a fierce cross rocketed past several bodies at waist height before being deflected for a corner. Three minutes to go and some decent football again, from Imortal, to create a goal at last, only the fourth in the last seven games. Santos and Balde combined down the right wing, Balde delivered the cross which was nicely met by the head of Romeiro from close range

Four minutes added time was announced. Imortal came forward in search of the equaliser, but defence was solid. Romeiro was denied and blocked by a tackle as he shaped to shoot, he hit the rebound wide. Much joy at the end for the travelling fans, whose team were now three points above the relegation zone. Gloom for the home fans. It's now six games without a win. Next weekend Imortal travel up to Elvas, who are mid-table and probably safe from relegation.

Imortal team : Bova; Prates, Rodrigues, Pereira, Santos; Bede, Romeiro, Torres: Alves, Ramos, Miranda. Subs used : Almeida, Silva, Xavier, Balde, Cruz

Match stats

Free kicks conceded : Imortal 8, Serpa 12
Offside : Imortal 3, Serpa 1
Shots on target : Imortal 3, Serpa 5
Shots off target : Imortal 6, Serpa 6
Shots blocked : Imortal 4, Serpa 2
Corners : Imortal 2, Serpa 5
Yellow cards : Imortal 2, Serpa 1

Imortal defender Auleocarcio Cruz has been called up for international duty by Sao Tome and Principe. Congratulations to him!   

Imortal Albufeira 1 - 2 Vasco da Gama Vidigueira

So the home season comes to the end, without a single win! It's a short season here, only 26 league games for those who don't make the second stage but even so, a record of four draws and nine defeats in the thirteen home games is poor. The big problem all season has been scoring goals, only 18 in the 25 league games so far.

So, one more game to play, up in Sintra on Saturday 6th April, before a long shut down and next season in the Algarve League. At least there will be a lot less travelling and several away games it might actually be possible to get to!

Vasco da Gama came to Albufeira needing a win to keep up their chances of avoiding relegation. A coach load came with them on the 160km (100 mile) journey. They alternated between noisy support and anxious hushes whenever the scores from other vital games were being flashed around.  Imortal were cheered on a group of an English youth team, all decked out in Imortal shirts. I didn't have a chance to ask where they were from.

Conditions were far from ideal. A brown tinted sky, full of the dust that has been plaguing us since Thursday. Add a gusty wind and intermittent bursts of rain, not nice at all.

Three Imortal faces recently missing from the starting line returned to action. First choice goalkeeper Texeira returned after three weeks out, replacing Bova. Striker Mario Duarte made his first start since 4th February, while for Williams Fadini it was his first league start since October! Santos was suspended, Silva and Alves dropped to the bench.

The neutrals, and there were many, would have enjoyed a game full of incident. Vasco da Gama needed the points of course. They probably didn't expect to be gifted two goals in the space of seven minutes through calamitous defending. Those two goals represented their only shots on target. The disaster started after twelve minutes of inaction. Imortal's defence failed to clear the danger area twice, the ball was sent out only to the edge of the penalty area, from where  António Baixinho slammed it low and hard into the net. Seven minutes later, a very uncharacteristic error by Rodrigues gave the ball away ten metres out. Isaias Cruz was the beneficiary, his low hard shot went past Texeira into the far corner. Terrible.

Imortal did  respond quickly. Good work by Miranda set up Romeiro for a long range effort, easily saved though. Opara Bede sent in a good ball from the goal-line wide left, to which Ramos got his boot on but defender Fernandes put his body in the way, blocking for a corner. The air became very murky with that dust around the half hour mark and it started raining. Bede was mown down on the edge of the area, free kick to Imortal, yellow card for Lanca. Once Bede had got back to his feet, the free kick was well executed with the ball being squared across the front of goal, missed by everyone except Fadini, who had an easy tap in on the far post.

Imortal created two more good goal scoring chances in the final ten minutes of the first half. Duarte headed just over from a fair way out, Romeiro was denied by the first of two very good finger-tip saves by Vasco's 'keeper Vidackovic.

The signs were there at the break. Imortal were on top but could the lack of movement ahead of the ball be a factor? The sages pondered.

More good stuff from Miranda set up another chance for Duarte early on in the scond half, but he didn't seem to make the best effort to get there. It was still raining, almost mud coming from the sky by this time. Vasco were happy to let Imortal do all the running, with just the odd counter-attack. From one such, Texeira had to be alert to block a dangerous low cross around the post for a corner. Duarte was then thwarted by the second excellent save by Vidackovic. Fadini headed the corner straight at him. Still Imortal pressed. Substitute Balde sent in a good ball for Duarte, but this time his header hit the post and rebounded to safety. Imortal pressed hard towards the end. Vasco's defender Rodeira took one for the team as they say, getting a straight red for a horrible lunge at speedy Almeida on the half way line. Defenders were hacking the ball anywhere. Imortal won three corners in quick succession towards the end of normal time, but nothing came of them. Six minutes of added time were announced, which became seven as Vasco empoyed all the usual delaying tactics to break up the flow.

Confusion reigned in the stands as websites were reporting two different scores for a vital game elsewhere. The final whistle went with the 50 or so visiting supporters anxiously consulting phones. They breathed sighs of relief no doubt, with Serpa, the team immediately above them having finished 2-2 and not winning as was thought. In fact they were denied by a 94th minute equaliser from visitors Sintrense, who Imortal will meet on Saturday 6th April in what will be the final game of the season for both.

So, one more game and then the painful season will be over. As usual, we can only wonder how many of this season's players will be around for Saturdays in the Algarve league come mid-September.

Imortal team : Texeira; Rodrigues, Pereira, Cortez, Fadini; Romeiro, Bede, Gonçalves, Miranda: Ramos, Duarte. Subs used : Almeida, Balde, Silva, Alves.

Match stats :

Free kicks conceded : Imortal 16, Vasco 10
Offside : Imortal 1, Vasco 1
Shots on target : Imortal 6, Vasco 2
Shots off target : Imortal 4, Vasco 2
Shots blocked : Imortal 1, Vasco 0
Corners : Imortal 7, Vasco 5
Yellow cards : Imortal 2, Vasco 2
Red Cards : Vasco 1