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Lisbon is the capital and the
largest city in Portugal. Situated at the mouth of the Tagus River, it is the
westernmost capital of a mainland European country. The city is rich in architecture;
Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Modern and Postmodern constructions being found
all over Lisbon. The city is crossed by
historical boulevards and monuments along the main thoroughfares. During World
War II Lisbon was one of the very few neutral, open Atlantic ports and a major
gateway for refugees to the United States.
Sporting Clube de Portugal was
founded in 1906, thanks to a loan that Jose Alfredo Holtreman Roquette received
from his grandfather, the Viscount of Alvalade. Along with rival Benfica and FC
Porto, the club has never been relegated from the top flight of Portugese
football. The club has won the league on 23 occasions, including 1982, when a
domestic double was achieved under charismatic English manager, Malcolm Allison.
Following on from the morning
excursion to see the U19 UEFA Youth League match at Alcochete,
an opportunity was taken to refuel with a couple of leisurely beers at a
restaurant/bar. Whilst enjoying said refreshment, we noticed Mr Levy and other
club representatives waiting outside a restaurant opposite for their transport.
It appeared that they had been entertained by officials of the host club. The establishment
looked rather nice and was only a short distance away from the central area
where most Spurs fans had congregated before the match.
To reach Estadio Jose Alvalade from
the centre is very straightforward using the Lisbon metro system. The Green Line takes you directly to the stadium alighting at Campo Grande. However, when
we boarded the metro service, it was a train specifically for Spurs supporters taking us non-stop to the next station which is Telheiras situated at the end of the line. From here we were escorted to the away
section of the stadium and in no time were inside awaiting the next instalment
of this overhyped Champions League experience.
The stadium is rather impressive and I
should imagine that a good view of the pitch is afforded from most areas. As is
often the case at continental stadia, the section allocated to the away support,
is less advantageous in that an enormous section of netting has to be looked
through. This will be in place for all matches and is not just there for
foreign visitors. Considering how laid-back Lisbon is for visitors, this is a
disappointment. There is cover on all sides of the stadium, which was welcome during
such a rainy (at times) few days.
Despite results suggesting otherwise, Tottenham Hotspur have not been firing on all cylinders this season. A few players, by their own standards, have been off form and to reach mid-September before suffering a first defeat has been an achievement. Both goals for the more adventurous home side were scored in the 90th minute onwards and what looked like a welcome point for Spurs soon evaporated.
After being locked in the ground at the end of the
match, the visiting support was eventually escorted back to the metro station.
Once again we were transported non-stop back to the centre, where the obligatory
purchase of pasteis de Nata (custard tarts with puff pastry) was a more
fulfilling experience than the football!
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