They might just be separated by a mere 47 kilometres but Sporting Braga and FC Porto are all geared up to provide plenty of thrill and excitement in the UEFA Europa League final 2011 tomorrow. The stage has been set in Dublin and nothing else will matter as Live Soccer TV builds up to the supernova Iberian battle.
Well, Andre Villas-Boas has been the talk of the season hasn't he? Drawing comparisons with Jose Mourinho is already something magnificent but the fact that Villas-Boas is already being touted as Mourinho 2.0 literally speaks for himself. The volume of his success at Porto this season deserves recognition and the brand of football that he has implemented into FC Porto has made them a force to be reckoned with in Europe.
Frankly speaking, it has been a terrific year of football for Portugal by itself. While Portuguese clubs have always succeeded individually, with Eusebio's Benfica and Jose Mourinho's FC Porto squad coming to our mind, this season can be regarded as a collective success for Portuguese Football. While Porto have been impressing many with their enigmatic football in Europe this season, Sporting Braga have been a breath of fresh air. Well, that's the simple factor that keeps Braga boss, Domingos Paciência going ahead of tomorrow.
"All matches are a great motivation, particularly against great teams. When you face a Liverpool, a Dynamo Kyiv, even the champions of Poland, Lech, those are big names, and automatically the players gain motivation. I also think the players' capacity for hard work and their daily efforts are reflected in where they are now."
"Porto have always had a very strong team, and right now Porto are a team that could do well in the Champions League. They are a club of the Champions League. In a final, and given how the season has gone, it's natural that Porto are big favourites. But it's a final, it's just one match."
"With the right inspiration and motivation, many situations can occur in a match that can get you a goal. That is what makes us believe it's possible to win."
While Braga and Porto might be locking their horns tomorrow night, everybody knows that Andre Villas-Boas' men will head in as favorites and even Braga captain Vandinho has no doubts over that. However, there's no questioning over the level of team spirit in both teams.
"We have always taken one game at a time, always believing that anything was possible. We have played as a team and displayed the warrior spirit that has made us famous. We had to work very hard and that was the only way to make this final.
Nonetheless, Helton preferred to heap the praise on his fellow teammates for all the success they have achieved so far. Porto remain on course for an unprecedented treble and Helton is convinced that the fighting spirit within the Porto squad will definitely see them through.
"All players have worked for this. We've got a squad that fights for the same objectives, as we're accustomed to saying: 'We all pull in the same direction'."
"Leading up to the final it'll be the same: we'll think the same way, work the same way – we don't have to improve or stop doing something because we've reached the final. The objective is always the same."
As far as Porto are concerned, they will be looking to continue to the resurgent form both domestically as well as in Europe. But for Sporting Braga, tomorrow's final in Dublin represents the biggest day in their history so far. Europa League Final 2011: Bring it on!
