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Trivia
- Celtic were invited to bring a team to Toronto to compete for the inaugural CNE Cup against a Benfica side. The match took place during an international week and many first team players of both Celtic and Benfica were with their respective national sides. Canada has a sizeable Portugese population in some parts, so it was a fun day for ex-pats both Scottish and Portugese.
Review
A young Celtic side competed for the trophy against a Benfica side which was if anything on the older side.
Teams
Benfica:
J?lio César, Luis Felipe (Ruben Amorim 18, Tiago Ramos 90), Roderick, Sidnei, Shaffer, R?ben Pinto (Diogo Figueira 81), Javi García (David Luiz 55), Di María, César Peixoto, Nélson Oliviera (Saviola 62), Keirrison.
Substitute: Moreira.
Goals: Keirrison (3), R?ben Pinto (58), Saviola (72)
Celtic:
Dominic Cervi, Andreas Hinkel, Josh Thompson, Danny Fox, Mark Wilson (Krisjian Vallers 76), Koki Mizuno, Pat McCourt, Marc Crosas, Luca Santonocito (James Forrest 62), Anton Kurakins, Paul McGowan
Substitute: Willo Flood
Goal: Paul McGowan (45)
Referee: Silvu Petresco
Attendance: 16,912
Articles
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Articles
Soccer fans dig deep for reserves
DAVID COOPER/TORONTO STAR
September 03, 2009 Chris Young
Three weeks into their respective seasons, this North American matchup of Scottish Old Firm and Portuguese mainstay never made a whole lot of sporting sense.
Celtic and Benfica and the rest of the Euro pros are on an international break. But in the hyperinflated world of international futbol, there are no breaks, and last night's BMO Field friendly was further evidence, as if any was needed, of the world sporting public's insatiable appetite for its favourite game.
Why? It's all about the shirts, silly: The replicas on the backs of the 16,912 who paid up to $150 to be in the stands last night the green and white hoops of Celtic on the east side, Benfica red on the west, trading chants and insults; and the genuine articles on the almost-genuine reservist, second-team and youth-squad types out on the plastic pitch, delivering goals in an at times entertaining, at times sloppy, but thoroughly deserved 3-1 win for the Portuguese side.
This was fair recompense for all, really, these friendlies ranking alongside one of those pull-the-string ripoffs on the midway outside BMO you never quite know what you're going to get. In this case the talented Argentine 21-year-old Angel Di Maria was the pleasant surprise package, utterly bossing the field and setting up two of those goals to earn man of the match honours.
But while we're on the topic of pulling the string, Benfica coach Jorge Jesus laid it on a little thick pregame. He worried about the artificial surface, sniffing that even his truncated squad would have to be pared even more to avoid injury. "Of course, there are financial reasons why we came to perform on this game, but I must always think to the sporting part of the game," he said, before sending out an XI that, next to Celtic's Bhoy boys, was almost grizzled.
"A lot of our players wouldn't have even been on the substitute's bench it was a long way from what we saw in the Arsenal match," said Celtic assistant coach Mark Venus, standing in for Tony Mowbray and alluding to their Champions League playoff loss to the Gunners last month.
Benfica, meantime, played its latest Super Liga game on Monday, flew to Toronto on Tuesday minus stars Nuno Gomes and Oscar Cardozo, among others, and they'll head back home today, the saddlebags fairly bulging with their 250,000-euro guarantee, or nearly 400,000 loonies for the whirlwind experience. Every summer, this willing stickup takes place at various points on the globe, because the financials add up even if the numbers on the field don't.
No one in the house minded all that much that Benfica and Celtic between them left 21 players at home, or nearly two full sides. Venus fielded but one first-teamer, German native Andreas Hin kel in the middle of a defence that was turned inside out repeatedly by Di Maria.
Benfica called up five youth players, and it was the fine-looking starting pair of 18-year-old Nelson Oliveira and 17-year-old Ruben Pinto who made the most of it. Oliveira set up 21-year-old Keirrison, and Pinto scored the winner in the 58th mintue before Argentine Javier Saviola applied the coup de grace in the 72nd minute.
Celtic was overwhelmed in that second half after 22-year-old Bhoys academy product Paul McGowan equalized in first-half stoppage time.
It was nice, and Venus said he loved the singing and the atmosphere, but it all was really quite incidental. The clubs shared in a nice pot, the players who did play survived the ravages of Field Turf and the souvenir stands did a nice bit of business. As ever, it's all about the shirts.
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