Is Sporting ready for the title?

Undefeated after twelve games, the best defense in the League and most important the ability to gain three points even though the other team was deserving it till the opening goal. This gain even more value, when the opponent is Braga, a direct contender for the title.

Apart from numbers and statistics is impressive the ductility of some players brought to the light by Rúben Amorim, making his team able to get different shapes during the game, adjusting accordingly to the different phases and situation.

We all know especially in modern football, that the majority of the managers brings "a one-way of playing football" asking the club the buy the perfect player that could fit that model and they stick with their ideas till death, but I do personally value more the ability of a manager able to value the group of players that he has available.

Moreover, Rúben Amorim has the guts in asking his team to play in a certain way, that besides respecting schemes and structure, gives them freedom. Freedom in choosing the best pass. Freedom in choosing the most intelligent run to make. Doing so, Rúben Amorim as well concealed the weight of responsibility that he has passed on to young players, which are gaining confidence and awareness game after game without feeling the pressure.

An example is what I just mentioned, which can be the build-up phase of Sporting against Braga. Let's see why.

Scenario 1: Adan passed the ball to Neto, who served Porro, coming back on the first passing line in order to assist the maneuver.

Once controlled, Porro realized that the best way to create danger was by playing a long ball for Tomas.

Tomas with a great one-touch eluded Melo da Silva and served Santos who perfectly attacked the space with a diagonal run. Esgaio however showed perfect timing intercepting the ball in tackle.

Scenario 2: The Spanish goalkeeper passed the ball to Coates, who after served Jo?o Mário. However, as it is possible to see from the picture below, with that body orientation, Jo?o Mário could only play the ball back once again.

Scenario 3: Adan threw a long pass for Tabata who flicked it on for Sporar (both called off from the bench). The Slovenian had a great first touch and made a powerful acceleration beating his opponent reaching the penalty box.

On the rebound of his shot, Matheus had an easy tap-in for the second goal.

Summarising in words what just described.

Scenario 1: Short pass on the side lane followed by a long pass to the center lane.

Scenario 2: Short pass in the center lane, however, Jo?o Mário assessed correctly the risk and he passed back.

Scenario 3: First line pass completely skipped and a long ball in the central lane.

Without entering too much into the tactical aspects of how Sporting built (perhaps I already did), we have three different scenarios that in my opinion explained perfectly the concepts of ductility and freedom mentioned above.

Those are three different ways of building up, and all of them are corrected according to the movements had on the pitch from the player managed by Amorim. The freedom in choosing the best way to play the ball is something that he clearly passed on to his team and it is developing a sense of decision-making in each of them that in the long run will make a difference and possibly a positive impact.

All teams have schemes, key-players, strategy, etc, but at the end of the day isn't the enthusiasm and psychological boost that helps to reach the final goal?