By MattoftheSpurs
March 6 2007

First things first, a history lesson. Sporting Club Braga were formed in 1921. They originally played in a green strip before their coach, Jose Szabo, paid a visit to a North London backwater called Highbury...... I hate them already.

Sporting Club Braga Versus Tottenham Hotspur

8th March 2007

UEFA Cup

Round of Last 16

Braga Municipal Stadium

Kick Off 9.35pm (GMT)

 

First things first, a history lesson. Sporting Club Braga were formed in 1921. They originally played in a green strip before their coach, Jose Szabo, paid a visit to a North London backwater called Highbury. There he watched a team called Arsenal managed by Herbert Chapman. So impressed was Szabo by the play of Chapman's team that he convinced the owners of SC Braga to adopt the same kit as North London's second club. If that was not impetuous enough for the mighty Tottenham Hotspur to beat them SC Braga's supporters have also adopted the name "Arsenalistas". I hate them already.

 

SC Braga's home ground, The Braga Municipal Stadium (catchy name), was built for the European Championships that were held in Portugal in 2004. The stadium cost a total of 83.1 million euros. The cost was due to the fact that the ground is built into the side of a small mountain making it one of the most recognisable and unique stadiums in Europe. Despite only having two sides to the stadium it was the second most expensive stadium ever built in Portugal. Benficas’ new Stadium Of Light being the most expensive stadium.

 

SC Braga have been nothing if not consistent in the last four years in their league campaigns. They have finished 4th, 4th, 4th, and 5th. In the last two UEFA Cup campaigns the club has been eliminated after the 1st round on both occasions.

 

This season in the UEFA Cup however they have proven to be a more difficult nut to crack. In the 1st round Braga disposed of Chievo of Italy winning 2-0 in the home leg and losing 1-2 in the away leg to go through 3-2 on aggregate.

 

On Matchday 1 (the first round of matches in the league format) Braga lost heavily 3-0 to AZ Alkmar. AZ of course will be entertaining our fellow countrymen Newcastle United in the Round of 16.

 

Matchday 2 saw Braga dispose of Liberec of the Czech Republic 4-0. Chaves, Marcel, Cesinha with a penalty, and Gama in injury time on target for the Portugese outfit.

 

Matchday 3 saw Braga lose again this time to the favourites for the cup Spain's Seville 2-0

 

Matchday 5 saw Braga confirm their qualification into the knock out stages with a 2-0 home win over the Swiss side Grasshoppers. Pinto scored the first half way through the second half before Castanheira secured the points with an injury time goal in a scrappy match.

 

In the Round of 32 SC Braga were drawn against Parma. In the first leg, which Braga played at home, they took the advantage 1-0 thanks to a 81st minute winner from Ze Carlos. This match was attended by only 6,500 supporters. The high prices of the tickets meaning most supporters stayed at home and watched the match on the television.

The second leg was also won 1-0 with a goal in the 90th minute from Diego. For much of this match Braga were on the back foot but defended stoically to secure the tie we now look forward to on March the 8th.

 

Sporting Club Braga's last outing was this weekend when they lost 0-1 at home to Porto.

 

Despite having a fairly solid defence and an attack which goes the whole 90 minutes Tottenham have enough in their armoury to be able to defeat them over the 2 legs fairly comfortably.

 

Sporting Club Braga and Tottenham Hotspur have met once before in this competition. In the 1984/85 season Spurs drew the Portuguese outfit in the first round of the UEFA Cup. The away leg was played first and Tottenham won easily 3-0. Mark Falco bagged a brace that night whilst Tony Galvin grabbed the other in front of 30,000 spectators.

 

The home leg was played on October the 3rd and Braga were comprehensively defeat 6-0 on the night, 9-0 on aggregate. On target for the Lilywhites that night were Gary Stevens, Chris Hughton (our current assistant coach of course), Mark Falco, and Garth Crooks grabbed himself a hat trick. 22, 478 witnessed the demolition at White Hart Lane that night.

 

Spurs are coming off the back of 4 straight wins, the last being a rollicking good 4-3 win away to the East End of London's biggest club West Ham United (soon to be of the Championship).

 

Tottenham have Ledley King still out (foot) and Jemaine Jenas is a concern after he came off against West Ham on Sunday. Ricardo Rocha returns to one of his employers so I would expect him to start in place of Anthony Gardner.