Hector Herrera Reveals Bloody Foot Injury After Stephan Lichtsteiner Tackle
Feb 23, 2017
PORTO, PORTUGAL - FEBRUARY 22: FC Porto's midfielder Hector Herrera from Mexico during the match between FC Porto v Juventus - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: First Leg match at Estadio do Dragao on February 22, 2017 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)
Porto midfielder Hector Herrera suffered a serious cut to his foot after a challenge with Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner in their UEFA Champions League last-16 match on Wednesday.
Universo Deportivo provided footage of the injury (h/t Matt Maltby of MailOnline):
The Mexico international was hurt shortly after the half-time restart as the Italian champions claimed a 2-0 victory in the first leg in Portugal.
Herrera was unfazed by the cut after the very late tackle by Lichtsteiner, and the 26-year-old recovered sufficiently to see out the match.
The Juventus player was booked for the challenge, which caused two gashes to the Mexican's foot.
Marko Pjaca and Dani Alves gave the Old Lady a precious first-leg advantage, leaving Porto a tough task to rescue their European dreams.
Alex Telles to Porto: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More
Jul 13, 2016
Inter Milan’s Alex Telles controls the ball during a Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Genoa, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Portohave agreed a deal to sign left-back Alex Telles from Galatasaray, it was revealed on Wednesday.
The Brazilian spent the 2015-16 campaign on loan at Inter Milan, and Porto's Twitter feedconfirmed that he would be joining up with his new team-mates in time for the beginning of the Portugueseseason:
Telles has coped well with his transition to European football and was installed as Robert Mancini's starting left-back for the majority of the 2015-16 season.
That came after the 23-year-old was elected to the 2013 Brasileirao Team of the Season while at former club Gremio. Here is a look at what he can offer:
Telles also brings the added advantage of having already featured in the UEFA Champions League, making five appearances for Gala in European competition in 2014-15.
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo will be hoping his latest recruit makes a seamless switch to the Portuguese top flight after completing his third transfer in three years.
With time running out before the 2016-17 season gets under way, Telles will need to be quick to get to grips with his new surroundings and the increase in expectations this transfer will trigger.
Iker Casillas Pays the Price for Going Walkabout During Porto vs. Braga
Portuguese Press Label Iker Casillas 'Butter Hands' for Mistake in FC Porto Loss
Jan 18, 2016
Porto's Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas gestures at the end of the Portuguese league football match Vitoria Guimaraes SC vs FC Porto at the Dom Alfonso Henriques stadium in Guimaraes on January 17, 2016. Vitoria won the match 1-0. AFP PHOTO/ MIGUEL RIO
Jose Peseiro Officially Named Porto Manager After Sacking of Julen Lopetegui
Jan 8, 2016
SC Braga's portuguese coach Jose Peseiro reacts during the Portuguese League football match Braga vs Porto, on November 25, 2012 , at Axa Municipal Stadium in Braga. AFP PHOTO / FERNANDO VELUDO (Photo credit should read FERNANDO VELUDO/AFP/Getty Images)
Porto hired former Sporting and Braga boss Jose Peseiro as their new manager on Tuesday, 11 days after sacking manager Julen Lopetegui following a poor run of results and mounting pressure from the club's fans.
The Dragons had gone three matches without a win prior to Lopetegui's departure, and Porto announced the decision to relieve Lopetegui of his duties via their official website (statement in Portuguese). Metro's Jan Hagen translated the news on Jan. 8:
Official: Porto will part ways with manager Julen Lopetegui. The parties are discussing the termination settlement. pic.twitter.com/QUyGdOAymF
Former Real Madrid B and Spain youth coach Lopetegui arrived at the Estadio do Dragao in 2014 and led the club to the Champions League quarter-finals last season, but his failure to capture any silverware went down badly.
Hagen outlined just how swiftly the tide turned for Lopetegui this year, having started 2016 at the Primeira Liga summit before tumbling out the door just a week later:
Julen Lopetegui's 2016 January 1st: Porto top of the table January 2nd: Lose to Sporting January 6th: Draw vs Rio Ave January 8th: Sacked
Speaking to Portuguese website Maisfutebol, the manager's father, Jose Antonio Lopetegui, spoke of the fans' pressure on his son (h/t Portugoal.net): "I think that everything is decided for him to leave. Julen accepted the decision to go because he could no longer bear the pressure from the fans. They created a very unpleasant environment."
Porto have every chance of claiming this season's league title, sitting just five points off leaders Sporting Lisbon as things stand, and the club will face second-tier side Gil Vicente in the Taca de Portugal semi-finals.
However, the Portuguese giants will place their faith in Peseiro to do what Lopetegui could not and lead a team with substantial investment to the trophies they feel they've missed out on for too long.
Vincent Aboubakar's Rise Helping FC Porto Get over Jackson Martinez Exit
Oct 2, 2015
Porto's Cameroonian forward Vincent Aboubakar celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Portuguese league football match FC Porto vs GD Estoril Praia at the Dragao stadium in Porto on August 29, 2015. AFP PHOTO/ FRANCISCO LEONG (Photo credit should read FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty Images)
Many in England, Italy and France watched enviously as Atletico Madrid unveiled Jackson Martinez as their new star signing this summer. Activating a €35 million release clause, Diego Simeone stole in ahead of AC Milan to complete the deal announcing the Colombian as a replacement for Juventus-bound Mario Mandzukic.
Away from the Iberian peninsula questions abounded: How would FC Porto replace a man who scored 31, 29 and 32 goals in his respective three seasons at the club, per Transfermarkt, be replaced? How could a club of this standing cope with losing such a piece?
Those asking the questions forget the identity of Porto, and how they have come to survive all these years despite being gutted every summer in succession.
The club are famously good at manipulating the transfer market in order to find low-cost replacements for their pricey outbound stars; They scour South and Central America for pre-eminent talents and gamble on them in bulk.
Martinez wasn’t the only key man to depart the Dragao this summer; Alex Sandro, Danilo and Ricardo Quaresma all left, while loans for Oliver Torres (Atletico) and Casemiro (Real Madrid) expired.
Regardless, they sit top of Liga NOS after six games, two clear of last season’s champions Benfica and having already beaten them once.
Martinez was the man sourced as a replacement for Radamel Falcao, who once upon a time scored rather frequently in a blue-and-white-striped kit. In 2011 he left for Atletico Madrid as well, leaving a hole up front that many believed would be impossible to fill, yet Martinez’s 92 goals easily managed it.
Yes, the Dragons failed to haul in the Liga title these past two seasons, but a lack of goals was most certainly not the issue.
With Martinez gone, Julen Lopetegui had no qualms in turning to Porto’s newest, freshest striking star: Vincent Aboubakar.
The Cameroon international actually signed in 2014 just after the FIFA World Cup, but was stashed for a year likely in anticipation of their main No. 9’s exit. Now it’s his time to shine; He’s been given the starting role at the tip of a flexible formation and asked to lead the way with his goals.
The Indomitable Lions’ World Cup was a full-blown disaster. Cameroon as a team collapsed inward, put in an atrocious performance in the first game against Mexico and were then dragged down due to in-fighting. Alex Song, their star man, was red carded for elbowing Mandzukic during the pivotal Croatia game, and manager Volker Finke could only rest his head in his hands, wondering how it had all gone so wrong.
One bright spot, though, was Aboubakar. A rapid, direct presence up front, he cut an isolated figured due to Samuel Eto’o’s shortcomings in the No. 10 position but pressed on regardless. Ridiculously agile with great top-end speed, he pierced the channels between the left-back and left-centre-back, hitting the byline frequently to stretch the formation.
Technically speaking he was pretty untidy, but at 22 years of age at the time and with limited experience on such a stage, that was forgivable.
The Portuguese club saw raw potential and physical dominance priced at just €3 million, and quickly pulled the trigger on a deal that could pay for itself 10 times over in three years. So far, Aboubakar has panned out perfectly.
He is an entirely different striker to Martinez in many ways: They’re of different build, different style and different nationality. Porto’s streak of Colombian hitmen is over, but that won’t concern fans so long as the new man does the damage.
Content with a bit-part role in 2014-15, playing second fiddle to Martinez, Aboubakar impressed when given the chance and notched a few goals to keep himself relevant.
When the Colombian went down injured during the latter parts of the campaign, his understudy kept FC Porto afloat in the title race and prevented a relative crisis at a key time.
Now he’s the main man, and he’s relishing the role. His feet have been tidied up by good coaching, but the directness and burst he has in his locker have been kept. It’s made for a deadly cocktail; Aboubakar whirlwinds toward defenders at great speed, but now he’s in full control of his actions and has learnt to get his head up before he runs out of room to work with.
Physically he’s a beast: Just over 6’ tall and built thick with muscle, he can act as an orthodox target man, a drop-in link player, an on-the-shoulder No. 9 or a crossing magnet.
His sweet headed finishes and penalty-box presence give Porto the same threat they had last season with Martinez, but Aboubakar is a superior athlete and adds an extra edge to the game plan.
One of Lopetegui’s most dangerous moves last season was releasing Cristian Tello (RW) over the top of a defence via a Martinez flick-on. When it worked it resulted in a goal—Tello’s finishing has come on nicely since leaving Barcelona—but it was, admittedly, a bit predictable.
Martinez can’t out-pace anyone; he’s not quick, and he’s not fast. Aboubakar can provide the same touch, but he can also make the run and finish himself.
Ultimately, Porto show greater urgency and move the ball more quickly with Aboubakar in the line-up. He’s a high-octane performer, playing at 100 m.p.h. at all times, and that tempo is infectious; it seeps into his colleagues and encourages them to get the ball forward more quickly.
Aboubakar’s energetic movements and runs create room for others, too, and Ruben Neves—now a full-time starter in holding midfield post-Casemiro—has up to three targets when aiming his trademark cross-field passes.
Aboubakar also developed more of a playmaking side, clearly intent on fulfilling the role of a complete striker, and has flashed the ability to slide a runner in behind the defence with a well-weighted, well-angled pass. He’s by no means the finished article in this area, but the vast improvement compared to June 2014 is clear to see.
For a club like Porto, a discussion regarding one of their star players inevitably whittles down to one key factor: How much will he sell for?
Lopetegui will understand he won’t get more than three years out of the Cameroonian if he continues this steep trajectory towards stardom, and, in fact brought in Alberto Bueno this summer as a rotational option after he put together a fine season at Rayo Vallecano—that’s an insurance policy right there.
But for now, in the short term, the Estadio do Dragao can bask in the glow of a new striking hero with a different, more-exciting playing style to the one before.
FC Porto Could Field an Incredible Team with All the Players They've Sold
Aug 20, 2015
Porto's Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez celebrates after scoring during the Portuguese super league football match FC Porto vs A. Academica de Coimbra at the Dragao Stadium in Porto on November 11, 2012. AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL RIOPA (Photo credit should read MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images)
Nicolas Otamendi became the latest former FC Porto player to join a top European club when it was confirmed he had joined Manchester City this week.
But he's not the first.
Since 2004, Porto have made over £500 million by selling their top players, according to Eurosport (via Yahoo). The conveyor belt started when Jose Mourinho guided the club to a shock Champions League win during the 2003-04 season.
Soon after, key defenders Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho followed Mourinho to Chelsea, while star man Deco joined Barcelona.
But that was just the start, and Porto have continued to sell the likes of Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez and Hulk for huge profits.
A composite XI of players to have played for Porto in this time would make a truly impressive line—so good, in fact, that stars such as Danilo, Raul Meireles and Jackson Martinez would have to settle for places on the bench.
Porto's success, both on the field and financially, suggests their system is working. But wouldn't it have been great to see this lot on the pitch together in their prime?
Pablo Dani Osvaldo to Porto: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More
Aug 5, 2015
Inter Milan's Pablo Osvaldo, center, celebrates after scoring during a Serie A soccer match between Roma and Inter Milan, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
The next stop in Pablo Dani Osvaldo's tumultuous career sees him land at Portuguese giants Porto, following on from his disappointing spell with Premier League club Southampton.
Porto confirmed the striker's unveiling on Wednesday:
Osvaldo was a free agent following the termination of his contract with Saints, where he failed to settle. He spent last season on loan, first at Inter Milan and then at Boca Juniors.
According to Transfermarkt.com, the 29-year-old scored 13 goals and laid on seven assists in all competitions.
As WhoScored.com demonstrates, Osvaldo enjoyed a strong start to life at Inter before his absences from training led to his loan being cut short:
Dani Osvaldo: Has registered more goals + assists (5) than any other player in Serie A this season #InterAtalanta
Having featured in Serie A and La Liga for much of his career, Osvaldo is an experienced campaigner in European football. His strong finishing and ability in the air will help Porto replace the firepower they lost in Jackson Martinez.
However, as Bleacher Report's own Andy Brassell notes, the move could be considered something of a gamble:
Porto's crazy transfer window continues. Pablo Osvaldo set to arrive & sign two-year deal on Monday. Hope they know what they're doing...
Osvaldo has featured for 11 clubs in the last 10 years, indicating that he struggles to settle in the long term.
Though the risk is mitigated by the striker being a free transfer, it would be unwise for Porto to pin all their hopes on Osvaldo replacing Martinez.
If they can help him to settle, then the Argentina-born forward can certainly add to their attacking quality, but Porto will likely continue to pursue other strikers before the summer window closes.
Iker Casillas to Porto: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More
Jul 11, 2015
LEON, SPAIN - JUNE 11: Goalkeeper Iker Casillas of Spain warms up before the international friendly match between Spain and Costa Rica at Reino de Leon Stadium on June 11, 2015 in Leon, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Real Madridhave confirmed veteran goalkeeper Iker Casillas will join Porto,and he departs Los Blancos having joined the club as a boy in 1991.
Casillas won five Liga titles and three Champions Leagues with Madrid, but a recent dip in form led to widespread speculation that he would depart the Bernabeu.
His departure has now been confirmed, with Real Madrid making the announcement on their official websiteon Saturday. The statement said: "Real Madrid C. F. and FC Porto have reached a deal on the transfer of Iker Casillas to the Portuguese club."
The statement also offered a heartfelt message of thanks to the 'keeper: "Thank you, Iker, for everything you have done. Thank you for being a symbol of the best in our history. You are going but we will never forget that you'll always belong to the heart of Real Madrid."
Casillas is no longer the unbeatable force he once was between the posts, and he followed up a dreadful 2014 World Cup with Spain with an error-strewn term for Real.
As predicted by Bleacher Report's Andy Brassell, his decline in form has led to him exiting Real Madrid, with Manchester United's David De Gea the likely long-term replacement:
However, he still has much to offer at Porto, not least a vast amount of experience and a great ability to read a match.
Having conceded just 13 goals in the league last year, a goalkeeper would not have been a priority for the Dragons, but Casillas will presumably take over from last season's No. 1 Fabiano, who has gone on loan to Fenerbahce.
The Spaniard remains an excellent stopper, and regardless of whether they needed him, Porto have done well to fend off competition for a player of his almost unrivalled pedigree.
The 34-year-old will likely enjoy regular football and can use next season as a lengthy audition to play for Spain in the 2016 European Championship.
Furthermore, Casillas could well thrive away from the Bernabeu. He has taken a huge amount of criticism at Madrid lately, which cannot have helped his performances, per Spanish football writer Lee Roden:
A bit of a chicken and the egg question with Casillas for me. What came first: the ropey performances or the intense criticism ?
