I have been lucky this year to have seen football on the islands of Guernsey, Lewis, Anglesey and now Madeira.
A very new experience as I drove from the coast to near the top of the hill/mountain that towers over the capital Funchal. The road that Google maps took me up seemed so steep I would topple back at any moment. The car as well as me needed oxygen at the top.
It was all worth it reaching the Madeira Stadium where Nacional Deportivo FC of Madeira play their games. I was warned that parking could be a problem but I found a storied car park built into the rock under the stadium. Great just to drive in to but as I expected getting out wasn’t the easiest as I queued for 20 minutes.
The facility here is first class with synthetic training pitches opposite where some juniors were playing watched by an enthusiastic crowd. It was only 7.50 Euros to get in for a seat on the side with the sun behind you which was needed in the 30 plus degree heat. There were food and drink outlets outside but only a small soft drinks bar inside and no chips or programme. The heat was constant with no wind and clear blue skies. The kick off at 11.00 am seemed to go against the old adage ‘only fools and English men go out in the midday sun’ but as I have found here in Madeira it seems to be the hottest around four in the afternoon.
The pitch was snooker table flat with a mottled yellow and green grass cover that was being watered profusely ahead of kick off , which meant players lost their footing and cut up large divots at times.
There were stands on both sides. One side, the one in the sun, was all seater with a line of hospitality boxes along the top row. The other side had a seated top tier with standing in the lower area. There was also a smoker amongst the group of pensioner supporters who were around me and whose gang I was assimilated into.
At one end of the ground there was just a sheer drop down into Funchal and a cruise ship could be seen docked far below. The other end is also fenced and adorned with adverts but has a grass training area behind the fence.
CD Nacional vs UD Oliveirense
Portugal National League 2
Saturday 7th October 2023: 11.00 am kick off. 4th v 6th
Nacional all black strip with white chevrons on the shoulders. Oliveirense red shirts black shorts.
Within 3mins of the kick off J Ramirez of the home tram hit the bar when it was easier to score, however a minute later the same move again of a cross from right he tapped in his second chance.
Nacional looked very confident from the back and in midfield and went two up on 11 minutes when a severely deflected shot found its way to G Da Silva Chuñha the number 77 who was stood infront of the keeper and only had to tap the ball home. If this had been the English Premier League a ten minute VAR review may have intervened. Hand shakes all around celebrated the goal.
11minutes later and it was 3 nil when a cross from the left was collected by Witi who cooly took the ball down 7 uards out and placed it along the ground to the right of the goalkeepers despairing dive.
Oliveirense were skillful but didn’t show the same energy or commitment. A drinks break on 31 minutes also saw the first sub for the away team and prhaps this helped with them scoring on roughly 39 minutes but it was ruled offside. Oliveirense were now coming more into the game but the heat was now slowing the game down. Even in the heat the ball boys were throwing new ball to players as soon as one went out of play to keep the game moving.
With half time approaching Nacional added a 4th when a long ball was misjudged by the goalkeeper and although Witi was very wide he expertly slotted the ball across the goal line. Three minutes VAR ruled it out but he was not to be denied the fourth when he met a beautiful curved cross, along the ground, from the overlapping right full back to send the home team in for the break well on top.
Half time hadn’t come too soon for the travellers but their woes were added to when only 7 minutes from the restart a wonderfully weighted cross from Silva, right out on the touch line, onto Witi’s head who had no problem adding to his tally. High fives from all my new friends and a check by them to show their team had moved into second place in the league.
The game now had many substitutes on both sides, another drinks break, and a slower pace as both sides saw the game out to the end at a walking pace under the scorching sun.
I was lucky to witness a good quality football match in such hot conditions that sent the home supporters away with a smile but a long journey back to the mainland for the losers. Witi will have enjoyed his hatrick and the match ball, which one I have no idea. I’m sure he would like to be thought of as a player in Christiano Ronaldo’s footsteps who started his career here. It was disappointing that a crowd of only 1262 saw such a good match.
payonthegate 