Nani revels in Sporting comeback

The new Taca champions were 2-0 down to Braga
and played most of the match with 10 men, but
two late goals took the game to a penalty shootout
which they won
Nani expressed his joy at Sporting lifting the Taca
de Portugal in dramatic style by beating Braga
despite playing most of the match a man down
and having been 2-0 down until the 84th minute.
Eder put Braga ahead after 16 minutes from the
penalty spot, with the preceding foul seeing Cedric
sent off, before Rafa Silva doubled the lead shortly
afterwards to make it seem a certainty that Sergio
Conceicao's men would lift the club's first Taca
since 1966.
However, Algeria forward Islam Slimani pulled a
goal back with six minutes left on the clock and
Fredy Montero levelled in the third minute of
stoppage-time to give Sporting a fighting chance
at their first piece of silverware since 2008.
Braga were also reduced to 10 men when Mauro
was sent off in extra-time but no further goals
were scored, leaving Sporting to wrap up the
topsy-turvy triumph with a 3-1 penalty shootout
win.
Nani, playing his final match for the club before the
end of his loan from Manchester United, stressed
the comeback was no fluke as the players strived
throughout the 120 minutes to claim the positive
result.
“Winning like this makes victory taste so much
sweeter,” he told RTP. “It is a unique feeling. It
was a great game to watch, we were a man down
from practically the start… No one believed we
could do it.
“But we are united and always believed that we
could get back into the game to get a result.
Football is like this – in two minutes the game can
turn.
“Therefore you can't lower your head. You fight
until the final minute.”
Contrastingly, Braga boss Conceicao conceded the
way they were beaten in the final left a “bitter
taste” especially as he does not think Sporting
earned their 16th Taca de Portugal at all.
“It is sad to lose the way we did,” he said. “Two
errors resulted in the two goals we conceded, but
we were superior for the rest of the match.
“We could have gotten a third goal and that would
have given us such peace of mind. Alas, this
defeat leaves a bitter taste in our mouths. The
players were tireless in their efforts.”
Braga had only won the competition once in their
history (1965-66), with their only other major
trophy being lifted two years ago when they
triumphed in the Taca da Liga.
Sporting, on the other hand, now go level with
Porto with 16 victories in Portugal's main cup
competition, nine behind Benfica's record of 25
triumphs.