By Melody Gross 
The Lions face the Porto Salvo Lions on Friday
Coach Nuno Dias confirmed today, Friday, that Sporting will not manage the team’s lineup in the semi-finals of the Portuguese Futsal Cup, on Friday, against Porto Salvo.
The “Lions” will go to the “Estadio” of Pavilhão Maltiusos de Cenis less than 48 hours after eliminating Belenenses (8-0), in the same place, and 24 hours before the final, if they qualify, but that is the goal. Which the technician wants to protect first.
“I will not coach the team. I will play with the best in the game and at the moment, both technically and physically. If I have to repeat the same thing, I will do it again,” Nuno Dias confirmed, speaking to the Portuguese Football Federation's communication channels.
Alvalade’s “Lions” previously faced the Porto Salvo Lions twice this season and achieved two victories (4-1 and 6-2), the last of which was in the semi-finals of the League Cup. Nuno Dias intends to “preserve this tradition,” but he pointed out that it was “a more balanced match than The results reflect it.”
The Oeiras coach admitted that the results were not as expected “because of Sporting’s advantage and some of Porto Salvo’s disadvantages” and expected “a very difficult match.”
“We have to be conscious and responsible to take the game to what we want, knowing that sometimes we will not be able to achieve it and we have to be, in those moments, consistent, united, responsible and humble,” appealed Claudio Moreira.
In the other semi-final, Sporting de Braga, the current leader of the Spanish League, faces the Caxinas team, two days after its victory over Rio Ave (7-4) in a match that “resulted” in 11 goals. The coach admitted that the important thing, on Friday, will be “scoring “One more goal than Kaxinas, whether in regular time or from penalties.”
“What we really want is to win, and if the game is full of goals, Sporting de Braga scores more goals than Caxinas. What we really want is to give a positive reaction at all times,” explained Joel Roque.
Moreover, Caxinas inflicted Arsenal's only defeat (2-1) in La Liga and the Villacondense coach realized that the team should “look at what they did well”.
“We ended up winning with goals in the last minutes. We have to look at what was done well and what Sporting de Braga tried to exploit, and from there, think of a strategic plan so that we can compete for qualification to the final,” Nuno Silva stated.
Before the men's semi-finals, the finalists will also be determined in the Women's Portuguese Cup, which will emerge from the Vigo-Torriense and Novacimente-Benfica Futsal matches.
Benfica is the cup holder and coach Alexandre Pinto realizes that “their aspirations are to re-validate the title”, against an opponent who has already beaten the “Reds” this season (4-3 in the first league) and “who is in a great moment.”
Novacemente's coach, Ricardo Rodriguez, admitted that the feeling of being in the semi-finals “is a duty accomplished”, but he assumed “the goal of reaching the final”, and eliminating a competitor “that needs no introduction.”
In the first match of the day, the Vigo futsal team faces the only representative from the lower levels at this stage of the competition, but the team's coach from the South Bank, Diogo Patrizia, warned that this is a match in which “one detail is possible.” He decides who continues and who gets in the way.”
In turn, Torense coach Pedro Nobre is leading “a project that began in September”, but he admitted that with “strong commitment and the ability to overcome”, the Oeste team could “think about reaching the final, which would be something unique.” Women's futsal in Portugal.
All Portuguese Cup semi-finals, for men and women, will be played on Friday, at the Estadio Pavelhão Maltiusos de Sines.
By Lusa