FC Porto away: Airport delays, cheap Super Bock and throwing away a 2-goal lead
FC Porto 3-3 Manchester United. Mediocrity continued, albeit after 20 minutes, it seemed the tides were turning.
Airport delays
Nearly every Red delayed heading to Portugal after the extreme fog. My thought was that Ryanair exaggerated their ‘fog warning’ until we were close to landing. What appeared to be clouds was fog not far off the runway.
Dublin was the starting point, followed by a layover in Barcelona. Once landed in Spain, it was a quick exit from arrivals to departures that required going through security again. A quick run ensued, greeted with a notice of an hour and 30-minute delay. It was not a bright start.
Police and metro staff
About 75 minutes into the game, we decided to head for the exit as we got word of a 90-minute holdback. We heard afterwards that it was only 60 minutes that led to us missing the late equaliser from Harry Maguire.
Shortly after leaving the Estadio de Dragao, we arrived at the Metro. Stewards lined up at the machines and appeared frothing at the mouth for events to escalate. They told us everyone had to purchase a ticket from the machine where nearly 1,000 supporters had already gathered in a queue. They excitedly told us to wait for the police to arrive, which they did with helmets and facial coverings where only their eyes were visible.
Reportedly, one steward pushed someone from our group, which he responded by shoving back before being taken by the neck by a member of the Portuguese police. Other events occurred, including one person being called “stupid” and being shoved to the ground where a physical threat was lacking. It may have been my first Euro away, but I believe this is unacceptable behaviour.
Eventually, after long delays, we started to proceed and quickly heard a cheer from the crowd that remained inside. Most of us negatively expected that cheer to come from the Porto supporters. Instead, Maguire had put us on level terms.
Cheap Super Bock
When all else failed, the Portuguese Super Bock did not. Bottles cost roughly €1.90, pints €3. These figures cannot be complained about and proved reliable throughout the trip. The bar we mainly stayed in, Tiki Taka bar, did not serve it. Heineken was the next resort at the same price.
When all of us Reds faced our delays on Wednesday evening, we reminded ourselves of Super Bock and its cheap cost. Early starts and late endings, it was a memorable trip. Getting to see Manchester United abroad was another experience in itself. The away end consisted of roughly 2,712 Reds and it was loud. The result merely being one of the things that mattered least.
Spotting Danny Simpson in a club the night before was amusing. Reds quickly gathered before chants began, one including the Premier League winner. Chants sung included Nani and Edinson Cavani, which were nice to hear. If only El Matador arrived at the club sooner, were my thoughts as the chant rang out.
With cheap food and cheap pints, one could stay forever. The only downfall during our time was the weather. Sunshine and warm weather are associated with Porto. We got one of them. It was not the sunshine.
Weather and performance
Photo by Ryan Brennan/Stretty News
Some Reds were disappointed in not being able to top up their tan, but I was okay with this. As an Irishman, the heat does not get along with me. The feeling is mutual. Usually, sunburn is quick to take over when the sun is coinciding with hot weather.
During our time in Portugal, the heat temperature was around 16 degrees, although the sun had not shown up. It was humid as the misty rain cooled us down. However, the misty rain was enough to soak through when outside for long periods.
The weather must have impacted Erik ten Hag’s side in both a negative and positive manner. If a player of the half an award existed, Marcus Rashford would have received the accolade. He was then withdrawn at the interval, all puzzled by the decision. Most concluded that it must have been an injury before finding out later that it was due to ‘rotation’. He does not make it easy at times.
As seen many times before, the Reds collapsed. Two goals in seven minutes meant again Manchester United had given up a lead in Europe. Not good enough. Five minutes after the interval, we saw ourselves trailing and in our disbelief came a very familiar feeling to watch this side throw it away.
On paper, a draw at FC Porto is not a bad one. How we shared the spoils on Thursday was not good enough. One thing, I cannot wait for the next one.
UTFR.
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