AJ Fonte do Bastardo and AJM/FC Porto claim Portugal’s Supercup titles
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AJ Fonte do Bastardo and AJM/FC Porto have claimed the 2022 edition of the Portuguese Supercup following matches contested at the Pavilhão Desportivo Municipal de Santo Tirso on October 1 and 5, respectively.
AJF Bastardo lifted their first Supercup trophy in history after beating Sport LISBOA e Benfica 3-1 (12-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-19). Edson Gonzalez (23 points) and Pablo Machado with 17 were the best scorers for the winning and losing sides.
In the end, a visibly moved Caíque Silva, captain of AJ Fonte do Bastardo, who had helped the Azorean team claim national league titles in 2011 and 2016 as well as a Portuguese Cup in 2013, said about the first Supercup win:
“It is very difficult to speak at the moment. It is not easy to get here and face a great team like Benfica. I am still to realise what we have accomplished, because this was a title that I lacked and that the club was missing, and it is a wonderful feeling to be able to give back to all those who always believed in us.”
In the women’s competition, AJM/FC Porto lifted the Supercup trophy for the fourth consecutive year after edging Leixões Sport Club 3-2 (25-21, 24-26, 16-25, 32-30, 15-12). Even though these are still the early stages of the season, the two teams delivered more than two and a half hours of play, thus accounting for a dramatic show and keeping the suspense about the eventual winner until the end in front of an excited and energetic audience.
American Kyra Holt, with 26 points, and Portuguese international Maria Reis Lopes, with 24, were the best scorers respectively for AJM/FC Porto and Leixões SC.
Rui Moreira, coach of the blue-and-white team, acknowledged:
“If in many moments we deserved to win, in others Leixões was clearly superior. The game ended up being decided in the details and I think that, above all, Volleyball was the winner tonight and we shall celebrate both teams because it was an excellent game and an excellent show.”
Live broadcasting of the matches was available with the challenge system in place as well.