Porto sitting pretty in Dublin

THEY call Porto ‘the Dragons’ and, even if it was all more huff than Puff, they lived up to their nickname by breathing just about enough fire to incinerate the dream of battling Braga in the Europa League Final.

If truth be told, the action was massively underwhelming but it’s still to the considerable credit of the local organisers — and the input of the visiting fans — that the setting presented more of a spectacle than did the game itself, as Ireland successfully hosted its first ever European club final.

The Aviva Stadium had been rebranded as the Dublin Arena by UEFA for one night only but it might as well have been the Estadio do Draga itself, as the non-stop singing and dancing supporters of the Portuguese giants vastly outnumbered their counterparts in a short of capacity but, considering the lack of a glamour contestant, still more than respectable crowd of around 45,391.

Beneath a blue sky but in a chill wind, there was no shortage of big-match atmosphere in the build-up as the supporters took turns to sing their club anthems, both sides holding their scarves aloft Kop-style.

Braga’s ditty had more than a little of Eurovision about it — perhaps their version of Bohs fans adopting Johnny Logan’s ‘Hold Me Now’.

In a nice touch, as the line-ups were called out, mascots in the team strips ran out to take up the appropriate positions on the pitch, making them look, from high up in the press box, like animated Subbuteo players.

After that, cue Dublin’s own Ronnie Whelan placing the oversized trophy onto its plinth, before fairies, drummers and other riverdancing folk went through their paces for the opening ceremony, all under the hawk-eye of Ireland’s first ever spidercam.

And then, at long last, a football match broke out, though not of the kind which ever threatened to be one for the ages. From well before kick-off, blue had dwarfed red in and around the stadium, the colour mismatch akin to what one might expect if Rangers were hosting Shels at Ibrox. Once it got going, the action on an immaculate playing surface did little to redress the balance.

This was giants versus minnows alright but there was to be no romantic dragon-slaying for Braga when it really counted, despite their exploits on the long road to Dublin in registering victories against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Celtic and Benfica.

Indeed the longest stretch of road appeared to be the last, the Braga team bus only pulling into the stadium barely an hour before kick off.

And there was barely more than a minute to go at the end of a nervy, scrappy first half when they must have wished they were back on it again, as Porto poster boy and ace marksman Falcao was given the freedom of the Braga penalty area to head his side into the lead.

When, with what was virtually his first touch of the game at the start of the second half, substitute Mossoro blew a great one-on-one chance against Porto keeper Helton, you felt in your bones that this was not going to be Brava’s night.

The club are known in Portugal as the ‘Arsenalistas’, a nickname bestowed on them in the 1940s after they adopted the colours of the Gunners when their then chairman fell for the club while on a business trip to London.

But like their English counterparts, the came up short when within touching distance of silverware last night.

Sure, Porto’s narrow lead meant the contest stayed competitive right up to the final whistle but, for Braga, there were to be no local bragging rights at the end of an heroic odyssey which, sadly for them, now sees the team part company with promising young manager Domingo Pacienca, to take up the reins at Sporting Lisbon.

As for Porto, the night ended as it had begun, with the stadium rocking to the beat of their passionate support as lightbulbs flashed, tinsel streamers fell and the Europa League trophy was added to this year’s domestic league crown.

With a cup final looming on Sunday, they can now contemplate the prospect of a notable treble which will only burnish the glowing reputation of head coach Andres Villas-Boas. He may not be the new Mourinho but he has the look of a serial winner about him.

Porto subs: Belluschi for Guarin 73, Rodriguez for Varela 79.

Braga: Kaka for Rodriguez 46, Mossoro for Viana 46, Meyong for Lima 66