Fernando Sá: “Winning is what matters” after the triumph over Sporting | OneFootball

FC Porto moved to within one win of securing a place in the final after beating Sporting in the third game of the semi-final at the Dragão Arena, and Fernando Sá came away from the night with three firm convictions: control of the areas where the opponent usually thrives, the team’s attitude, and the impact of the support from the stands. Looking back on a clássico that put the blue-and-whites in a position of advantage, the Porto coach also highlighted Tanner Omlid’s effort in a physically demanding context. And, in the middle of it all, he summed up the formula: “Winning is what matters.”

At the decisive stage of the season, with the series being played as a best-of-five and the final already on the horizon, Fernando Sá maintained his message of resilience and pragmatism. The FC Porto basketball coach preferred to focus less on flashy performances and more on the competitive behaviour of a team that, in what he described as a difficult year, is trying to turn suffering into momentum.

Asked about the victory in the clássico, Fernando Sá stressed the way FC Porto managed to impose themselves in areas where Sporting are traditionally strong and refused to reduce the win to a simple statistic. The coach above all valued the team’s emotional and competitive consistency throughout the game.

“We dominated in some aspects where Sporting are strong, such as the battle for rebounds, but the truth is that we finished the game with 15 more rebounds than them. It’s not about the number, it was the attitude throughout the whole game, although we could have made better decisions in the final stretch, but we deserved to win,” he said. “Winning is what matters, we’re in the playoffs. Now we have two games to win one.”

From the coach’s perspective, what mattered less was the margin on the scoreboard and more the way FC Porto held on to the game. There is a team there that recognises its flaws, but does not let those imperfections affect either the result or the state of the series.

The atmosphere at the Dragão Arena also deserved special mention, especially in a context in which the coach himself admitted that the connection between the stands and the team has not always had calm days. Fernando Sá spoke of a season marked by daily difficulties and praised the fans’ response at a stage when the pressure is rising.

“I understand that the fans’ level of satisfaction with the team is not the highest, but we had many problems throughout the season, daily problems. At this stage of the season, when confidence in the team is not total, playing in a packed house like this, this is what Porto is,” he explained. “The fans were essential because of the support they gave us. They are fundamental for us.”

His words show a coach aware of the noise surrounding an inconsistent season, but also holding on to the idea that, in the decisive moment, the club always finds an emotional reserve in the stands. More than just a backdrop, the support came across as competitive fuel.

There was also room to highlight a gesture that, in the coach’s eyes, helps define what this team wants to be in this final stretch. Speaking about Tanner Omlid, Fernando Sá showed the weight of individual commitment at a time when recovering energy has become an immediate necessity.

“Right now rest is very important, especially for players like Tanner Omlid, who only played because of the person he is, as he had a respiratory infection and not long ago had a fever of 39 degrees,” he said. “He made himself available to play and help the team, and I believe we will increasingly have more Tanner Omlids, someone who feels a great deal of responsibility towards the team. That is what we need if we are to reach the final.”

In that image of individual sacrifice, Fernando Sá also found a collective banner. What the coach is asking for in the next step is, at heart, a repeat of that commitment: less talk, more dedication, because the final is close and FC Porto already knows exactly what it needs to take with it.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.