Tanner Omlid: “They love me as a team-mate, hate me as an opponent” | OneFootball

Oliveirense, winners of the Hugo dos Santos Cup last season — a triumph that earned them the fifth title in their history, in a trophy whose first edition dates back to 1989/90 and which has also been known as the Manuel Castelbranco Trophy and the League Cup — once again face a complicated task as they try to defend the title in the 36th edition.

That is because tonight, at the Gondomar Multiusos, in Game 1 of the quarter-final play-off, they will take on FC Porto (9pm), the opponent they beat in the 2024/25 final (83-78), after eliminating Sporting in the quarter-finals (92-64) and Ovarense in the semi-finals (66-77), in a memorable run by João Figueiredo’s team.

Before that, in the first quarter-final game, SC Braga and Imortal face each other (6pm) to decide who will meet Sporting in Saturday’s semi-final. Like the Lions, Benfica, the other winner of the two qualifying groups and the competition’s most successful club, with 13 trophies, is also waiting to find out its opponent.

A standout figure at FC Porto, Tanner Omlid saw his unusual defensive ability recognised last weekend, during the Liga Betclic Awards, when he received the prizes for Best Defender and regular-season steals leader. He was, in fact, the only player honoured in more than one category.

It was then that A BOLA spoke with the Dragons’ American forward about what inspires him to be so effective and feared.

These awards must certainly be very special for someone with your style of play, aren’t they? Because you like defending. “Yes, very much. I don’t play to win awards, it’s more a matter of... I always try to explain that defence is 50 per cent effort — and not being afraid to look ridiculous — and the other 50 is observation, paying attention to your opponent and knowing what they’re going to do,” Omlid began by explaining.

And do you study a lot about the player you are going to guard? “Yes, yes. I always watch their videos, analyse dribbling patterns, counter moves, shooting mechanics, how they carry and protect the ball, and pull-up shots going to either side. I analyse the plays and how they create space for the shot,” he says casually while holding yet another trophy.

But defending well is not easy, it takes a lot out of you, and you also need energy to attack. What motivates you, knowing that on the court you transform and like being a nightmare for opponents? “People always say they love playing with me, but hate playing against me. What motivates me is knowing I won’t be able to play forever, so when my career is over, I want to be able to say I gave everything I had. Even when I can no longer catch my breath, I tell myself I can keep going. It’s more mental than anything else: it’s just about carrying on.”

36th Hugo dos Santos Cup

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