“An unforgettable day and ‘let’s tell the kids later’,” Jessica Silva shared, on social networks. Perhaps it was the striker who best summed up the feeling and meaning of the defeat applied to Sporting (5-0), in her case embellished with two goals, in the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup, with Record attendance at a women’s match. Of 15,032 spectators in Luz. “Oh my God, I can’t believe it! What a dream! The Portuguese international wrote on his Twitter account.
Benfica has once again opened the doors to the main stage for women’s football. Experts and members responded to the call and painted the first ring of red light (there was also a lot of green). The 14,221 spectator barrier was crossed in the derby with the Lionesses on May 8, 2022, when the Eagles defeated their rivals and became two-time national champions. The third official women’s match with more people in the stands was last year’s Portuguese Cup final, between Sporting and Famalicao, which brought 13,894 spectators to the National Stadium.
The third game with more spectators
This weekend, in Portugal, the women’s derby between Benfica and Sporting was the third most attended match. It wasn’t until Benfica’s men’s team met Santa Clara, in Ponta Delgada, that many people were in the stands (9,701 spectators). Luz’s numbers were surpassed, the day before yesterday, only by Sporting Vizela (23,358) and F.C. Guimarães – FC Porto (19653).
Not everything went well
Yesterday was almost perfect for Benfica. The only negative: long lines to enter the game stage, which led to protests on social media; Some people came within ten minutes of the game. The situation is being assessed and Benfica, who have been contacted by A BOLA, have expressed regret over the situation and promised to investigate what happened so that it does not happen again. The council’s plan is to reopen Luz to the women’s team.
“Food fanatic. Organizer. Hipster-friendly tv specialist. Avid reader. Devoted web ninja.”
