Sporting CP run out 0-3 winners away from home

Sporting Clube de Portugal earned a 0-3 win away to Gil Vicente FC in Liga Portugal, as Nuno Santos, Gonçalo Inácio and Daniel Bragança scored the goals that took them to ten consecutive triumphs in the league.

On a cold night, but with clear skies, Sportinguistas were out in force in the away section of the Estádio Cidade de Barcelos, cheering on a side that experienced five changes compared to the XI fielded against Penafiel. Antonio Adán, Gonçalo Inácio, Matheus Nunes and Pedro Gonçalves returned to the starting lineup, as well as Paulinho. Also back in the squad was João Palhinha, who began the game on the bench.

The first half was eventful, with two red cards, a penalty kick, decisions overturned by VAR and many stoppages. Gil Vicente FC did, however, appear to be ambitious and used high lines to put pressure on Sporting CP.

The first shot of the game was by Murilo, but Antonio Adán had no problems keeping it out. In response, Pablo Sarabia struck hard for Sporting CP, with goalkeeper Žiga Frelih having to intervene.

On 12 minutes, the first red card was shown: after initially showing a yellow, referee Tiago Martins went to see the images of VAR and upgraded Kanya Fujimoto's punishment for a foul on Matheus Reis to a red.

With a numerical advantage, Sporting CP assumed total control of possession and began to search for the opener. That task became more complicated in the 21st minute, when Luís Neto was sent off following a clash with Pedrinho.

Nearly half an hour into the game, Gil Vicente FC finally provided runs into the box, but neither Talocha nor Murilo's shots troubled Antonio Adán.

Pedro Gonçalves shot over the top when in a good position, before coach Rúben Amorim took off Pablo Sarabia and introduced Nuno Santos, who moved to the left wing with Matheus Reis going into the centre.

Sporting CP were awarded a penalty on 36 minutes, for a foul on Manuel Ugarte. However, Gonçalves had his spot kick saved by Žiga Frelih, who soon after also prevented Sebastián Coates from scoring.

The game went into halftime still goalless.

On 53 minutes, Sporting CP took a giant step towards victory, when Nuno Santos intercepted a pass by Rúben Fernandes in the defence, made a run and shot into the net off a deflection from Lucas. The team finally had a 0-1 lead.

After a shot by Francisco Navarro, saved by Antono Adán, João Palhinha came on for Manuel Ugarte. Then Sebastián Coates headed wide, with Paulinho also firing dangerously close in the 63rd minute.

Shortly after, the advantage was doubled, off a corner that fell to Gonçalves. His shot hit Gonçalo Inácio, who, in turn, deflected it into the back of the net to make it 0-2.

In the 77th minute, Gonçalo Esteves made way for Daniel Bragança, who shot wide with his first chance. Several dangerous moves from Gonçalves saw him denied time and time again by Žiga Frelih, but eventually Sporting CP would get their third goal:  In the third minute of stoppage time, Adán launched the ball to Paulinho, who won space on the right and served up a perfect cross for Daniel Bragança to score his first goal for the senior team.

Sporting CP will play Casa Pia AC next Wednesday, in the fifth round of the Taça de Portugal.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Luís Neto, Sebastián Coates [C], Gonçalo Inácio, Gonçalo Esteves (Daniel Bragança, 77'), Manuel Ugarte (João Palhinha, 57'), Matheus Nunes, Matheus Reis, Pedro Gonçalves, Pablo Sarabia (Nuno Santos, 30') and Paulinho.

The coach states that Sporting CP deserved their victory against Boavista FC

Following the victory for Sporting Clube de Portugal against Boavista FC, coach Rúben Amorim attended the press conference to analyse the match.

He began by admitting that he "had the feeling" that Sporting CP could have scored more goals, but also that they "could have suffered, and Adán did what he did."

"We created opportunities,with many shots inside the area. We could -and should- have scored more goals. There is some fatigue; not so much physical, but mental fatigue. It's normal, and the players are all getting used to it at a different pace. Even the coach himself is getting acclimated to it. You have to always maintain a lot of energy, but that's what a big club demands. We had an excellent game and there's no doubt about the winner," he told the media.

Of the importance of continuing in first place in Liga Portugal, the coach stated that the team "don't look at the table too much."

"It's good to be in the top places, but it's not significant now. We have to win our games. Winning them all, we will be first. We have to prepare our players for these situations. Today, once again, Porro had to go off at halftime, and it opened up an opportunity for [Gonçalo] Esteves."

Asked about Paulinho's absence due to a positive COVID-19 test, Amorim said that "the team did not suffer in his absence, but we are stronger when he is available. We created opportunities, and had many shots inside the area. We didn't score in the first half, but we scored in the second. Not conceding goals is very important. What matters is that Paulinho doesn't have any symptoms. For me, that's the main thing."

Sporting CP's next game is in Penafiel, in the Taça da Liga, and Amorim explained that rotations could be made.

"We rotated a lot in the Champions League, but that doesn't mean that we will do that for the Taça da Liga. FC Penafiel won today, they have a good team and are very organised, and we can't rotate everyone. There are players who have to rest. It's not because the game is in the Taça da Liga. We're going to switch players because we have to bring fresh people into the games, because the team lives off energy."

The return of Sebastián Coates merited a comment from the coach, who was pleased to have his captain back.

"Coates is very special for us. Just the way he spoke in the dressing room before the game was important. Looking at the players when he's talking, you see that he is very important. He hadn't trained, but he had an excellent game and we really need him."
He also spoke about the young talent, Flávio Nazinho.

"His chances to play depend on Nazinho and the characteristics of the opponent. Everyone knows that the young players are an option. They can play as starters in the Champions League, in the Taça da Liga and in Liga Portugal, or they might not play in any competition. He did very well defensively, and was focused. Offensively, he has already shown a little of what he is. He will start to gain momentum and will manage to play 90 minutes. Whether he is an option depends on him and the opponent, but more on him."

The 2-0 triumph maintains the team's position in Liga Portugal

Sporting Clube de Portugal won their Matchday 14 away game against Boavista FC 2-0 at the Estádio José Alvalade, as Pablo Sarabia and Nuno Santos struck in the second half for the reigning champions.

Rúben Amorim made several changes to the starting XI from the youthful team that took to the pitch against AFC Ajax in Amsterdam in midweek. Antonio Adán, Sebastián Coates, Pedro Porro, Matheus Nunes, Pedro Gonçalves and Pablo Sarabia were brought back in, whilst Flávio Nazinho made his starting debut.

The game kicked off with an animated opening quarter hour, with chances for both sides. In the seventh minute, Pedro Gonçalves crossed and Sebastián Coates -returning from a spell out with Covid-19- forced a save from Alireza Beiranvand. In response, shortly thereafter, Gorré found space and shot, met by an excellent intervention by Antonio Adán.

After a great opportunity for the home team, in which Pedro Porro shot, was called back for offside, Boavista FC started to provide further scares. Jackson Porozo attempted to set up Yusupha, who narrowly missed the ball across to him.

However, from there it was one-way traffic in the first half. Pedro Porro crossed for Nuno Santos from the right, with Beiranvand again making a save. From the corner kick that followed, Gonçalo Inácio headed over, and shortly thereafter a counterattack ended with a shot from Pedro Gonçalves that went inches outside the post.

Around half an hour into the game, Pablo Sarabia sent a cross into the heart of the area, but after a scramble nobody managed to shoot on goal. Matheus Reis also came close, five minutes later.

Sporting CP managed to put the ball into the net in the 43rd minute, when a great move on the left side put Matheus Nunes through. He player to Porro, who scored, before VAR disallowed the goal for offside against Nunes.

After a goalless first half, the opening 15 minutes of the second half turned out to be decisive for the final outcome. Before the goals, however, Manuel Ugarte threatened with a shot that just missed the target.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 53rd minute, as a quick attack saw Gonçalves launch the ball to Nuno Santos, who crossed for Pablo Sarabia to score inside the box. It was his third consecutive league game on the scoresheet, and handed a 1-0 lead to Sporting CP.

Less than ten minutes later, Sarabia returned the favour, picking out Nuno Santos to make it 2-0.

A great opportunity to increase the lead came on 81 minutes, off a counter from which Sarabia laid up the ball to Gonçalves. The latter missed with an imprecise shot, in his last contribution before being replaced by Bruno Tabata.

Before the end, Reis shot wide and Tabata had a strike saved by the Boavista goalkeeper, but Sporting CP would claim the three points and remain Liga Portugal leaders. Next up is a game against FC Penafiel in the Taça da Liga.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Gonçalo Inácio, Sebastián Coates [C], Matheus Reis, Pedro Porro (Ricardo Esgaio, 45'), Manuel Ugarte (Daniel Bragança, 67'), Matheus Nunes, Flávio Nazinho (Luís Neto, 75'), Pedro Gonçalves (Bruno Tabata, 85'), Nuno Santos (Tiago Tomás, 67') and Pablo Sarabia.

A 1-3 derby win against SL Benfica makes a statement in Liga Portugal

Sporting Clube de Portugal emerged victorious in their derby with SL Benfica on Liga Portugal Matchday 13, winning 1-3 thanks to goals from Pablo Sarabia, Paulinho and Matheus Nunes.

The reigning league champions had some early adversity to overcome, with captain Sebastián Coates unavailable for the encounter with their cross-town rivals. Zouhair Feddal, Pedro Porro, Matheus Reis and Manuel Ugarte came into the starting lineup, with Ricardo Esgaio, Nuno Santos and João Palhinha dropping out.

In the stands, thousands of Sportinguistas filled the away section, and made themselves heard long before kickoff.

The first 45 minutes turned out to be a true masterclass by Rúben Amorim's side. Despite the two yellow cards shown to Zouhair Feddal and Paulinho a few seconds after the game got underway, it was Sporting CP who began better, with shots from Pedro Porro and Pablo Sarabia.

The opening goal came in the eighth minute, when an excellent move ended with a fantastic cross from Pedro Gonçalves to Pablo Sarabia, who struck first time past a static Odysseas to make it 0-1.

SL Benfica tried to attack with intensity, but the visitors soaked up the pressure and controlled the midfield. Grimaldo's header, saved by Antonio Adán, was the first and only shot by the home team in the first half.

Sporting CP then enjoyed several scoring opportunities. First, Gonçalves missed the target when in an excellent position -with the flag later raised for offside. Then, in the 37th minute, a counterattack concluded with an attempt that came back off the post.

A goal for Paulinho, disallowed by VAR for offside, took the game into the interval, with Sporting CP having had less possession (65% to 35%), but much more shots (1-6) and more corners (1-3), as well as taking the lead.

Zouhair Feddal made way for Ricardo Esgaio at the start of the second half and SL Benfica turned up the heat upon the restart, and hit the post through Darwin's header. Shortly thereafter, João Mário went through on Adán, but the Spanish keeper calmly sent the ball away.

On the counterattack that followed, Sporting CP took the score to 0-2. Matheus Nunes covered plenty of ground with the ball and set up Paulinho perfectly, with the striker providing a classy finish.

A Rafa Silva chance off the post was SL Benfica's response, but on 68 minutes the win was put beyond all doubt: Another tremendous sprint by Matheus Nunes sent him through to close in on Odysseas, beating him with a shot.

A Pizzi goal prevented a Sporting CP clean sheet, but the 1-3 result gave Os Leões the win, the league lead and a 12th consecutive victory in all competitions. They will now visit AFC Ajax for the sixth and final matchday of the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GK], Luís Neto [C], Gonçalo Inácio, Zouhair Feddal (Ricardo Esgaio, 55'), Pedro Porro, Manuel Ugarte (Daniel Bragança, 90+2'), Matheus Nunes, Matheus Reis, Pedro Gonçalves (Nuno Santos, 90+2'), Pablo Sarabia (Pablo Sarabia, 83') and Paulinho.

The coach reviews the win over Vitória SC

In the aftermath of the triumph against Vitória SC (1-0), on Matchday 10 of the Liga Portugal season, coach Rúben Amorim put into perspective a run of six consecutive victories.

“Those games have passed. I look at this series of games and will say that there is usually an interruption. Both the team and I just want to win the next game. Everything is open on several fronts, and there is still a long way to go. Of course, it gives us confidence and helps the team, but it's worth what it's worth”, said the coach, before being asked about the move in which Sebastián Coates headed in from a corner, something that also happened in the last game, against Moreirense FC, and twice in Turkey, against Beşiktaş JK.

“It is to the credit of Coates and Adélio Cândido, Carlos Fernandes and Emanuel Ferro, who work a lot on set pieces. We are a team who are strong in these situations and have a lot of players in different areas. Coates has this ability off headers. He knows how to see if the ball is coming through or not, and that's something certain players have. We want to improve and for Coates to continue to score," he said, before praising the Uruguayan as “a great player who thinks like a striker when he is in the opposing area, but when he is in his own area he thinks like a central defender.”

"He is an increasingly complete player and we are very happy to have such an athlete amongst us."

As for the final stretch of the match, in which Sporting CP had to suffer, Amorim stated that this is a situation that the team “must know how to live with."

“It's not the first time we've suffered in the final minutes. Once we lost some of the pressure up front, the midfielders suffered and the defenders didn't go between the lines as much. Nevertheless, we are a team that knows how to defend. We also formed a line of five when necessary and we were able to adapt to each moment of the game. We didn't defend deep as a strategy, but rather because our opponents forced us to. The others team play too, and as soon as we started to get tired, even when we changed players, keeping up high pressing is difficult if you don't get it right,” he explained.

The importance of defence for a team which has the best record in the Portuguese league, with only four goals conceded, was another of the issues addressed by the coach.
“It's one of the strengths of the team, just like it was last season. But I will say again: It's not just the defence. It is often the forwards not only attacking, but also defending and putting pressure on the midfielders. We are a very united team, and that helps when you have to defend, build in a 5-4-1 or press high up. Without conceding goals, our team always finds a way to score, even if it is through set pieces to Coates," he said.

For the coach, overtaking SL Benfica moving joint leaders with FC Porto is insignificant whilst their rivals are technically top.

“We have the same number of points, but if the season ended today we wouldn't be in first place. There's a lot to play for and it only takes a draw to change the leader. We have to look at this naturally, as it will happen during the season. We must always be alert,” he warned, before guaranteeing that this Sporting CP side “are much more of a team than last season."

“I'm lucky that the players understand the moments within a game better and better. Today we suffered a lot at the end and we showed that we still have the same ability to stick together that we did last season. We are much better, especially considering the same period last season,” he assured.

To close, Amorim shared the credit for the fact that Sporting CP have not lost at home in Liga Portugal since he arrived in Alvalade, in March 2020, going an impressive 33 home games unbeaten.

“It is a credit to everyone who is here, from the kitman to the president. Everyone has responsibility in the good times, and everyone does their part. Now we have to keep going. This sequence of games doesn't give us anything yet, and if we don't win the next match then we will be out of the Champions League. We have to win every day, and of course we want to keep this run going, but what matters is the points in the standings," he concluded.

A 1-0 win moves the team level with FC Porto

Sporting Clube de Portugal defeated Vitória SC by 1-0 at the Estádio José Alvalade on Matchday 10 of Liga Portugal, thanks to a goal from the in-form Sebastián Coates in the first half.

In their third consecutive home game, the team were up against a side who had not lost away this season and were coming off a run of three wins and a draw -against SL Benfica- in their last four matches.

Coach Rúben Amorim made seven changes to the side that beat FC Famalicão in midweek, keeping only Gonçalo Inácio, Feddal, Matheus Nunes and Sarabia in the starting XI.

Balance was the order of the day in the early stages of the match, with the home team benefiting from the first two dangerous moves via Pedro Gonçalves and Pedro Porro. Vitória SC also provided a threat early on, and responded immediately with a shot that forced Antonio Adán to make a big save.

After 15 minutes, Sporting CP established themselves in the opposite midfield and started to control proceedings. After an attempt by Gonçalves, who saw his goal disallowed for offside, on 31 minutes Coates broke the deadlock with a header off a flick-on from Paulinho off a corner.

The final moments of the first half saw a bolder Vitória SC, but the best they could muster was two shots off target. Sporting CP had a second goal disallowed, with Pablo Sarabia called offside.

For the second half, Sporting CP played closer to Bruno Varela's goal, with Matheus Nunes, isolated in the area, having a big chance to score immediately go wide.
Vitória SC advanced their lines in search of an equaliser, and had an effort graze the crossbar. Shortly after, second half substitute Ricardo Quaresma struck wide from a free kick.

Sporting CP brought on Ugarte to replace Gonçalves, with the aim of halting the transitions from their opponents and adding muscle in the middle of the park. In front of goal, Paulinho had a header go lightly off target.

Despite a greater offensive threat from the visitors before the final whistle, Os Leões took a sixth consecutive victory and continued their best run of the season to date.
With the win, the team move to joint leaders of Liga Portugal with 26 points, level with FC Porto and 1 point ahead of third-placed SL Benfica.

The next match is scheduled for Wednesday, at home, against Turkish side Beşiktaş JK in the Champions League. On November 7th, they play FC Paços de Ferreira away in Liga Portugal.

Sporting CP: Antonio Adán [GR], Gonçalo Inácio, Sebastián Coates [GR], Zouhair Feddal, Pedro Porro (Daniel Bragança, 89'), João Palhinha, Matheus Nunes (Bruno Tabata, 88'), Matheus Reis, Pedro Gonçalves ( Manuel Ugarte, 79'), Pablo Sarabia (Nuno Santos, 69') and Paulinho (Ricardo Esgaio, 89').

The coach looks at his side's performance against FC Arouca

After the 1-2 victory for Sporting Clube de Portugal against FC Arouca, Rúben Amorim, coach of Os Leões, talked in a press conference to analyse the game.

"We deserved to score more goals in the first half. We could have done that, and then the game would have become easier. We didn't, so we went into the second half and they drew level off a transition, but we were able to react. From there, we closed up the game, in order to not suffer from more counterattacks. It was a fair victory. We didn't play as well as in other games, but the important thing was to win," he stressed.

Asked about the decision to bring Ricardo Esgaio, Daniel Bragança and Nuno Santos into the starting eleven, Amorim said that changes were made "with our offensive game more in mind."

"It was important to bring in new players and they are all prepared. We tried to play using the characteristics of our players and I opted for two full-backs next to the centre backs, because they are faster," he pointed out, adding that: "In midfield we wanted to take advantage of [Daniel] Bragança's good form. FC Arouca played higher up than we expected, but we ended up winning."

"With the pressure from FC Arouca we had several transitions where we could have done better, and in the end fatigue started to take over, but we held our advantage," said the coach, before highlighting the defensive work done by the team.

"We didn't give them many chances. The evolution of the team happens at the back, and it takes time. We didn't have a great game, but we controlled things and in the future we will improve," concluded Amorim.

The coach's review of the win over CS Marítimo

Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim was satisfied with the result for his side against CS Marítimo (1-0) on Friday, considering it to have been a deserved win.

“There was clearly help from supporters. Like the team, the fans understood that the team were giving their all, that it was necessary to be patient and wait for the best moment to attack. We dominated the game from start to finish. At the beginning we could have been more incisive, when we won space, but we dominated and didn't give CS Marítimo a chance. The game had many stops and starts, but the players tried to implement what we had trained."

“Despite the stress of the game, the players went into the spaces where they should have gone, they didn't get carried away by emotion, and it ended up being a fair result”.
The coach admitted that it is necessary to finish off chances better, saying that “We have to score more goals, but we are also conceding less, apart from the game against AFC Ajax. We have to improve our finishing, but I want to emphasise the control that we had.

Sporting CP no longer share possession so much; we control more and are more on top of the opposition. Last year, around this time, we had a harder time setting up. We would have opportunities once or twice,” he continued, insisting that he was not worried about the winning goal only having come from the penalty spot.

“It depends how you look at it. I look at spirit a lot. This victory gave the fans a lot. We can look at it as two 1-0 victories from penalty kicks, but I look at it as complete dominance. There were no shots from the opposition and we had complete control of the game."

Amorim insisted that the victory, achieved in the final minutes of the match, was not down to luck.

“I think it's more a case of luck when we don't dominate the game, don't do much to deserve it, and end up scoring. Today we completely dominated the game. For example, in last season's game against CD Santa Clara, in which we scored more or less at the same time, it was more good fortune than today. What happened today was justice. One team wanted to play, the other didn't. Today, football was fair."

Pedro Porro scores a late penalty in a 1-0 home win

For the second weekend in a row, Sporting Clube de Portugal claimed victory in Liga Portugal action thanks to a Pedro Porro penalty, as the right back converted a late spot kick against CS Marítimo.

For the home encounter, coach Rúben Amorim opted for a starting XI consisting of Antonio Adán, Luís Neto, Sebastián Coates, Zouhair Feddal, Pedro Porro, João Palhinha, Matheus Nunes, Rúben Vinagre, Pablo Sarabia, Paulinho and Nuno Santos.

The visiting team tried to stifle Sporting CP from the start, preventing them from building up play, but after ten minutes alternatives had already been found, leading to a series of chances involving Nuno Santos.

In the first, it was Sáenz who cut Santos off, then it was Paulo Victor who made a great save to put the ball out for a corner. CS Marítimo also tried to surprise Adán, through Xadas, but shortly after the goalkeeper sent the shot away, Santos hit the woodwork at the other end.

In front of a supportive 18,741 fans at the Estádio José Alvalade, Santos again enjoyed a chance in the 35th minute, when Pablo Sarabia played the ball in. The winger took Paulo Victor out of the equation, but didn't have the best angle to finish off, and China was able to keep his attempt out.

It was 0-0 at halftime, with everything open for a second half which started almost exactly like the first: Sporting CP camped out in the CS Marítimo area and Nuno Santos looked for a goal, with Paulo Victor denying him again.

João Palhinha forced a stop from the goalkeeper, and with no breakthrough on the hour Amorim made his first substitution in the team, sending on Tiago Tomás and Rúben Vinagre and moving Nuno Santos further back.

Sporting CP continued to press and chase a goal from open play, whilst CS Marítimo could only muster one moment of danger from a set piece.

In the 70th minute, Daniel Bragança and Jovane Cabral replaced Matheus Nunes and Pablo Sarabia, providing fresh blood in attack for the final minutes of the match.
Pedro Porro, set up by Jovane Cabral, struck the post again in the 76th minute, and it didn't appear as if Sporting CP's persistence was going to pay off. Five minutes later, Ricardo Esgaio and Bruno Tabata stepped in for Luís Neto and João Palhinha in a brave gamble by the coach.

Considerable timewasting by the visitors meant that some eight minutes of stoppage time were added on, and it was in the dying moments of the game that Sporting CP finally found the net: Paulo Victor fouled Jovane Cabral inside the area,  the referee had no doubt about awarding a penalty and sending off the goalkeeper. Edgar Costa stood between Pedro Porro and a winning goal, and it was the Sporting CP player who kept his cool to slot in his spot kick.

With three points picked up, the team will now shift their focus to the Champions League, and a game against Borussia Dortmund next Tuesday.

The coach reflects on the 1-1 draw with FC Porto

Following the 1-1 draw (1-1) against FC Porto, Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim analysed O Clássico and explained that the result was more unfair on his side.

"The opposite has happened before and there have been games that ended in a draw. This time around, we had more chances. That is neither here nor there, however, as we didn't control the game how we should have controlled against a mature team, but we could have killed the game off in the first half. There weren't any great opportunities for FC Porto in the second half either. After their goal, we looked for the win again, but it was very stop-start," he began by saying in his press conference at the Auditório Artur Agostinho.

"All unavailable players are missed, but those absent today were well replaced. I believed that I should bring on those who are fresher from the bench. We lacked some depth in the squad, but that is normal and part of our project. If it weren't, we would be buying players all the time and would neglect our commitment to youth. We were the better side and, compared to the Clássicos last season, there was an evolution."

Regarding the large number of fouls and cards shown to both sides, the coach stated "there are games for all tastes."

"Both coaches like intensity and our teams are aggressive. I've seen many Clássicos and derbies like that. It was very tactical, but there were good moments. There was individual quality from both sides and it ended up being entertaining. There are those who like very beautiful football with a lot of goals, and there are others who like the competition of these games."

Asked about Pablo Sarabia, the new signing who made his debut in the second half, Amorim said that "You could tell that he was off the pace, and making your debut always brings an extra nervousness. He lost some balls that he will not lose in the future. He has a lot of quality, he is very humble and he has absorbed a lot of information."

Finally, the coach underlines that Sporting CP's focus is to go game by game.

"Last year, despite the different calendar, we won in Braga, drew here with FC Porto and drew in Famalicão, just like this year. We have to win the next game, instead of thinking about the points that we have dropped. Our next game is against AFC Ajax, then we'll think about GD Estoril Praia. We don't have to think about anything else," he said.