Porto beats Braga 1-0 in Europa League final

Posted Thursday, May 19, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

DUBLIN (AP)—FC Porto revived its status as a European power by beating Braga 1-0 Wednesday in an all-Portuguese Europa League final for the club’s biggest title in seven years.

Radamel Falcao provided the winner in the 44th minute, meeting a perfect cross from the right by Fred Guarin to head into the top left corner of the net after a largely tentative first half.

Substitute Mossoro nearly responded just a minute after the break but had his low shot saved by Helton when free with the goalkeeper, wasting what proved to be Braga’s best chance for an equalizer.

It is Portuguese champion Porto’s first European title since winning the 2004 Champions League under Jose Mourinho and comes after a season when it went undefeated in the domestic league.

With the victory, Porto coach Andre Villas-Boas became the youngest coach to win a European title at age 33, and is now likely to face even more comparisons to Mourinho, his former mentor.

Braga was playing in its first major European final after ousting another Portuguese power, Benfica, in the semifinals.

But it couldn’t spring a last surprise as the game developed in predictable fashion, with Porto by far the more attacking team from the start while Braga focused on defense and counterattacks. Brazilian forward Hulk posed a constant threat with his powerful runs down both flanks, and nearly opened the scoring when he broke into the area from the right in the seventh minute and went past two defenders before sending a shot wide of the far post.

Falcao, meanwhile, was largely anonymous before showing his poacher’s instinct to break away from his marker to meet Guarin’s cross and break the deadlock.

The goal forced Braga to switch tactics and coach Domingos Paciencia reacted immediately by sending on Kaka and Mossoro after the break. It nearly paid off within a couple of minutes when Mossoro took advantage of a defensive blunder to come one-on-one with Helton, but the Porto goalkeeper reacted well to save the midfielder’s low hard shot with his leg.

While Braga tried to show more attacking ambition, it was Porto that had the best chances for another goal.

Alvaro Pereira had a chance to double the lead in the 71st when he ran into the area to meet a lofted cross from Hulk, but couldn’t connect with the ball. Porto substitute Fernando Belluschi tried to finish off a counterattack in the 86th minute but his shot from just outside the area went wide.

In a last desperate attempt, Braga goalkeeper Artur ran up the field in injury time to meet a free kick into the area but his header went was going wide when it was easily scooped up by Helton.