AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth were beaten by a late goal by Portuguese side Braga in a competitive and entertaining training game.
Scott Parker’s side ended their camp in Portugal with a good workout against a strong outfit, who finished fourth in the Primeira Liga last season.
The Cherries head coach named a strong line-up for the fixture, with summer signing Joe Rothwell starting and Dominic Solanke leading the line.
It was Solanke who got the Cherries off to a flyer in the searing heat, opening the scoring within four minutes. Rothwell led an excellent press on the edge of the Braga area and forced a poor backpass, which Solanke gratefully collected, rounding the goalkeeper and slotting home.
A frenetic opening followed and Braga got their equaliser in the 11th minute, Castro picking up the ball at the edge of the box and taking aim. His drilled effort clipped the inside of the post and nestled in the back of the net.
Iuri Medeiros had a chance just minutes later, firing from the edge of the box but watched his effort soar harmlessly over the bar.
Solanke could have doubled his tally after 20 minutes when he ran onto Christie’s clever pass, which followed patient build-up around the box, and forced a good save from Matheus.
Mark Travers was required to make two good stops in quick succession, making blocks from Ricardo Horta and Al Musrati, before the former volleyed narrowly over from the edge of the box.
The Republic of Ireland international highlighted the form which earned him the club’s Player of the Season award for 2021/22 as he tipped over Al Musrati’s fierce shot from distance.
The second half almost followed the script of the first as Solanke went close early on. Billing made a bursting run from deep, riding a heavy challenge to find Christie, who picked out Solanke in the box. However, Matheus was out quickly to smother the forward’s shot.
Medeiros had a golden chance to put Braga ahead following a quick counter-attack midway through the second period. The attacker found himself in plenty of space inside the area but his effort cannoned off the post before rebounding off Travers and away from trouble.
With just over 20 minutes to go, Solanke won a free-kick after being pulled back when he appeared to be clean through on goal. Rothwell curled the resulting set-piece into the area which agonisingly missed the outstretched foot of Jefferson Lerma.
In the 70th minute, the Cherries made wholesale changes with ten of the 11 players on the pitch switched, the only player to remain was Jack Stacey, who’d replaced James Hill on the hour mark.
The substitutions allowed a number of academy prospects the chance to impress, the likes of Dominic Sadi, Brooklyn Genesini and Ben Greenwood taking to the field. The former made a sublime last-ditch block to prevent Horta, who was ready to volley at goal from inside the area.
However, the youthful line-up couldn’t stop Braga from securing the win in the dying moments. Rodrigo Gomes latched on to a good pass from midfield and side-footed past the onrushing Lossl to find the net.
Nonetheless, the Cherries would have been very satisfied with the workout and the conclusion to a tough pre-season camp.
AFC Bournemouth: Travers (GK), Cook, Mepham, Lerma, Solanke, Christie, Rothwell, Smith, Hill, Billing, Zemura.
The squad from 70 minutes: Lossl, Genesini, Stacey, Greenwood, Sadi, Lowe, Stanislas, Marcondes, Anthony, Dembele, Moore.
Braga: Matheus (GK), Gomez, Tormena, Niakate, Sequeira, Al Musrati, A. Horta, Djalo, R. Horta, Medeiros, Castro.
