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David Moyes saw his depleted Everton side spectacularly dismantled in the space of five second-half minutes at the Estadio da Luz on Thursday night. Any hopes of a recovery in this Europa League match - after Javier Saviola had opened the scoring - vanished as Oscar Cardozo scored twice and Luisao added to the gains to put Benfica on the road to an emphatic victory. (more…)

from espn

After spending most of the offseason looking for a new club, U.S. midfielder Freddy Adu has secured a move away from Benfica. According to the club’s official Web site, Adu will be joining fellow first division Portuguese club Belenenses on a one-year loan.

Adu spent last season on loan with French club AS Monaco but found playing time hard to come by. He was informed by new Benfica coach Jorge Jesus earlier this summer that he did not factor into the team’s plans for the upcoming season.

image via daylife

How early and awkward was that jump by the linesman?

Concacaf and Honduran International David Suazo has left Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan and headed west for the 2008 - 09 season, signing with Portuguese side Benfica.

The 28 year old Suazo (who by the way is one of the strongest players I’ve ever played against) had dropped 95 goals in 255 appearances for Cagliari between 1999 - 2007, but suffered in form after Inter paid 10 Million Euro with only 8 goals in 27 matches in the 2007 - 08 Serie A campaign under Roberto Mancini, while Mario Balotelli flourished.

After Pablo Aimar, Jose Antonio Reyes and Real Madrid’s Javier Balboa, newly minted Director of Football Rui Costa’s done a pretty damn good job of bringing in talent ahead of the 2008 - 09 BWINLIGA season.

image via Cache

I’m going to ask the question that we’ve all been wondering about. What the hell happened to Jose Antonio Reyes?

Anybody?

Remember the guy that was killing it so bad with La Liga side Sevilla that The Voyeur dropped 10.5 Million Pound back in 2004? The guy dropped 16 goals in 69 matches with Arsenal and then forced his way out to get back to Spain with Real Madrid, even if it was on LOAN for Julio “The Beast” Baptista.

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Freddy Adu has become the 2nd American International in France (US Captain Carlos Bocanegra being the first) after Monaco officially secured a season long loan with a possible buyout clause attached from Benfica.

The Ligue 1 side will reportedly introduce Adu officially after the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

image via CNN

It cost him just of 6.5 Million Euro, but new Benfica Director of Football Rui Costa got the playmaker he wanted in the form of Argentine Pablo Aimar.

El Payaso (The Clown) Aimar began his career with River Plate (1997-2000) before heading to La Liga side Valencia (2001-2006) for 24 Million Euro. During the summer of 2006, Real Zaragoza paid just over 12 Million Euro for the Number 10 before they were relegated at the end of the 2007/08 season.

Aimar has played for Argentina just over 50 times since making his debut back in 1999 and even had Diego Maradona singing his praises after saying that he’d pay money to watch Aimar play.

Aimar is linking up with the man who payed 24 Million Euro for him, Quique Sanchez Flores.

Via Uefa

“I’m delighted because Benfica went out of their way to get me,” said Aimar, the scorer of five goals in 53 top-flight games over two seasons at Zaragoza. “I know the coach and he knows me. I want to play regularly and win things here as Benfica are one of the biggest clubs in the world.”

image via Ojogo