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Portugal's Euro 2008 chances
At Euro 1996 Portugal reached the quarter-finals, at Euro 2000 the semi-finals, and in 2004 the hosts went all the way to the final. Can Scolari's men go that one step further?
Related: Fanszone - Let's help Scolari - Pick Portugal's attack
Related: Fanszone - Let's help Scolari - Pick Portugal's midfield
Related: Fanszone - Let's help Scolari - Pick Portugal's defence
(Posts listed in order they are received.
Most recent posts first)
Most recent posts first)
30/06/2008 18:19
I only missed a couple of games from this tournament.And i can tell you that Germany were lucky to reach the final.Their best match was against us.i dont know what happen after that.But Turkey should of gone thru,not because they were entertaining,simply because in that semi final match they were the better team,even with half of them being subs.But Spain did it in the end and i was happy for them.Although their performance just highlighted what needs to change in our team.I cant wait to find out who's the new coach and see if he has the guts to make some crucial changes...
29/06/2008 22:38
Congratulations to Spain! They deserved the championship and displayed the best all around soccer.
Having a first class GK with a demanding presence in the box like Casilla made a huge difference. The Spanish back 4 were impressive especially Puyol. The Spanish midfield was very good and their def mid Senna was great. This is the type of player our wonderful pitbull Petit never lived up to be and type of player we need in the future -- physical, never tires, and decent skills. Spain showed having strikers in the front who can stretch things can make a huge difference -- another Portugal shorting coming.
We all more enjoyable to watch then the WC due to the overall quality of the games.
29/06/2008 21:16
Congrats to Spain well deserved Best team all around.Germans looked like they were coached by Giovanni Trapotoni with all their diving all tournament long.
26/06/2008 11:50
No!No! And no again!I did not want to see the Germans in the final!I dont know how many of you watched this match but it was definetely one of the most dramatic semis of the last decade...The Turks went into this match with 5 players injured and four more suspended but they gave all they got and more...The Germans on the other side were far from the team we watched against Portugal.Relying more on set pieces and counter attack than anything thing else.Their defending was also laughable and yet one split second of distration and it's on the back of the turkish net .No matter how great you are scoring late goals when the 3rd one is conceded in the 90th minute is usually game over...and it was !!I feel for the Turks and hope to see them in 2010. They certainly have gained fans from all over Europe,including myself! Go turkey !The spirit you showed in this tournament will live in our memories for a long ,long time...
23/06/2008 00:09
Lol Orlando nice comment!
I to have Italian friends i just hate how they think italy is the best in the world it just makes me wanna say italy is full of cheaters,divers, and complainers! but i wouldn't do such a thing unless they did say something about my country but what exactly is there to say about Portugal ya they haven't won a national championship but so what we don't dive or cheat.
I am very glad to see Italy out of the championship early it makes me happy :D!!!
Im glad i don't have to see Toni,Gattuso and that so called footballer Grosso! when i look at him it makes me wanna give him a headbutt! or a wack with a stick!
Im glad italy is out dream come true.
I am very excited to see the upcoming fixtures.
I no they won't disapoint!
22/06/2008 22:37
Woohoo!!! The Kings of Negativity are out. I can enjoy what will be a great end to the tournament with 4 offensive teams.
Of course I wouldve preferred Portugal in there, but I am a football fan first & with a guarantee of many back & forth matches I am salivating.
Gone is Luca Toni who for a giant of a man falls so easily.
Gone is Grosso a cheesy player who likes to stomp on others when beaten, or take a two footer at someones ankle that goes by him, only to fall over any prone player in the box.
Gone is Gattuso who once Italy attacks is in charge of fouling hard the first player to recieve a pass on the counter attack, so that Italy can collapse back to their defensive positions.
Gone is Panucci who thinks defending means to grab onto an opponents shirt & even though he did it all game the ref didn't even bother to award a foul, therefore a penalty, even though he warned him repeatedly.
We can look forward to Podolski spanking some hard ones, Turkey with their heroics in the face of adversity, Spains swash-buckling attacks, and Guus Hiddink's tactical genuis.
There really is much to look forward to now. Some think ignorantly that I must be jealous, but they are so far from the truth. I have a hatred for Italian football based on all their negative tactics, cheating, favouritism, that has robbed me of enjoying many a match. They are so weak mentally that they feel they can only win by cheating, and it brings our beautiful game into disrepute.
Forca Football.
22/06/2008 05:09
Matt I've always been a huge fan of his even before Korea, he is a great tactical coach, he would do wonders with our squad.
Although he is tied up for huge bucks with the Russians I believe for another 4 yrs, with Abromovich from Chelsea paying his salary.
That Russian team looks totally different than the one we dismantled. With him Coaching they are an extremely dangerous team, and might just win the whole thing the way he has them playing.
They destroyed a very good team today, one that plays a very similar style to ours. They shut them down and then ran them ragged. It was one of the most impressive victories so far in the tournament. Up there with the Dutch destroying the Italians.
22/06/2008 02:37
Hey Orlando how about them Russians lol. I think hiddink should coach Portugal he would definintly win something just look at his record with weak teams its impressive!
21/06/2008 22:01
Wow Guus Hiddink is a tactical genuis and has this Russian team that we destroyed not so long ago playing like a bunch of monsters.
That is the difference between a great coach and a good one. Hiddink would have allot of Trophies if he coached real teams.
Great game today that the Russian's dominated tactically.
20/06/2008 18:21
No offence Sam but it is bad enough having those cheating douche bags as WC Champs, no way do I want them to win anything, and the sooner they are booted from this tournament the more everyone can enjoy it. They are the Kings of Negative tactics & the reason most teams dive or simulate (their success at it).
I have many Italian friends but the last thing I ever want to see is their team win, because the only thing we disagree on is how the game should be played, they support the cheating & negative tactics, and I never will.
This is the beautiful game not the dirty one. Italy should've been out already.
Paul Ferreira gets manhandled yesterday, and Toni was barely grazed, that is the difference. Can they win it of course they can they cheat the best, have they ever deserved it... NEVER..
20/06/2008 15:56
typical portuguese bullshit. portugal should have gone out on the pitch and played like no tomorrow instead we get ths same old shit. believing the headlines about how great and flashy they are. portugal lacks the mental toughness to win these competions and also suffer from being prima donnas. any team can lose but the fact is portugal rarely rises to the occasion in big games. we should have gone out and busted our asses for 90 minutes and played like hell. i think to a certain degree portugal is afraid to win it all. they have a mental block on how hard it will be to win a title. so they settle for second best. i'm tired of that mentality and for that reason i didn't wrap up all my hopes in them winning the title, so the letdown isn't as bad this time, i expected this dissapointment. one last point, holland had already won the division when they played romania. they didn't have to win but did so anyways. portugal was in the same situation vs switzerland but we lost 2-0. i had a good feeling after that game that we were going to lose to germany. holland approaches every game like a champion. it would have sent a statement to everyone if we went out and beat switzerland even though we didn't have to.
20/06/2008 12:11
Once again, Portugal chokes when it counts. Some serious strategic errors made by Portugal, which Scolari has to take the blame for. It reminds me a bit of Euro 2004. Portugal knew exactly what Greece was going to do in that final game, but simply let them do it. Portugal knew what type of game Germany was going to play and allowed them to play it. Scolari also did not see it coming when Germany effectively changed their formation. By the time he reacted it was 2 goals too late.
My final point my dear Portuguese friends, will Portugal FINALLY learn (the hard way) that RICARDO HAS TO GO!!!!!!!! He was absolutely awfull.
19/06/2008 21:01
Very disappointing effort by Portugal in this quarter final against Germany tonight, and Ricardo is no longer the gutsy keeper of a few years back, though I'll forgive him for he was once great; looked somewhat lost and disinterested tonight, even intimidated by the big German artillery up front, including Ballack when he headed in his shot.
Time to rebuild Portugal for 2010 & 2012. From here onwards in this Euro comp it's the the Azzurri to 'go all the way' and cause a sensation in Norton Street Leichhardt for me. Come on Italy!!!
14/06/2008 03:58
Football is not just in players' bodies and intellects, but also elsewhere in their minds: emotions, will, motivation. Hunger has been there through the years, big time; but not emotional resilience. Not Portugal's strong suite. I would say one of the weakest.
About luck. Obviously none will be needed for us to finish first in group A. I hope our upcoming "friendly" with Switzerland gives strongest players who have not been able to show their mettle to best effect a generous opportunity to do so. Not a B team, rather an extended A team, a choice of virtual equals. I hope Scolari takes the opportunity to adjudge without preconceptions or prejudices the right-now technical & tactical quality & the overall form of the tremendous pool of talent at his beck & call. In the three do-or-die games we cannot afford to waste any advantage, however slight. Ego-fueled behaviour is as bad in managers as in players. No, worse.
This is Scolari's swan song with us. There is the perennial issue of players' experience versus raw skill. It is a difficult one; but I feel strongly that when a preference for the same-old known quantity creates identifiable weaknesses, too much has been made of seniority. Let those who have been given countless opportunities bow out graciously to extraordinary youthful talent. Yes, it is a gamble one way or the other, but granting proven talent a go is, I think, the way to bet. It has not consistently been Scolari's.
11/06/2008 20:50
After that last result with Turkey beating the Swiss, Portugal is guaranteed to win the group so we can play our Super B Team in the last game..
Also most likely opponents are the Polish or Croatian's in the quarters, lets face it although they will challenge us.. if we play as a unit.. we should win, and face possibly Germany in the Semi's.. a team tha normally Portugal plays very well against (except for the last). So the great play could lead us to a tough final that we could win.. I am hoping it is an Iberian Final vs Spain, what a match that would be!!!
We have done the work so far, with Ronaldo's consistent play we could be champions.. with the right amount of effort.
11/06/2008 20:10
Great game today... i would say the two best players on the pitch were ronaldo and deco. I thought the defense looked a little shaky due to ferreira. Evrything came from the left side. Soemthing must be done, but overall great game
11/06/2008 00:03
I thought the same Costinha, Spain looks very weak in the back, but Villa was on fire today.
I think they will have trouble with Greece a team that is very patient. Sweden did very well to beat them today, the crowds definitely didn't like the negative ball on display by the Greeks, but they are still hard to break down at 0-0..
10/06/2008 16:36
Spain is looking weak in the back right now... but there attack is strong. Im hoping for an Iberian Final!
09/06/2008 23:20
Hey Alberto, here is a quarter call some one that cares...lol
09/06/2008 23:16
I will add that I am a footie fan watching every match & cheering all the Teams but one! On the weekend I celebrated with some Dutch fans who cheered us on, I can assure you the Dutch have the utmost class, as they demonstrated today. You were offended by my statements yet you couldn't help dig at another culture, so don't high brow me, the class you talked about was on the pitch in one heated game.
I am happy to celebrate the game & the tournament & am welcome to all fans, but you only kick a bull in the face so many times before he spears and guts you.
You don't appreciate the shoes that I have walked in, so you can't fathom my angst, don't insult me with the intelligent remarks because it doesn't take a chemist 40 blind clinical trials to appreciate that something works or doesn't. You are telling me that there might be a placebo affect, I can tell you that there is an affect from experience.
THere is nothing I wouldn't say here that I don't say straight face to face, with all due respect of course, but no minced words.
So if you want to help support cheating and disrepute in the game then go ahead, just remember that dudes like me will call you on it, always.
09/06/2008 23:03
Have to agree with Melo. I like this forum and usually like to read the posts by Orlandomac but I did not like his comments on the Italians. On the whole they always produce entertaining teams and even in this brilliant match with the Dutch they played their part.
Back to what really matters, I love just watching the other big football nations like Czech Republic, France and Italy and Croatia struggling in the first stage while Portugal are in great shape.
I think it is going to be us or Germany for the final.
Força Portugal!
09/06/2008 22:51
That wasn't an isolated incident, I will add I have many Italian friends but like I have said we never hang during the Tournies they are the poorest sports. I could tell you a thousand stories & it has nothing to do with jealousy, they cheat always I am not jealous of that.
I have seen many an Italian coward do dispicable things & when confronted they run as they always do.
When Italy won I didn't sit on the street corner with eggs, or bricks.
I have never once conducted myself like the lowlife Italian trash that I speak of..
What is good for the game is an early Italian exit at every tournament the Kings of Negative Tactics!
You might appreciate their diving, their simulation, their constant offsides, their defensive traps, well then I am glad I made you sick to your stomach. There is no place in the game for diving & that includes my own team, it brings disrepute to the sport.
I have never watched an important Italy game that there wasn't some major form of cheating.
I speak from multiple experiences and was talking personal, now do I think every Italian is a douche bag I never said that, I said Italian Football Fans there is a huge difference and its because of the majority that I say that.
I'm not worried about Douche Bags supporting my team, and the fact is in Toronto where you live no Italian I have seen supports our team unless they are married into the family & even then I haven't seen one.
I have no respect for cowards, so YEAH to the LOSERS!
09/06/2008 22:01
Easy there OrlandoMac don't put your foot in your mouth.The WIND has ears,comments like that are not good for the game and for the Portuguse people in general.You might have come across a couple of bad apples.On this forum you have demonstrated that you have some intelligence and reading that last statment made me feel sick and I hope you don't resort to the same level as the low life who threw the brick.I am a adult who is proud of being Portuguese and I can tell you that the Italians are GREAT footballers period!simple as that! and let's not be jealous .I should remind you that the Dutch showed no class when we were beating them in the world cup.I have been waiting for over 20 yrs for the Portuguese to get where they are now.talk like that will make everyone hate us.
09/06/2008 21:17
On a Euro note the Dutch slammin Italy today.. nothing better...
Portugal winning.. Italy losing.. only England winning misses my personal Triple Crown.
The dirtiest most negative team in the history of football, with the suckiest fans on the planet.. (I once had an italian fan throw a brick through my back car window narrowly missing my baby sisters head.. he ran like they all do.. like a chicken.. this sort of behaviour is reknown in by their yellow livered fans.. the poorest sports in the whole world.. I enjoyed the Dutch triumph today more than I enjoyed our win on the weekend.. last place Italy is all they deserve.. may the door hit you in the face on the way out.. Scumbags!!!
I love our National Team but I would rather we go out in the first round then the Italian's ever make it to the tournament!
Take your dirty filthy team home!
08/06/2008 06:28
Rick most of us posted in the "Portugal vs Turkey" section, you can go check it out, I essentially saw the game exactly like you, Deco for me was the worst player but he really wasn't hurting us, just prevented a few offensive chances and gave a few balls away that we were well covered.
Moutinho was a Monster. The only thing I thought the game could have used at times would have been Meira & Almeida because of all the corners we got. Their aerial ability would spread defenses thin with Ronaldo, Pepe, Carvalho, & those two, it would've been sick!
But I wouldn't tamper with the squad Scolari has them playing as a unit, and that is truly extraordinary.
I'll have to retract my statements about Scolari at the end of this tournament as the squad he selected today, might not of had the most offensive game ever, but that unity & sharing of the ball will make them formidable in this tournament. Ferriera had a solid game, although I love Miguel's diagonal runs, but again this team is playing so solidly even when they make mistakes there are other men back to support them and sweep up.
Never mind our B Squad on the bench could beat most teams. If these guys continue to stay as tight as this over the next few tournies together, then a trophy is guaranteed, cause they will only get better.
What a party in Toronto, streets jammed, cars, flags. They had Brian Melo, Canadian (Portuguese) Idol, singing at a Portuguese festival in the park, that we all went to & rocked out till midnight.
08/06/2008 04:38
Hey guys. i dont mean to double post but was just checking in to see if anyone had posted their thoughts on game. I have to say i really disagree with Portugoal's man of match. Did I watch same game? Deco was anything but magical! Maybe he was confused with Moutinho who played a great game with his pace and speed. Pepe of course was dominant at times on defense and essentially scored twice. Some other quick grades:
Ronaldo- B+. So close so many times. Expect a multi goal game very soon.
Gomes- B-. Would have been a C if it werent for give and go pass to set up Pepe's goal. He needs to finish.
Deco- B-. I really didnt find one magical play, and I watched game twice. In fact everytime he touched the ball he seemed to give it away.
Moutinho- A.
Pepe- A. Sometimes dominant, joined play effectively.
Bosingwa - A-. Could've done better on some early runs, but stellar defending.
Ricardo- B+. Did what he needed to. His happy feet worry me, though.
Nani- B+. Nice energy and pace. I would like to see him start, but great role as a super sub.
Simao- B+. Some nice corners. Couldve done better with earlier free kick. Overall solid performance.
Petit- B+. No mistakes. Physical force.
Scolari- A-. Made correct substitution for Gomes at right time. Meireles scores minutes after getting in. Would like to see Quaresma soon.
07/06/2008 17:35
Almost game time boys and girls!
Anyhow I have been reading about the whole Ronaldo to Real move. I was hoping this talk would die down as I just recently purchased the black Manchester Utd Ronaldo jersey, one of the coolest jersey's Ive ever purchased (right next to my black and silver 99 LA Kings Gretzky jersey) so I was hoping Ronaldo would stick around for a couple of more seasons. Now I read that even Figo is saying that Ronaldo shoould make the move to Real Madrid. Maybe Portugoal can start a new thread in regards to this potential move.
In my mind, the English league is currently the best league in the world and Ronaldo is on the one of the great teams in the EPL. I cant understand why Ronaldo would want to leave already. He is still so young and has plenty of time to play at his childhood's dream team. The EPL will give him more world press and possibly more advertising dollars.
I am such a big fan of C. Ronaldo's talent and very proud that he is fellow Portuguese. However, I feel that he is starting to become too egotistical and would love if he would show some more loyalty to his current club. Anyhow, just trying to pass the time until game time. Will look for your responses mixed in with today's game reactions.
06/06/2008 16:40
Hello folks!
Although not as large as Toronto, Vancouver has a significant Potuguese community where people are extemely passionate about the national team. I tradionally watch the game at one of the Portuguese clubs, restaurants, or at home with close friends and family. On Saturday I will be in Whistler , which isn't exactly a football Meca, but I won't matter because once the game is on my attention will be 100% on the match.
Rick,
Love you line about the pepto and rosary beeds. Hilarious
Forca!
06/06/2008 02:03
Berto Montreal has a great Portuguee community as I witnessed there for World U-20's
Not familiar with all these places someone might be better to point you, but I figured I would give you this listing just in case no one else chimed in.
http://restomontreal.ca/restaurants/cuisines/montreal-portuguese-restaurants.php?lang=en
06/06/2008 01:59
Rick, we watch RTPi on satellite out of Newark, so I have heard about the great community there.
Many great Portuguese communities throughout North America.
What we usually do here is get together about 30 or more men, women, and children all decked out in Portuguese attire, we eat drink and then celebrate.. I usually take one of my big screens outside under the patio tent (Rick make sure to have a tarp handy as you will probably get some glare from one side that you can throw a tarp over in that direction to make viewing pleasureable).
Unfortunately I have a large extended family and even with multiple TV's it would be impossible to house them all in one area. So we hang for the most part with my dad's side of the family. Although if they make the final, as they did in Euro we try to throw a bash for the whole family.
So I have my flags ready, those helmets that I talked about I made for 8 of us, so I have to make sure I have batteries for the lights, lol
Hopefully everything goes great and I will wear out the batteries, with all the goals.. Woooooo!
Forca Portugal, may God reward you with the Team Uninty to share and suceed as a Unit!
05/06/2008 22:54
i'm gonna be in montreal this weekend and would appreciate any info on good portuguese bars or restaurants to watch the game. anyone have good suggestions?
05/06/2008 22:04
(cont) I'm curious to hear from everyone where you'll be watching the games, if you throw parties, who you watch the game with, etc. I know that I am looking foward to the Father's Day game on Sunday the 15th. If the weather permits I want to have a backyard BBQ and possibly try to set up my cable outside so that we can enjoy the game outdoors. Sounds like fun, huh?
05/06/2008 22:03
O-Mac (yes that's your new nick name)T.O. really sounds like an awesome place to watch the world game. While I dont think NJ can compare, I live and work 10 minutes from Newark which is one of Portugal's unofficial colonies!
The Ironbound section of the city (which was once very portuguese, and now a mix of Portuguese, Brazilian, and other south american cultures) shuts down. Every bar, restaurant, and members- only club is packed to the roof with adoring fans. The smell of Sagres, sardinhas, and bifanas fill the air. Construction in our area literally stops on game days. Once game time hits, men, women and children can be heard for miles around screaming "FALTA!", and "FILHO DA PUTA!" in unison.
During World CUP time, that's when things really get heated. Tony, while I really appreciate Brazilian soccer, I am not a fan of their team. And its out of pure jealousy, of course.
For too long have we witnessed Brazilian fans dancing Samba in the streets after their latest win, while we Portuguese drowned our sorrows in a round of Super Bock after our latest loss. Lets just say, I'm very happy that Brazil is located in South America. Let us have the Euro to ourselves. (continued)
05/06/2008 19:01
Orlando, I get excited about listening to the experiences in Toronto. It sounds like a thriving cultural center! I wish I could be there to experience. I don't quite have that experience here in California (near Sacramento) but we can connect thru this e-community portugoal.net.
Besides Portugal, I do support Brazil because my wife is from Brazil plus I would prefer for the Portuguese speaking world to win the trophies if Portugal doesn't win it. I also root for the English. I have some English friends at work that I interact with and we are passionate about futebol. The Portuguese have a affinity for the English that goes back to our explorer and colonial days. I do appreciate the EPL and the English contribution to futebol.
The excitement is building up to the opener against Turkey! We'll probably know in the first few minutes how Portugal will perform. Portugal typically comes out a bit tight and I hope it doesn't put us in the hole. LET THE FUN AND TORMENT START!
05/06/2008 16:20
Agreed excellent points Tony, for all of us articulate ones who post 1500 characters doesn't convey the grandiose thoughts that we have. You described it eloquently in addition to the thoughts that we both share. I believe the Golden Gen started out the same, and improved, but just like Scolari with the relapse mistakes, it seems our young countrymen didnt pay attention. Sure we have branded our nation as some of the brightest football players on the planet, as Brazil has. We both must be the two most popular teams on the planet, both are Portuguese. Unlike allot of other people I am not a Brazil fan, I have my reasons, I am more an English fan and have always been even prior to living there.
I'm not sure how the rest of your communities are, but Toronto is a phenomenal place filled with emotion and monster flag waving during the Euro & WC. Since we have one of the most diverse populations, we are host nation on the planet, and the streets will literally shutdown because of traffic in celebration every day the Euro is on.
For the most part it is a fun environment, but it can get quite heated, and some of the poorest sports are the Italians & Argentinians, funny enough both Italian heritage, that is why even tho I am good friends with most Italians during these times we do not hang out. Nevertheless it is a perfect atmosphere, and no matter the winner there is a massive party with some major street shut down for celebration.
Wish you gentlemen were here.
05/06/2008 15:20
Also Rick I get just as passionate as you, especially in head to toe Portugal attire, including Bandana & flag draped in cape fashion. I also have a hard hat emblazoned with team logos & flags, with a working red emergency spinning signal light attached to the top.
Fernando I understand what you were saying and like I said, I agree with the vast majority of your insight, but I could care less about the starting roster against Georgia more to the point that is his starting lineup against Turkey, which I am much more concerned about & my point for the World Cup was that the final 4 were like you said a disgrace to all the other countries who compete fairly to win games, why were 4 of the 6 worst cheats in the Final 4.
FIFA you would think would be outraged by all the antics, that went on but they weren't they have no trouble awarding cheats just like UEFA doesn't. Hence why the biggest cheats of them all win trophies France, Italy, AC Milan Juventus, name all the other Serie A teams.
AC Milan cheats and they don't get demoted, they don't miss out on the CL, they actually are allowed to win, which proves cheating does pay. That alone is a sad state, and AC Milan after not qualitfying for next years CL looks now to be replacing CSKA Sofia in the CL, wonder how much that cost them?
Being a proud Porkchop I felt the poor representation of the players was a disgrace. I feel if any of them show unbecoming conduct such as Rivaldo or Pinto, they should be banned for life PERIOD
05/06/2008 14:28
Orlando, as usual you have some great futebol insights and I agree with your assessment of the winger attack play.
When I really started to watch Portuguese futebol at a greater level was Euro 1996. The one thing that was greatly noted by sports writers was the Portuguese free flowing quick one touch passing. Even without a great striker the ball movement was fabulous and not predictable with players like Figo and Costa. The team has evolved from that style of play where the wing play is basically one-on-one wing play taking defenses off the dribble. This is very predictable and allows defenses to drop back and given the one striker system and lack of quality service, defenses can cover our already average strikers. Some how the free flowing game must come back with variety to keep defenses off balance. I think this is the reason Simao is starting over Quaresma as Simao is better at moving the ball and not holding it. Let hope this generation learns to play like the fromer generation. Great comments from everyone and look forward to exhanging ideas after Saturday. Some of the Web site who don't know about futebol and people vote for teams they think can win Euro 2008 are picking Portugal (go look at Yahoo ports/soccer). That must be due to CR which means Portugal is on the map. I think we are a bit overrated but that can change starting Saturday. Lets hope they don't disappoint. Of course we want to win it all but we need at least a final 4.
05/06/2008 12:42
As usual Tony you make some great comments, also Rick you made some excellent points and I do share the majority of your sentiments as I do with Fernando, but since this is a passionate FansZone we will debate our thoughts, and it is encouraged. All in good fun, including the jet pack for Fernando, lol.
So we argue semantics for our own amusement, and with any luck the FPF, will see that some of us armchair managers make a lot of sense & hire one of us to lead the team to glory, lol.
Like I've stated before my main crux with Scolari is his squad selection, and poor qualification record. Rick I disagree with your perception that he is a defensive coach, because he wouldn't allow players to rove so much if was a defensive system, especially the fullbacks wouldn't be allowed to wander as much as they do, although I think you mean he is a more conservative coach and I do agree with that.
I personally think they need a harder, more headstrong coach who is systems based even defensive. With 11 maestro's on the pitch it makes for a very convoluted game, to be effective these artists need structure to excel.
Part of Portugal's problem is that every winger has to have a run @ the defense, this over the last bunch of years has made it easier to defend. RC winds up for a run & it allows every Defender a chance to get back into position. In previous years there were players that could shoot from range, others who could give an early ball to keep them honest & to spread the D.
04/06/2008 23:27
Rick in NJ, well stated and I like your spirit. I too will be tuned in suffering like the rest of the Portuguese people. I'm not sure why we torment ourselves thru every corner, missed opportunity, foul, etc. It must be the competetive passion in us for sports -- in this case futebol and love for our humble small country. We all want a major trophy real bad!
I don't blame Soclari or any other coach for us missing trophies. These games are 1 game knock outs decided by the thinnest of margins. There is not much seperating the top teams. The one thing that I lament and going back to Euro 96 is Portugal noting having a world class striker who can add speed, stretch a game, link up with our midfield, and FINISH! I remember articles about how Portugal needed to develop a striker and we still are searching for that gem. None of the strikers we have had in the past 12 years have been the answer though Gomes has had a few big goals to his credit. This is the biggest reason we have not won a trophy.
I'm very happy to see Portugal on the futebol map and be one of the most popular teams in the world. It is good for our small country. I live in a place where the Portuguese populaton is 2 hours away but can proudly wear the national colors. Lets get on with the suffering and lets hope it lasts thru the end of June with joy at the end!
04/06/2008 23:20
Love the passion! From the outset I want to say that I am by no means a member of the Scolari Fan Club, but some folks need to get a reality check.
Orlando, my views on Scolari are not based on the Brazil World Cup team or Georgia friendly that you are getting so worked up over. My views are based on leadership qualities and results in big tournaments. You yourself, acknowleged that Scolari is a big tournie coach so let him do his thing and I will be right there with you if he does a poor job leading the team in this tournie. That is where his abilities will ultimately be judged, not in a tune-up match against Georgia. Does anyone out there remember who Portugal played in there last tune-up before Euro 2004? Probably not-because it doesn't matter! Relax and take a deep breath. We have many much more important games coming up in the next few weeks. As for your comment about semi's in a world cup not being a success, you are wrong! just ask the other 180 nations who tried to qualify and win that tournament. To suggest that anything other than playing in the finals is a failure is unrealistic and a disrespect to the other great footballing nations. With this tournament the team goal (that I have read)is to reach the semi's. That does not mean that Port. does not think they can win the whole thing, it is just a realistic goal.
If the players have your negative thoughts-they're done! This has been one of Scolari's biggest strentgh- He instills confidence and unity
04/06/2008 20:15
...Now I don't know as much as most of you guys but I know that come this Saturday, I will be sitting in front of my 50" plasma with a bottle of Pepto to my left and rosary beads to my right suffering through every defensive corner kick, every foul, and every missed opportunity. And hopefully we can scratch out enough courage to go deep into this tourney and finally bring our tiny country its first and well desrved major trophy.
04/06/2008 20:13
I have been enjoying this site for the past few years as it is one of the only sites around for english speaking Portuguese football fans. I enjoy the different points of view and most of the contributors are very knowledgeable and spirited. That being said, many of you question Scolari's every move and even when he does what most of you want, you still criticize him. For example. Two years ago and leading up to Euro 2008, many fans wanted Scolari to add Moutinho, Quaresma, Nani, etc to the starting lineup. For the most part he has done so. Many criticize Phil for never bringing Portugal a major trophy. But we havent ever gotten as far in major tournaments for decades as we have with him. Now Portugal is considered one of the best and most popular intl teams on the planet. An exciting young team that draws 12,000 (paying) fans to a training in an away country.
And still many of you continue to criticize Scolari and his tactical, defensive style. But while flashy offense is entertaining, the truth is that nail-biting, stomach-churning, can't bear to watch the screen DEFENSE wins championships. It has won every major intl tournament since I can remember (yes even Brazil)...
04/06/2008 18:29
Gentlemen, I couldn't help but get in on the banter.
First, I don't agree with some of Scolari's squad selection as he tends to be too loyal with out of form players but he does adapt quickly to changes in tournaments (e.g. Euro 2004 after 1st game). Scolari has demonstrated he is able to coach in tournaments by unifying teams with his combative and unifications skills.
It is difficult to measure how much credit goes to the coach or to the players for success. For those in North America, Phil Jackson is considered a great basketball coach he had Michael Jordan. We can argue about how much a coach and player contributes to the success but it is difficult to quantify. I think you need both.
Scolari has been a solid coach with gifted Portuguese players but remember that in Euro 1996 and Euro 2000, Scolari was not the coach. So give the coach cand players credit -- you need both. I'm not sure if another coach could have made that much of adifference as our gifted teams have limitations (e.g. lack of world class strikers). It can be done but very unlikely a good coach can win a major tourament without a striker.
As far as WC 2006, our 4th place finish had elements of some luck as we drew teams (England and Holland) have we have success against and we only scored 1 goal in 3 knock out games.
Look at the past 2 years trend and it is obvious we have trouble scoring. Simple analysis, our success in 2008 will depend on our ability to score a few goals.
04/06/2008 17:27
Fernando sorry for raining on your parade but I stated everything that you just posted before probably on this very thread & even if I don't care too much for Scolari's poor squad selection, I have previously stated that he is a tourney coach.
Now if you don't see & hear the warning signs after we barely qualified from what nobody thought was a group of death, then I suggest u forgo the fire alarms, or the fireman banging at ur door with a pickaxe, and go straight to the emergency catapult attached to your butt to eject you from dangerous situations so that you don't get hurt by missing the signs.
If you call the Semis at the WC a success then you will be pleased by very little.
I expect by having one of the best teams in the tournament that the moron in charge, could be a monkey that can place the right shapes in the right order, will make some use out of some of the most gifted players on the planet, who just need some guidance to win.
If you think Scolari helped that talent laden Brazil Team win proceed with the butt ejector. They only united as a team for the last game beforwe then Ronaldo & Rivaldo were trying to see who could win the Golden Boot award, yet in two tourneys he hasn't created that same affect. Guess what? It wasn't him! If anyone thinks this team hasn't had the talent for the last 12 yrs to win then you are clueless, the best time to win was that Finals in 2004 not because we were at home, but because it was the combination of two great generations.
04/06/2008 15:59
Melo,
First of all, I want to point out that I am not Scolari's biggest fan and he certainly is not above critcism. For example, Petit scares the hell out of me. But let's be honest, Portugal has a swagger now when they enter big tournments. We have always been a talented football nation, but with a few exceptions (ie 66 and maybe 2000) we have rarely successfully combined our technical, tactical and mental capabilities. Scolari has done that. Under Scolari we have made the finals of a Euro, the Semi's of a World Cup and we are one of the favorites to win this Euro. I do not believe that I am seeing the world through rose coloured glasses. These are facts. In my view Scolari's track record has earned the benifit of the doubt. It is unlikely that anyone out there has his pedigree.
Orlando,
I am disappointed with your recent cynical attitude. Based on the tone of your posts it seems that you are basing many of you opinions on emotion, rather than looking at the events objectively. Perhaps I will share your anxiety after the result of the first match, but I prefer to remain optimistic in the meantime.
There are more reasons to be positive than negative: We appear to have good team chemistry. We are solid in the back. We have the best player in the world. We have a huge expatriate population that will support the team. We are healthy. Many nations, including those in our group are dealing with significant injuries.
The glass is half full!
04/06/2008 01:27
"Not true Fernando" Scolari had nothing to do with Portugal's past success.The Golden Generation was on the upward swing and everyone in the soccer world would agree that Portugal had a chance to win at least one major tournament.An old coach's saying goes something like this (You got to have the horses)
03/06/2008 17:59
Wow, I woke up some of the lemmings, if you were wondering the lemming train is headed for the cliff again, don't let me stop you from cheering all the way.
Tony said it best, we are passionate & come to blow off frustration of a team that potentially, possibly, maybe can win a trophy but it will take allot more than that sad disgrace of a team that went to the semis in the WC by diving & simulating.
If you were proud of that sad performance then you might as well put on an Italian shirt because they cheat & win.
Now I didn't have a chance to go through the whole roster and rate them individually so I will, I had even stated that guys who I didn't select for my squad had a good game, & I did mention most that I did select and were lousy here is the full list for your amusement.
Ricardo 8
Bosingwa 8
Carvalho 9
Pepe 9
Ferreira 7
Petit 6
Moutinho 9
Deco 7
Ronaldo 8
Simao 8
Gomes 7
Nani 8
Miguel 9
Quaresma 7
Veloso 5
Postiga 6
Almeida 7
Alves 7 (for the lousy play that gave the breakaway)
Quim 9
Scolari 7
As for Robertson the question about the wonderful tactics, and schemes, well the maestro was playing a different tune than the ones we had selected, or should we say the same song as he has played before. Fortunately the band has some great musicians and as the tournie progresses hopefully we will get to see them but if you think the starting lineup you saw is going to smoke Turkey, Czech, & Swiss you must be kidding they will play to draws.
02/06/2008 19:58
heres what i think of the game vs georgia.
fist half they had ball possession and good passing. second half there were more shots on goal and better defense. what impressed me was bruno alves, bonsingwa, pepe and miguel.
what i didnt like was petit, he was ready to get a red card. the team have a good mixture. only thing the team needs is right blend. lets see on saturday.
VIVA PORTUGAL!!!
02/06/2008 17:16
Hello folks!
Lot's of doom and gloom out there! Here is my take on the game-which I watched several times. Like many national teams this week (ie France) Portugal was not impressive, particularly in the second half. But lets put things into perspective. This was a tune-up match to put the final pieces together. True, there are many unanswered questions-like our left back and our striker, but did anyone really think that this would be resolved by now? A few observations: Moutinho, Miguel and Boswinga were impressive. Queresma, as usual, was frustrating. Veloso looked weak. Nani could make a difference. I am not a big fan of Petit, but he played reasonably well (Great ball to create the penalty- He earned a starting spot) Overall, I do not agree with many of Sclori's decisions, but many of you are unfairly critical of him as a coach. He is the biggest reason why Portugal is even mentioned as a potential world power over the last 3 major tournaments. Our chances of winning are as good as any other nation. Leadership, mental toughness, and chemistry are key. The first match will be crucial!
Forca Portugal!
02/06/2008 15:29
Gentlemen, in all respect. Many of the people expressing opinions LOVE, ROOT, AND ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT PORTUGAL! All of these people I'm sure root for Portugal with all their soul and heart. Some are not big fans of Scolari but that is very normal for fans to not be happy with a coach. Some like myself are critical of the players which is normal for fans. Much of this critical view of the players is not malicious and mean but critical analysis of their performance. Some of the players critized have low goal output like our strikers, Ferreira can't hold a place at Chelsea, Petit is overrated (watch the gaps, poor fouls, look at last 5 minutes of Poland 2-2 game), Caineira didn't make the team, Quaresma has an inconsistent track record (that is shared by many), the overall passing by the players has been poor, Deco has been out of form Barca doesn't want him, etc. Lets not confuse critical views and good banter as not rooting for Portugal. WE'LL ALL BE ROOTING AND WANT THESE CRITIZED PLAYERS AND SCOLARI TO BE SUCCESSFULL!!!
02/06/2008 13:10
Hello folks,
Now where have all our relentless dreams gone off to. Especially to Mr. OrlandoMac. Where have all your fascinating ideas, the strategies, and all the game plans, and squad formations etc ran off. Now, after the real time comes, you cannot do anything except criticizing of the players and to Scolari.
Lets fact it Mr. OrlandoMac, you hit the dirt. As days and days goes, as seen on your articles, your just giving lame feedback on others and of their opinion. This is how things goes it seems…
It is HURT isn’t it..
02/06/2008 10:11
For you guys out there;
How do you call yourself a fan of Portugal seeing all your articles. You people are just criticizing the players and their performance other than cheering for them. Moreover, it is not only the players that you peoples are criticizing, you people also stretched you neck too much on Scolari.
They all are trying their level best to represent the country, while you peoples are just criticizing.
Yes, mistakes can happen at some point with a lack of luckiness, but mistakes always happen. Seeing from the game against Georgia, there is few things that needs to be polish certainly, including the strategy.
I believe all of these will WORKOUT when the whistle blows. So, lets have faith on each and every player.
***PORTUGO EURO***
02/06/2008 04:33
Orlandomac, I agree with your comments on Petit and love your Viking analogy. One of the most positive thinks to come out in the last few weeks is that this it for Petit and he is retiring from intl soccer. HE NEEDS TO DEFEND AND COVER GAPS AND STOP TRYING TO SCORE. Tiago played himself off the team with his performance in Italy but would have been a better fit than Petit. No dishonor to Benifica but if Petit was a good player a club outside of Portugal would have purchased him.
I'm waiting for Petit and the unsettleing Ferreira to make costly misstakes and I hope it is in the 1st round with time for Scolari to replace them. I have not been as harsh on Scolari as some folks as I think he has been good for Portugal but he does allow his loyality to go a bit long but once you screw up, he'll pull you out. Lets hope in this case its not too late for Portugal. My belief is that most coaching assignments in sports are for a season and coaches are in most cases going to be fired or forced out by poor performance. A poor performance by Portugal and Scolari will be like old sour bread with mold. I hope it doesn't turn out that way but this could be it. Lets hope for a good showing!
01/06/2008 19:52
I can appreciate what some of you gentlemen are thinking but I can tell you a team full of stars who think they can do it all themselves and all go for goal is a recipe for disaster.
I don't want Miguel to score goals I want him to mow through the midfield overlapping with the winger and then passing it to the striker, same with Bos. The wingers should attempt a goal 1 in 5 times the other 4 should be crosses again to the striker or to the attacking mids.
Nuno Gomes got 3 balls the entire game and he was stretching for them, Almeida got few, Postiga is the one that had all the opportunities & that was because he was on the side with Miguel & Nani who were passing the ball, Almeida was on Q's side with Ferreira.
Petit's role is not to break out & lead the attack. Personally I think he should never leave his half but he was constantly spearheading attacks, then making lousy fouls because he was out of position, as for him sitting on the bench it was probably because he blew us the WC in Korea, and played in that first game shamble to the Greeks, so was benched for a reason that Scolari keeps on forgetting it's like he has amnesia, he has paid his dues and because he has cost us so much already he should be given a viking burial put on a boat and lit in flames.
Scolari's squad selection is his problem he always picks a lousy squad then adapts as the tournament goes on, it would just make it easier on us if he would just select the right squad first.
Great comments guys.
01/06/2008 16:40
Sorry Matt but I think you do not know anything about football.Guys like Simao,Petit and Deco are done even their current clubs know this.Meira looked the best with his pin point long passes.Migel and Nani looked OK but Migel cannot finish and never could he should learn not to pass so much and take the ball to goal himself.More shots on net equal goals it's simple mathamatics.Nuno Gomez is still a player who can control the long ball but has to keep himself onside and when he does control the ball the shot has to be better.This guy has at least 2 or 3 good chances a game but always misses the corners.
01/06/2008 16:17
We played very well during the first half i was finally surprised i saw nothing wrong with the line up!
But one thing i did see that didn't impress me was the lack of passing to the striker he never got the ball but other then that we played very well the first half.
The second half was horrible.Quaresma,Nani,Meireles all played bad.
Scolari should stick with the same line up that started vs Georgia.We had a good flow of passing going on and we were playing an attacking style of football.Ronaldo played well but should of passed more instead of showing off but i guess he had fun and we managed to score 2 goals we would of scored a couple more no problem during the second half with the starting line up!
And for the people here that think Quaresma is better then Simao you guys don't no Football you just care about the stupid skills.Quaresma isn't consistant hes not a team guy he loses the ball way to much in the opponents zone i rather see nani instead!!!
And Deco played well with the guys he kept the play going.He made good runs with the ball, at some moments it looked like he was going to go all the way not bad for a 30 yr old!Deco is a key player he keeps the flow going during the game with out him we will struggle.
Moutinho played very well im very proud of him.Hes a much smarter player for his age he plays like hes experienced!!
Petit played well to he made a good pass to simao which ended up as a penalty shot.
Forca Portugal!
01/06/2008 14:26
Quaresma passes the ball. If he didn't then why would Athletico, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Fiorentina, AC Milan, and Real Madrid all be interested in him? Quaresma can serve the ball in the box better than Simao. Orlandomac i agree ditch Deco...Everytime he lost the ball he would walk around. I think Simao should start there as an Attacking mid, and in front of Moutinho and Petit*. He played there with Benfica at times and actually amazed me. As a winger I believe Quaresma should be there and Nani rotating in. Quaresma and Bosingwa work well with each other. We never expected Portugal to finish in the top 4 in WC 06 or top 2 in Euro 04. Scolari always has something to prove in big tournaments.
Petit* is starting because he is retiring after Euro 08. So Scolari will start him of course.
After watching the game vs. Georgia i believed we played pretty good, we hot the bar a couple times and Carvalho and Pepe had a good game. My lineup would be for Euro 08 opener against Turkey is....
Ricardo
Bosingwa Pepe Carvalho Ferreira
Petit Moutinho
Simao
Quaresma Ronaldo
Nuno Gomes (c)
Nani rotating with Quaresma and Deco rotating with Simao. Miguel Veloso with Petit. Theres no denying Nuno Gomes and Petit starting because they have payed there dues. Sitting on the bench in Euro 04 and most of WC 06.
01/06/2008 06:27
Ryan in Fall River, I remember visiting your fine city during the 2006 World Cup the day Portugal beat England in PKs. I'm anxious for the games to begin so we can see how Portugal does. In all respect, I think you have over estimated Portugal in saying easily in the top 4. It will take a great effort and good fortune for Portugal to get to the final 4. Teams at this level are very close and games are won by the slightest of margins.
Lets look at some data, in the last 3 knock out games of WC 2006 Portugal scored 1 goal in 3 games. 0 againnst England and won in PK, 1 against Holland, and 0 against France. Have you seen the performance of the team in the last 2 years? What as Portugal done to make you believe a final 4 is easy? The team lacks chemistry and a good flow to their game. IT IS OKAY TO START SLOW AND IMPROVE GAME BY GAME AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE HOPING FOR BUT IN A 1 GAME KNOCK OUT NO PROMISES.
I understand why Simao is starting over Q because he is more steady and seasoned player. It is more of a case of Q being a inconsistent player and Nani being inexperienced. Simao would not play for the top 10 teams in the world! I still contend no matter how good of service Simao may provide that a Simao with our strikers combo is not ideal and will put pressure on CR.
Know, lets enjoy the Euro and root like crazy in then in a few weeks compare notes on the outcome!!
01/06/2008 04:33
Ryan what game were you watching?
Have another drink of the Porto punch dude that Pinto Da Costa spiked with everything he could bribe to throw in there.
Let us not have the club coloured glasses on this is a elite stage beyond clubs.
I being a PT Benfica fan was not happy with Simao starting, but besides the poor crosses which I mentioned, he did something that Quar has no clue of, it's called passing even CR passed often today, the only one that didn't was Q (remember this is going to be his self-professed tournament).
He had 9 gls in a weak league, I wonder how many shots he took to get 9, thousands?
You're right he can dance past a defender unfortunately he couldn't hit the side of the barn, unless he was standing one foot in front of it, and he wouldn't make a pass to save his mother.
If you remember I had him in my starting 11 but I did mention that the Mgr would have to focus on a TEAM game, that means Q should stick to his skill and pass to a striker.
Only Postiga got service today the rest of the strikers were hurting for action.
Simao had a decent game and he is a TEAM player and is a consistent penalty taker as evidenced today.
I would ditch Deco and play Simao there but would switch Q for Nani on the right, his link up today with Miguel was breathtaking at times.
The TEAM play today was better than in a long time with a few sore thumbs that we already mentioned.
Scolari will be forced to change this squad let the games begin.
01/06/2008 03:35
Orlandomac & Tony Lima are incorrect.
Quaresma had a good game. Your telling me that Simao played better? Just because he earned a penalty and converted doesn't mean that individual had a good game. Simao was ridicously open and made the run. The only reason why Tony Lima, Scolari has started and will start Simao over Quaresma is because of experience in big games. Simao is older and has been at the World Cup 02 & 06 and Euro 04. While Quaresma has no appearences in those tournaments. Simao's service into the box was very weak today. Most of his crosses and shots were blocked and didn't try to get around a defender to get an opening. He got one chance on top of the box and lined up a great shot. Quaresma, on the other hand is very capable of getting around the defender and look for an opening as we saw when he hit the bar, got by a defender and lined up a great shot. If Quaresma is a ball hog what is Ronaldo? Ronaldo basically get 50-75 touches in a span of 15 mins.
Portugal will done fine in the Euros. They will be easily in the Top 4.
01/06/2008 02:08
Portugal will be humiliated at the euro's because Scolari does not have what it takes.Why would you play guys like Deco Simao Pepe Petit.I watched Italy play the other day and they realy impressed me. Italy had a perfect flow to the game they attached when they had to and defended when they had to.Every player knew exactly what the other player was going to do. Great chemistry on teams is what wins championships this Portuguese team has none.When players actualy stop on the field and look for someone to be open they do not know how to read each other. Players like Riu Costa never stopped on the the pitch they made things happen.And if you Scolari are reading this tell your players to kick the ball low for once and not over the net and wide,take some lesson's in Hockey keep the shots down and go in for the rebounds good things happen around the net NOT OVER THE NET.
31/05/2008 20:46
We are all want to see Portugal win it all but I have to offer some objective and critical analysis.
1) We have young talent and a team that can be good for 8-10 years but the best I think we can do this year is final 8 maybe final 4. Portugal has not been serviced well between the "Golden Generation" and what I'll call the "Ronaldo" generation. The generation of players between 26-32 except for a few defenders generation has produced players like Gomes, Simao and Petit who are not good enough and would not start for most national teams. We go into a tournament with this substandard generation mixed in with the Ronaldo generation.
2) The starting 11 as noted by some has some holes.
-- I wold prefer Miguel on the left over Paul Ferreira. ORLANDOMANIC HAS STATED THE CASE FOR NO FERRIRA WELL PLUS FERREIRA WILL UNSETTLE THE DEFENSE WITH MISTAKES.
-- Petit leaves gaps in the defense and makes dumb plays (see the last 5 minutes of the Poland 2-2 game). He should not be playing.
-- Quaresma is so bad that even the steady not spectacular Simao gets a spot to start. Simao is at best a 15-20 minute player.
- Given our substandard striking force you can't play Simao and one of our strikers together. This leaves 2 weak attacking forces and puts the pressure on CR and the out of form Deco.
3) Given our track record in 2006 with 1 goal in 3 knockout games and above comments. We will struggle to score and it will eventually be our demise.
31/05/2008 20:26
I'm not sure where to start.
Stupidlari's 11 were about as poor as I could ever imagine.
Credit to Moutinho & Simao for their play because without their exceptional play it could have been a dire result, against weak opposition.
The best players on the pitch for me today were those two, Carvalho, Pepe, Miguel & Nani.
They were so weak up the middle today. Moutinho I like as a player but against bigger & stronger opposition in the Euro will be a mistake with the flyweight duo in the middle, add Petit as your anchor and you have a recipe for first round disaster.
Ferreira I appreciate his work rate and positioning but his foot speed against the elite will cost us.
I found it shocking to see Almeida as the 3rd ranked striker on this set of 3.
What I did like especially in the first half was a penchant for team play & sharing of the ball, even CR, this is a good sign. Of course that stopped when the ballhog Quaresma came on.
The strikers got poor service until later on in the 2nd half courtesy of Nani & Miguel.
Simao linked up well with Moutinho and a poor form Deco.
Unfortunately Scolari even with mountains of video tape evidence still sees Petit as a defending mid, just because he tackles does not make him a DM, you actually have to defend, he left so many holes from his poor play. The moron on RTP actually said he had a good game, yes by his standards that was a great game because he usually costs his teams a couple of goals from his incompetence.
30/05/2008 20:52
Scolari's Starting XI is questionable. But he has put teams together that have been very hard to beat. So i trust what he does.In my opinion some players need to be benched, and benched players need to start. I think he has chosen Expereince over youth here and I disagree. My starting XI and bench would look a little something like this...
GK:Ricardo
RB:Bosingwa
RCB:Carvalho
LCB:Bruno Alves*
LB:Paulo Fereira
CDM:Petit
LCM:Deco
RCM:Joao Moutinho
RW:C.Ronaldo
ST:Hugo Almeida*
LW:Quaresma*
BENCH:
Simao*
Veloso
Pepe
Meira
Miguel
Nuno Gomes*
Nani*
BRUNO ALVES: He has proven me wrong. I think hes perfect for the Starting XI. He is agressive like Carvalho in the air and doesn't back down from any challenge. ALMEIDA: Another player that has proven me wrong.He has improved and stepped up his game towards the end of the year and to me is a better decision to start him over Nuno Gomes.QUARESMA: Far better decision to put Quaresma out there instead of Simao. Quaresma has been in great form this year and has been inconsistent time and time again. But paired up with Ronaldo, Portugal will be dangerous in the attack.SIMAO: Should rotate with Quaresma. Simao should get atleast 20-30 mins a game. He makes a better impact then Quaresma would off the bench.NUNO GOMES: Hasn't proved himself this year at all! He's been in horrific form with Benfica and decent w/Portugal. An average 15-20 mins a game in my eyes.NANI: Has improved so much this year. He should be rotated with Quaresma & Simao.
28/05/2008 14:20
I have to say that the starting XI Scolari showed in training yesterday is very concerning to me. I can live with Nuno Gomes up front, but starting Petit over Veloso/Miereles and Ferreira really concerns me. I would prefer Ribeiro over Miguel on the left (since he's a natural LB) but either of them over Ferriera. Petit has always made me nervous for the national team and Benfica. His time is over...give Veloso a chance to shine and get some good experience on the big stage. We can't be shortsighted as we have the young talent to be competitive for the next 8 years. Bringing back the same old players who have failed in the past will not constructive for the development of the team.
22/05/2008 16:15
charles of dawn
i agree with u about surrounding ronaldo. the structure makes sense. maybe scolari might even do that or some other suprises. cr7 must play like he plays in england in order acheive his goal in the euro08
viva portugal
20/05/2008 23:43
New Line up:
1-2-2-1-4
ST:H.Almeida
LWM:S.Sabrosa
RWM:C.Ronaldo
LCM:Deco
RCM:R.Meireles
CDM:M.Veloso
LB:J.Ribeiro
LCB:R.Carvalho (C)
RCB:Pepe
RB:Bosingwa
GK:Ricardo
20/05/2008 22:26
Orlando,you're entitled to your own opinion like everybody else.
At least your criticism is constructive unlike Ricardo who came here just to piss people off.But i just think that you're wrong about Scolari.That throphy in 2004 wasnºt lost as a direct result of Scolari's tactics.It was lost because of our mental weakness.The pressure of being the host Nation for the 1st time and also being in the 1st final proved to be too much.Gosh, we were so close.And it kills me to see some average team walk away with what should be ours Ironically in our own soil.Life does have a cruel sense of humour. Iºm just hoping that now that the team is used to get to the semis they have enough belief to finally cross that line.Unlike you i dont cheer for England,even knowing that i moved over here 11 years ago, and my daughter is half british.I get bored watching them.The last time i watched them play with some bºººs was around Gazza and Gary lineker's days.After that it became dull...
19/05/2008 22:50
Charles Dawn my brother from a different mother.. I am like you.. I am Portuguese but am a huge fan of England.. I hate it when they play each other!
I support both and it kills me not to see England in this tournament..
I always cheer for both.. and they both have immense talent although both lack the mental aspect as of yet to push them over the top, partly because of the management and politics for both nations.
I share the majority of your sentiments especially the one that says that Ronaldo should be put in a central role and dictate the pace of the whole game instead of minimizing him on the wing..
Like you I hope for and am passionate about As Quinas and the 3 Lions..
The Portuguese and English have been allies for centuries dating.. against the Spanish & the French.. we always shared an admiration for each other.. that continues to modern day football.. where we could admire much in both squads and look to improve on the the others strengths..
We share the same love of offensive football and that will make us all allies for life.. opposite to the Italian's that try to bore people to sleep and encourage cheating to win games.
19/05/2008 19:09
Nuno my friend thank you for the kind words as well as the harsh ones.
I love a vigorous debate and I love how heated it gets in here sometimes.
That is the passion of fans thru out the world new & old unleashing their angst. We are a proud lot one steeped in a rich & diverse history & it is a pleasure to trade ideas with you all.
Sandra from the UK I take it you are waiting for me to eat my words on Scolari, you love to hate me lol. Like I have always stated I don't think he is the right mgr for Portugal although I respect his tourny play but his qualification lacks a great deal because of his lazy approach. I think he makes poor decisions to start but then adapts extremely well. You will see that again in this tourny, I just hope he reacts quick enough.
I personally feel the Nat team needs a discplinarian to set a team mode & roles, as we have all the skill in the world already (you can't teach skill) but you can coach teamwork of course the PFA will screw that up & hire a Porkchop that they can manipulate since they have a modicum of success to extort from.
The only reason I haven't been around of late is because I hold 10 different roles which keep me very busy at times.
I write for a few Ultimate Fighting Sites and I'm putting together a portfolio for The Fight Network here in Canada, and Full Contact Fighter Mag, also I have Co-authored 3 Self-Help books due out this summer on dating for men, not to mention many other roles some which pay others that don't.
19/05/2008 18:15
Well said Sandra! If you don't like Portugal Ricardo go post your stupid comments somewhere else.
I think Portugal have a good chance at Euro 2008 as long as they make a good start.
I think Scolari should build the team around Ronaldo. Very good comment Charles Dawn.
FORÇA POORTUGAL!!!!!
19/05/2008 17:53
Ricardo,From U.S.A
You must be in your teens to post such a stupid comment"...Portugal wont win ,who cares!" we do,obviously!Maniche ain't no idiot and neither is Scolari.He was in fact a world Champion with Brazil.And if i remember well took us to our first European final.Now, we can all say that with our gifted players we would get there anyway,but i disagree.I think when he leaves, some people may have to swallow their own words.As for Ricardo i was more impressed with him that with Baia.He was ok with Porto,but not with the National side.Not in the last tournament. 2002 was particulary bad. Here in England he was pointed out as one of the worst goalies. As a portuguese that was rather embarrasing
But the opposite was said about Ricardo who particulary shone in 2004.He had some problems with the Betis manager thatºs why he was left on the bench.In resume i dont know if Portugal will win or not but as a true fan.I'm 100% behind them,and so should you instead of coming here talking of your ass...
19/05/2008 06:44
Hey folks,
Anybody heard about Mr. Orlando Mac lately. He has not been around for quite sometime. Was it something I said?
If it is because of me, I have to say I am deeply sorry.
After all, we all are a big fan to Portugal. I have to say any Portugal fans are my family.
Keep up all your postings.
'powero portoga'
19/05/2008 06:32
RICARDO,
I don’t know which one; Ricardo of Portugal or Ricardo of USA a dirtbag. I most probably think the Ricardo of USA.
Yes, at some point I also think that Petit is not a good player, but seeing his form this season long, his is selective for the squad. So, that is why Scolari has selected him.
Also, I feel pity for Maniche to be left out of the squad. His is a big force in big tournament like this and I was hoping that he will bring out a fine form again this year. But, this is how things goes, so we cannot change anything now. We will have to work without him.
*Forcero Portugo*
18/05/2008 17:22
Scolari is an idiot. Petit is a loser. and maniche is worse. Portugal wont win anyways. Who cares? Besides Ricardo is the crappiest, and most stupid goalie I have ever witnessed. Ricardo is a bench warmer for betis... and yet scolari loves him. Scolari must be a homo because he likes men like ricardo.
18/05/2008 10:36
I dont know if leaving Maniche out was a good idea.I suppose weªll soon find out!He was brilliant against the Deutch in both tournaments .A team who is not easy to beat,as we saw in what is now remembered as the "Battle of Nuremberg"where Cristiano almost lost his leg and the yellow cards were so many from both teams that i wasnªt sure if i was watching football anymore...As for the players who were selected i was specially pleased to see Moutinhoªs name there.He may be young but heªs a clever player.Canªt comment on Manicheºs brother as iªve never seen him playing but again,weªll soon find out.It is only a matter of weeks now and i cant wait...
17/05/2008 21:39
Hi,
I really hope so. I'm cheering for them to win it. They are brilliant players individually. What would help them reach the final as effortlessly as Italy or France is to "gel" as a team. Start winning by more than one goal and not lose the lead like, unfortunately, in their last friendly against Greece in March. Also, no more mistakes by goalkeeper Ricardo.
Take care,
Monica08
http://fanoffutebol.blogspot.com
16/05/2008 16:31
Robertson of the East,
Don`t get me wrong, I too would like to see Portugal win (now that England is out), but we must be realistic. Spain is looking very good. They have some very fine young talent and a good mix of veterans. This might just be their year. But who knows, anything can happen. Lest we forget Greece in`04.
Let`s face it, Ronaldo is not all Portugal has, but there is no doubt that if Portugal expect to go all the way, that Ronaldo has to come out to play. I have said this before and I will say it again, Scolari does not know how to maximize Ronaldo`s talents. He should take a page from Sir Alex`s book. Ferguson has basically structured Man U around Ronaldo. Even Rooney has become a role player for CR7. If you look at any great sports team, in any sport, they always structure the team around their franchise player. Ronaldo is a franchise player. For him to be most effective on the European stage, you have to support him and allow him to roam free. Something that Ferguson has understood, and the results are there for all to see. In Portugal, Scolari has tried to make him just another cog in the wheel, albeit an important one. Anyway, I realize that its easy to be an armchair manager, but we`ll see what happens. But there is no doubt that if Portugal expects to get anywhere at this Euro, that Ronny has to show that he is the best in the world, or at least in Europe. What do you think?
Charles (Dawn) of London
16/05/2008 11:22
Mr. Charles of London,
Your opinion about Maniche and Quim, and also about the young team was was great, we also feel the same.
But, as for the champion to be Spain, that we feel hurt.
There is no guarantee for anything. Football is a game, the outcome is different. We can make prediction, but not the fact.
"Robertson of the East"
15/05/2008 20:01
Obviously, Scolari is trying to leave a legacy. Win or loose, he is setting up a team for the next 3-5 years (as long as the next coach agrees). This is a pretty young team. Not a very big team, but fast. The key will be to get them to gel before the Euro starts. I hope Scolari can pull it off.
I was surprised to see that Maniche wasn't picked. Although he did not have a great club season, he is a clutch player in the big games, and I believe would have been valuable in such a short (6 games) series. Portugal is very strong down the flanks and on defence. Their big challenge remains with the striker position. They have obviously not been able to replace the likes of Pauletta. With such depth along the flanks, what about transforming C7 into a striker? Think about it Scolari. That said, I would have liked to see one less striker and one extra midfielder (Maniche).
Finally, lets get serious Portugal...its more than enough...time to give Quim the starting role and make Ricardo (where he belongs) back-up.
My prediction: Portugal in the final four...Spain wins the Euro.
Charles of London
15/05/2008 12:17
Mr. Orlando Mac,
If your saying that Scolari is not the right coach for Portugal,(PLEASE DON'T CHEER FOR PORTUGAL ANYMORE)
I really feel pity for Makukula for not being selected, he is my hero. I'm a big fan when he was playing for Maritimo.
<Forca Portugal>
15/05/2008 12:11
I think,
Now, we can see clearly where players will be playing (Forward, Midfield, or Defense)
On seeing Scolari’s squad, I think we can know where Fernando Meira will be playing.
But it was a great moment when all of us were giving our own opinions on where they should play. No offense, we all are a big fan of Portugal.
***FORCA PORTUGOAL***
14/05/2008 15:22
Matt
I like your squad although Moutinho & Deco up the middle isn't strong enough for this level of game they both get pushed off the ball too easily and both have disappeared at times this season.
George just to clarify I don't think Maniche is upset with Jorge Ribeiro being on the team.
For one
Ribeiro has been brought in to play the fullback role not a mid role.
and secondly he is his older brother so I don't think he is upset with his younger brother making the team.
He is just upset that he didn't make the selection after all the performances he has put on for As Quinas.
Personally I would have rather have seen Maniche there instead of Petit, as Petit's record is atrocious with the squad and the last team he figured with prominently was booted from the World Cup in South Korea mostly because he was given a defensive role and was never back when they needed him.
We were constantly left with 3 defenders back and got burned by the States and South Korea for it. I have a feeling he is going to start this monstrosity because of experience but the only experiences he has had have been poor.
If that was the case I would've preferred to drop Veloso further back and have played Maniche in the middle behind Deco. If he plays Petit it will be guaranteed loss against Turkey as Tuncay will tear open those holes and score from long range. Hopefully that will never happen this squad can make some noise with the right team play, in the next 2 or 3 tourneys.
14/05/2008 14:11
I'm not exactly brimming with confidence given the way Portugal has played in the qualifying. Having said that, I've watched more than one team struggle to qualify and then go on to win the whole thing. Portugal is loaded with quality. Never have we had so many players playing pivotal roles in BIG clubs. I'm not exactly sure Scolari is the one to bring a championship to Portugal, but there's no doubt that his was important to the teams development. He should be commended for bringing to the team a fighting spirit and winning mentality, something Portugal lacked for decades if not always. If you don't believe you can win...you won't.
We've got the best player in the world at the moment, a solid team and an experienced coach, and also the experience of reaching big games and having lost. There's no reason to believe that Portugal do not have a very good chance this time around. I can't wait.
14/05/2008 09:37
This is the moment I was waiting for; the time when Scolari will reveal his squad.
With these players, the cup is ours.
***FORCA PORTUGAL***
13/05/2008 20:16
My starting line up for Euro 2008!
1-2-2-1-4
ST:Hugo Almeida
LWM:R.Quaresma
RWM:C.Ronaldo (C)
LCM:Deco
RCM:J.Moutinho
CDM:M.Veloso
LB:J.Ribeiro
LCB:R.Carvalho
RCB:Pepe
RB:Bosingwa
GK:Patricio
13/05/2008 18:32
I liked the selections. I feel Postiga who has been in great form in Greece this year would be great up front paired with Hugo almeida. As for losing Maniche....It really doesnt bother me at all. Maniche was horrible this year for club and when he got called up for Euro qualifying he didnt really catch my eye at all. I feel this is a good squad that can take us to the final.
13/05/2008 15:05
Hello Folks!
Have to say I like Scolari's squad. Maniche is out, but time to move on. Not sure about Postiga though. I haven't seen enough of him this year. I have no idea what his form has been like. I feel bad for Tiago, but he can't expect to be named to the roster when he barely played in Italy. Plus, he get's paid alot more money than me. He'll be OK.
Looking forward to our next friendly to see the chemistry of this young squad.
There is plenty of reason for optimism. Leadership and chemistry will be the key. Ronaldo, Carvalho etc. will have to step-up more than ever.
13/05/2008 14:24
i dont understand scolari choice of not putting maniche in the team. why didnt he play jorge ribeiro few games instead one game. maniche has 555 minutes and jorge ribiero 15 minutes. it doesnt make sense. maniche did well and helped out the team at world cup 2006 and euro 2004. i do understand that he good coach. he likes to give suprises, a nonsense one. u heard that maniche is upset. he is upset because scolari choice someone less inexpeirence in the national team not because he was not called. i feel his reason, but can not do anything about.
see what happens, now
viva portugal
13/05/2008 12:33
I support the team selection. How can I argue with a coach who has brought Portugal to their most recognized and successful status consistently? Scolari knows what he is doing and he's been with the team long enough to know what will work. I'm not going to argue that Maniche or Caneira are not there, although I felt Maniche deserved a spot as Scolari has chosen Ricardo, Petit, Nuno Gomes and Postiga again. But this is our team and we must give them our full support. FORCA PORTUGAL!!!!!
13/05/2008 11:19
George has reason. Maniche was brilliant player for Portugal in World Cup Germany and Euro 2004. I now he is not plays too many at Inter Milano but he is better for Portugal always. this is true when he plays bad for his club like at World Cup germany. He did terrible at Chelsea but was brilliant for Portugal.
I think that is a big mistake by mister Scolari.
12/05/2008 20:23
maniche should have been in the group.
17/04/2008 17:53
Heres my linup that I would make up of for the Euro 08
Goalie - Quim...the game vs Sporting for the Tarca de Portugal he played amazing and ricardo is all done w/ Betis and would be better as a backup.
Defenders - Pepe, Bruno Alves, Carvalho, Fernadou Meira
Midfielders- Veloso, Deco {if healthy} Mourtino
Wings - C Ronaldo and Quaresma
Striker...heres my dark horse..Yannick Djalo... Scolari NEEDs to call him up! a pure fast striker! pure therobreed.
Bench - Miguel, Fererria, Boswinga, Almedia, Petit, Simao, Postiga, Tiago, Ricardo, Nuno Gomes,R. Meredies, maniche
30/03/2008 21:53
ORLANDO AND BERTO:
i agree with your comments.
i think scolari should put nuno valente back in the squad. he did real good back in euro 04.
dont know why he took him out of the squad after the euro 04. i think euro 04 and wc 06 couple golden generation players were still good to play for the squad and they are: sergio conceicao, joao pinto, nuno valente, costinha, abel xavier. maybe these players could have been good leaders for the team like luis figo.
30/03/2008 21:44
ORLANDO AND BERTO:
29/03/2008 04:52
Berto I agree with you about the primadona statement. I don't think Scolari is the right Coach, he is a hot head like the players who lets them do what they want which leads to the selfish drivel you see on the pitch. I too remember 86, how we beat the best team in our group and lost to the worst.
As for the final against Greece, the difference between the two sides was that as the pressure came Greece pulled together, where the Nat team became indivdualistic, everyone wanted to win it themselves to be a hero instead of spreading the ball around to create holes. Greece definitely deserved to win, as they did the other day with team work.
It is one of the reasons I chose 4 forwards in my system because at least one of the prima donnas wouldn't be double marked and the chances to score would present themselves although solidifying the D becomes paramount too. At the moment no pressure is coming through the middle and it is easy to defend double mark each ball carrier especially the wings and because they r
28/03/2008 21:56
Orlandomac, our players might be comparable to brazil on paper but they lack that creative unity. brazilians are like magicians with the ball but aside from that they know how to move without the ball also while our players stand around . how many times do you see this scenario: ricardo starts off play by giving it to one of his defenders, the ball is worked up the field nicely all the way to the penalty area and then play will stall. our players are searching the perfect opportunity. the ball is then kicked back to the midfielders then to the defense and sometimes back to the goalie. i see it all the time with our team. when your that close shoot it or have your your forwards charge the goal. a perfect example were 2 of the 3 italy goals against us. a delection from far out and our defender got out hustled on the other goal. I chose argentina and italy to compare because those 2 teams play like there is no tomorrow. portuguese players are prima donnas unfortunately. just like that shit years ago when they
28/03/2008 16:40
I used to tour in a band and met a few ladies in my day, I could swear a few of us are related but never were introduced because these toughts are so similar. Nuno Valente is the classic for me 33 Gms 1 gl a selfless player that resullted in UEFA & EURO Cup for Porto & Final & Semi with the Nat Team. We definitely need more of these players. Not the guys like Petit for example that are supposed to be D & are always pushing forward.
Berto I agree with almost 100% of what you say but Brazil isn't that much better than Portugal beyond depth & that is proven with our results against them. Is Brazil a talented team for sure so is this team don't let a couple of games against strong defensive teams fool you. Portugal is weak mentally that is why they have a hard time with weak teams, a team like the Italians will take on Malta 7
will sit back and force them to move as soon as they do, they counter and before you know it the score is 10-0.
On the other hand our Nat team thinks they are so elite from their clu
27/03/2008 20:31
the reason portugal doesn't win is not because of talent but because they play with no balls on the field and always settle for shit results. I've posted this before. "years ago i was in italy on vacation. italy was playing afriendly with spain and won 2-0. after the game italys coach was interviewed and said " we won the game but i'm not happy with our performance". portugal was also playing a friendly and lost 2-0 our coach was also interviewed and said " we lost the game but i'm satisfied with the way we played". typical portuguese bullshit. it's not that teams like italy or argentina have better talent, but rather that they go out onto the field and create opportunities or "luck" as some say, by busting their asses for 90 minutes. portugal approaches these games as if their going for a stroll in the park. they go onto the field and want to score the "creative" or "beautiful" goal. what's the point of the game? to play creative soccer or score goals. there is only one team in the world t
27/03/2008 16:36
Orlando,
I couldn't agree more. Scolari has done great things for Portugal, but this team is now in dire need of a strict leader. Yes, we have striker issues, but so do many other teams (including Greece). What drives me crazy about this team is the indulgent individual play of Quaresma and Ronaldo and the fact that the wing backs are constantly caught out of position. It's no surprise that the best defensive performance Portugal has registered was in the WC with Valente at LB. He's unspectacular, but solid and stays home on defense. Caneira and Ferreira are decent going forward, but weak on D. Hopefully, Bosingwa and Miguel will claim starting berths, but those 2 also tend to go forward too much.
There is no excuse for such shoddy defending with the likes of Carvalho, Meira, Alves and Pepe available just as there is no excuse for the indulgent play of our stars. The problem is one of discipline and Scolari is not instilling it.
Unfortunately, I don't know that the next coach will do any
27/03/2008 15:11
George my friend what they need is two words, Team work. I only caught the end after the subs and the goal it wasn't too bad as they came close to tying it.
Figo's Generation only at the end of their careers learned how to share the ball and it brought us some success but it seems every generation is destined to make the same mistakes. Our lineup should be feared but when they make it easy for the others to just double and triple mark the individual runs. Take Quaresma's roulette move some dude gave it like four stars on some website but the roulette ended in a turnover. Fancy smancy if it isn't effective then don't use it, period. You want space to make moves create it by sharing it to stretch out the defenses. Scolari doesn't bring that solidifying affect, although in Tournaments he does well. I new that two solid defending teams would present great difficulty as a warm-up but let's be serious better to lose now and have some of that dumb bravado slapped out of some of these players. In the end o
27/03/2008 02:38
i am very dissappointed... they were terrible...
i dont care if ronaldo or nani didnt play, that excuses.
they couldnt even pass right. i can pass better than them. i never seen any professionals pass like little kids. scolari needs to straight them out.
this game is ashame. i am embarressed to even talk about it. this is how they show the world they ready to play for euro 08. they look like they not even going to pass the group.
i cant even say anything anymore, because i am sick of this bull. according to history, why portugal never wins it. first the golden generation team all they knew how to do is fall down and get free kicks and they think they can dominant weak teams and end up losing like to usa in 2002 wc. now is the conquistadors who cant even play a game. what is there wrong? they got the good name players and a great coach. what else do they need?
26/03/2008 23:14
We cant afford to be arrogant and reject a player that might be crucial to the national side.Pepe may well be that man...And after tonights match,and also having in mind that defeat against Italy we're going to need all the "help " we cant get...Take for instance France if they had rejected Zidane cause he was born in Armenia France would have lost one of their most gifted players...Anyway from where i'm standing now,there's no way we're going to win this ...Nuno proved again that he can score against better teams but ain't enough .At this precise momment France,Germany and Italy are the contenders...not us!
18/03/2008 20:33
hey guys
here is what i think about pepe.
if pepe stayed long enough to become a portugese citizen. why not enough to be in the national team. he chose to play for portugal and not for brazil which is proven that he wants to help portugal gain their first title ever. i would be proud if portugal won that title while im living. look at usa its mixture of all kind of cultures. these cultures come to usa gain citizen . this is why usa have the best athletes in the world. usa have won many gold titles in olympics. they just about the best in every sport and they are becoming close to dominant soccer, look at the womens usa soccer team. who can beat them?
so let others help out portugal. if i was the professional soccer player i would want to play for portugal instead of usa. all my family before me are all 100% portuguese. just because im not born in portugal does not mean i dont have the portuguese blood.
so let be for others who in the line of portuguese blood or colonies. i think it is fair enough.
14/03/2008 11:10
good answer orlando... but that's not the answer i'm looking for.
i'll make it simple!
you would give your life for portugal. i would give my life for portugal. but now, would pepe give his life for portugal. or would anybody who had been colonised by us in the past, give their lives for our country.
you see... nowadays, the football field is like a place of war... you must have passion. the best example i can give you is of maniche... he has failed for which ever foreign club he has played for. but when he had played for porto, he has excelled. for portugal, he has been our gattuso. another example is milan baros, who has failed miserably for whatsoever foreign club he has played for. but he has been euro 2004 most valuable player for the czechs.
13/03/2008 01:48
JT you are not alone many disagree with me on the colonizing thing, but a nation of explorers has to count on their flock afar..
With only about 10 Million at home and many more abroad I feel it is justified..
As you can tell living abroad yourself.. many people of other ethnicities would love to play our brand of football..
Now I am not saying we let a Polish guy join the team because he likes the colour of the shirt.. I am saying colonized players..
This will be a bone of contention for a while and each manager might have a different opinion.
11/03/2008 19:14
Hi brother orlando,
i get wat you are trying to say but you know, i just don't see the passion when these brazilians don our colours. yes, we did colonise them... in the past... but c'mon... now that's really a good excuse to play for portugal. yes pepe has been good in patches for real this term and i really like his style but i really do not want him to be playing for portugal.
11/03/2008 10:45
JT from Qatar although I can understand some of the points you are trying to make albeit some are hypocritical (lets get first team guys out but lets give Mendes a shot?)
at least do some research before just spouting off.. Fact is that Pepe played the exact amount of time in Portugal as Deco he also came at a younger age and credits Portuguese Coaching for his success which is a big reason he wanted to play for Portugal.. and Pepe could have played for Brazil he is that good but declined to do so.. whereas Deco didn't have a spot in the Brazil lineup hence his choice to don our colours.. not that I mind.. I believe our forefathers colonizing should be a privilege and an honour to most that would like to play on one of the best teams in the world playing arguably some of the most attractive football on the planet.. and that includes Brazil..
You couldn't find any better defender in the Brazil side than Pepe.. but there are probably 10 better midfielders than Deco..
For Portugal he would be our second
07/03/2008 20:37
we can definitely win euro 2008 but we first need to sort out the team selection. first of all, scolari keeps selecting players in the first XI who have played very little club football being on the bench for their clubs or being injured, which means less exposure. for eg- maniche, gomes, petit. that is a major problem and that should not happen in euro 2008. secondly, pepe should'nt play since he is not portuguese and he is even lesser portuguese than deco. thirdly, we should give more international exposure to the likes of manuel fernandes, everton/ carlos martins, recreativo and pedro mendes, who has sadly started on only a few occasions for his club portsmouth. we need to get the centre midfielders right. I think the best combination would be deco and miguel veloso, master and student. they could have a very good understanding on the field as veloso is a good and fast learner. the maniche, petit, meireles combinations must be ignored. nani could play just behind almeida and please no gomes, no andrade,
03/03/2008 23:23
Hello everybody. I want to share this blog with you, is about the UEFA Euro Cup: http://uefa-cup-2008.blogspot.com/
25/02/2008 09:32
Matt just so you know that position isn't new for Meira he played in that defensive holding role for Benfica before going to Germany so he is very familiar with it, Caneira I believe has played in that role and he is too slow for the wing.
I also would like to see Veloso but not as an anchoring defender..