Matinee Monday — Portugal 2 - 0 Georgia: The Goals and Analysis

This match was a friendly that was essentially a try out for one or two open spots in the starting XI. I’m thrilled that Scolari actually did a mass substitution in the second half to determine where the game changing subs might be coming from and/or where a starter might have emerged.

As was to be expected, Portugal dominated possession and had the majority of play going forward. They turned the match into a half-field scrimmage for most of the first half and a good deal of the second. Rather than give an overall match recap, I’d rather rate each man individually and close with some further notes on team play as a whole. If you don’t like it that way, you’re wrong. My way is better. (Starting XI in italics)

Keepers
Ricardo - 7 - Played the first half. Never really put under any considerable pressure. When he was, he handled it well. It’s hard to gauge him when he could have spent the majority of the half in a lounge chair sipping a Sagres and eating five pounds of picadinho.

Quim (45th min sub) - 7 - Played the second half. Saw a bit more action than Ricardo, but his assessment can probably read the same way Ricardo’s does.

Defense
Paulo Ferreira - 7.75 - Played the full 90. Went forward when he was needed and tracked back into position on what seemed like the four or five occasions when Georgia actually crossed midfield. He’s a starter for sure in my opinion and all that bench riding at Chelsea this year looks as though it’s kept his tank rather full. He played with good energy and enthusiasm for a friendly of this nature.

Ricardo Carvalho - 7 - Played the first half. He went forward more than I’m accustomed to, but given Georgia’s lack of attacking prowess, his defensive abilities were never really tested or called into question. Chipping the ball over the bar from five inches out after Crissy hit it off the woodwork was inexcusable, but hey, that’s why he plays defense and not forward I guess.

Pepe - 7 - Played sixty minutes. He stayed “home” more than Carvalho but didn’t really get to showcase any of his real on-the-ball talent. He looked competent and able to boss the back four as a good compliment to Ricky C’s experience.

Bosingwa - 8 - Played sixty minutes. Showed he is a true “wing back.” Went forward quite often and will provide awesome support up front, allowing more of the midfield and attack to get into the box with his dangerous service and above average speed for a defender. I can see him winning Man of the Match once or twice in the tournament. However, he may not be able to move forward as much against a better skilled offensive team.

Bruno Alves (45th minute sub) - 3.5 - Played himself out of consideration for a starting spot alongside Carvalho. He actually looked better when paired with Ricky in recent matches than with Pepe. Carvalho is proving more and more a calming, effective boss in the back. Alves’ inability to fill that role not only effected his chances of playing time but also made Carvalho and Pepe look that much better.

Miguel (60th minute sub) - 7.25 - I feel like I’m saying the same shit for the majority of these guys. Went forward effectively, like Bosingwa. Maybe the defense just didn’t seem tested because the ball was on the opposite side of the field so much and when it did cross over the defense was extremely effective at handling it. Usually in order to give a gleaming grade to a defender, he has to be seriously tested. These guys largely were not.

Fernando Meira (60th minute sub) - 7 - With the poor play of Bruno Alves and Meira’s stalwart consistency, he played himself into being the third choice after Carvalho and Pepe. His experience and ability instilled good confidence in the back four and hid some of Alves’ fuck ups

Midfield
Petit - 7 - Played the first half. Another position that wasn’t really tested. He wasn’t able to play defensive / holding midfielder because there wasn’t that much action through that part of the field. When he was provided with the ball, he did make a number of decent pass selections and provided help forward. He made a mess of a tackle or two but probably did enough to solidify his starting spot in six days.

João Moutinho - 8.25 - Played about seventy minutes. Cute volley from a decent distance away. Not much smoke on the shot, just seemed to catch the goalie out of position and was well placed out of his range. He seemed rather poised and didn’t make many bad decisions (if any). I just wonder if that shot would have beaten some of the keepers he’s bound to face at the finals. He probably won a starting spot with this performance.

Deco - 7.5 - Played the first half. He’s definitely out of match shape. He needs a few more laps around the park and some good wind sprints to get his legs under him a bit better. When he did try to create, I was happy with his generalship and field vision. If he can get over the hump of being about a half step behind conditioning wise, he stands to make a nice impact.

Raul Meireles (45th minute sub) - 7.5 - Rather confident going forward. His runs opened up space for others (namely Quaresma) to take chances on goal. He worked almost like a slashing point guard in basketball who penetrates the middle, draws the defense, and then dishes to a potential scorer. I like his game, it’s somewhat different than most of the guys on the field and he’ll be an effective sub if the match becomes stale and Portugal run out of ideas.

Miguel Veloso (45th minute sub) - 2.5 - Who the hell was that guy masquerading as Miguel Veloso? Abysmal. Enjoy the bench.

Attack
Cristiano Ronaldo - 7.75 - Played the first half. Embarrassed the Georgian defenders from both sides of the pitch when he wasn’t being smothered. I don’t think he ended any of his signature runs standing up. I know he’s trying to blow by guys and the eventual defender will give him a lot of body to prevent him from getting a clear look at the goal, but ending up on his ass EVERY SINGLE TIME is somewhat frustrating from the standpoint that he can’t then use those runs to create much. His free kick that hit the cross bar was a scorcher that was inches away from hitting it on the right side of the metal and going in. This tournament has the potential to be a career defining moment for a player whose only consistent criticism (aside from diving) is that he doesn’t show up well for big matches. Let’s hope he plays with a chip on his shoulder and is ready to silence the critics.

Simão - 7.5 - Played the first half. Got into space and made effective runs but not much on the end of them. He tracked back a few times effectively and showed a fire by retaliating on a foul he should have gotten. Cooly converted a penalty, putting Portugal up 2-0. Played well in possession and showed good vision and attempts at creating chances.

Nuno Gomes - 3 - Played about sixty minutes. Allegedly.

Quaresma (45th minute sub) - 7 - I know a lot of people are going to knock him for playing a somewhat selfish match. If one of his fifty shots goes in, he’s a 7.75 for me. He was a little too eager, but he was trying to prove he didn’t belong coming in as a second half sub. I can’t fault him too much for taking some of the wild shots, but he definitely was not a team player on this day.

Nani (45th minute sub) - 6 - Runs forward produced bunk. He looked deft on the ball but didn’t yield much with his play. Ran a lot with his head down, not looking to create too much. Not his best game by any stretch of the imagination.

Hélder Postiga (60th minute sub) - 5.5 - Meh. Quaresma was taking too many of the shots forward for him to be able to make an impression.

Hugo Almeida (70thish minute sub) - 5.5 - See Hélder Postiga’s commentary. I would have liked to see him on for Nuno Ghost for the start of the second half. He wasn’t capable of imposing his physical presence really at all. He seems to take a little bit of time to get into the rhythm of a game. Unless they have a crucial corner late in the game, I don’t see him as a viable 75th/80th minute sub.

In all, we have to take this match for what it was: a shoring up of the Starting XI. I don’t usually grade on a “ten point must” type of system where the best player gets a 10 and then we work back from there. A lot of 7s up there means that the players basically did their jobs and not much more was asked of them. It’s truly difficult to gauge a team like Portugal against this type of opponent and on this scrimmage-esque stage. Nobody got hurt, except for Quaresma who had some ice on his ankle. Otherwise, with less than a week to go till this Saturday’s opener against Turkey in Geneva, it’s time to start really get in ass kicking mode. Força Portugal!!