Look at Portugal… How many teams create so many, so good, so brilliant and technically difficult goal scoring oppurtunities? And scores so little when compared to it? Most teams struggle to create those chances but when in one, the striker does it. With this I also mean that, I sorry to those who disagree and feel I exagerate, Portugal is for me by far the team with the best service. Even better than Brazil. There’s no midfield in the world that creates so much top level assistances as Portugal.

About 2 stikers: Scolari did try it, as well as the 3-5-2; or 3-3-4 – would make sense as the midfield has always been our strength, we know have top defenders in all 4 positions and 2 strikers are usefull, in the sense that one drags the defenders and the other has more freedom. Players never really got used to it. The team also clearly performed better with 2 musculated midfielders rather than with one more defensive and another attacking. Thank god Maniche can attack very good and Deco can defend and contain quite good as well. There’s nothing strange about this. The team that has such a system and plays in a style almost like ours is The Netherlands. France wasn’t so different neither. The fact that we usually beat them (NL) shows my point above – strikers importance is diminished and POR has a better service. Is Ruud van Nistelroy better than Pauleta? He’s surelly stronger – he also plays in England, a rather physicall league.

About Simao, Moutinho and Boa Morte: Simao is at a different level than Boa Morte as far as technique is concerned. He is much better. He is also extremelly good at free kicks. However, as a team member, Boa Morte gives robustness, is more goal oriented and goes for scoring more frequently. This makes him, dependind on the adversary, a better piece overall.

Moutinho is neither a winger nor a striker. Simao and Boa Morte are somewhere in between. Moutinho, althoguh very young, is already a world class top central midfielder. You can’t make a brilliant team with guys just like him but no team is brilliant without one like him.

Having said all that, I do agree that Pauleta has a tough time in tourneys because he doesn’t have the same physical stature as today’s top defenders, but again, he doesn’t have to brawl with them. He just has to be quicker and smarter with a lethal finish.

As for A), well, he certainly gets good enough service so I don’t think we can blame the midfield.

I think Ceasar is right on C). That’s why Scolari has tried, time after time, to introduce a 2 striker system. It just doesn’t seem to work for PT. It’s also why Scolari is always screaming at C. Ronaldo to play a more central attacking role with Pauleta. With C. Ronaldo terrorizing the defense, Pauleta can exploit the spaces and pick up any garbage.

PT has some obvious chinks in their armor. But, I’m counting on two factors that will hopefully help them be successful in this WC: The first is Scolari’s ability to use tactics to make up for weaknesses. And the second is the level of motivation and desire to win on the part of our players and our people as a whole. The struggle to win a WC runs deep in our national soul. After EC04, Portugal is hungry for this World Cup and that might just turn out to be the most important thing in our favor.

He is just no good enough. The French football is not at the same level as the Italian, spanish or british. When he faces the best defenders in the world, he just don’t have the skill to perform as well.

A) Not getting the right service from the midfield.
B) He’s just not able to handle the bigger and better defenders he meets at the WC or EC.
C) The one striker system makes it’s easier to man mark him.
D) Combination of the above.
E) Non of the above – Other!

About the offense. I don’t think Simão will have a chance with Felipão. Has last game for the NT was against Letonia. He will probably just call Postiga, Pauleta and Nuno Gomes for the attack. Quaresma in the other hand might get a chance. He was not called for the u-21 team which will be playing the European Cup at the same time as the WC so that could indicate he has a chance.

Portugal is a very offensive time although its miss an outstanding striker. Therefore Scolari will play with only Pauleta. Cristiano Ronaldo will play as a winger. Figo, C. Ronaldo and Deco made one of the best offensive midfield in the World but they lack replacements. Quaresma, Moutinho or even Tiago can’t do the same job as well as them.

We wrote a lot about the defense of the team. What about the organisation of the offensive part ?
I mean : do you think Felipão will select Simão Sabrosa (I hope not), do you think he select Quaresma ? etc… I would like to have your comments about the offensive aspects of the team. Thank you.

Nelson