Portugal 1 x 0 Angola

Scolari was playing for 3 points in my opinion. Without Deco in the lineup, the best you can do is hope for a positive result.

While I agree that Portugal looked a bit lifeless at times, lets give Angola some credit for stepping up on the big stage. I would have preferred a more dramatic final score, but World Cups aren’t won in blow outs. They are won by scratching out one positive result after another. During the England game I heard the commentator make a very wise observation. Great teams find a way to win even when they don’t play well! Força Portugal!

Posted from  United States

Luis, come on. Give Angola some credit? For what? For loosing even in a day that we sucked? Angola gotta be the worst team at this world cup. Deco makes no difference. Portugal was obligate to win a game like this even playing with none of the 11 starters.

Did you guys watch Iran play Mexico? What do you guys make of the Iranian team and what it might pose to the Portuguese side?

Posted from  United States

I watched every game at this world cup so far (thanks to globo.com). Anyway, if Portugal plays against Iran like it did today, we’ll be going back home early again.

Luis Paulo –

Anything can happen in a competition like the World Cup. Victories move you forward. Defeats send you home. All I’m saying is that everyone’s expectations about this game are way out of whack! I never expected a blowout. What I saw today was totally in line with the Portugal I have been watching for the last two years of qualification. Scolari has no choice but to think tactically. There are two Portugal’s. ‘Portugal 1’ is the smooth flowing, tempo and combination game we all love to watch. That Portugal requires Deco in the midfield. He is the pacesetter. Without him, “Portugal 1″ cannot exist.

Portugal 2 is a team that more often then not, just barrels through the midfield and tries to bully the ball into the goal. For a very long time Scolari has struggled with this weakness. His conclusion, I think, was that it’s better to use our depth to fill the gaps and somehow grind out 1 – 0, 2 -1 victories with ‘Portugal 2’. For a long time, we didn’t even know if ‘Portugal 2′ could win games. We suspected that we could hold teams with ‘Portugal 2’ to protect leads, etc, but even I doubted that we could win games as a point of general strategy. I take it as a good sign that Scolari has at least managed to get results with both ‘Portugals’, that he can deploy them tactically and get the result he/we want/need.

Again, let me stress that I wanted to see ‘Portugal 1′ today in all it’s flash, but I’m glad that we are one game closer to our objective. I have no doubts that you have not seen the best of Portugal yet. They are thinking one game at a time. You can see that from the exit interviews they gave. I don’t see it as excuses, as undoubtedly some of you may, but just reality. We may win this title and we may not, but when you have great players and a great coach, you have to at least give them the benefit of the doubt.

England didn’t look great, but they got result! Argentina flashed brightly then struggled to hold back a fierce opponent, but they got result! Holland looked controlled and cool but what matters most is they got result! T&T didn’t have a chance, but they got result! Portugal looked less then perfect, but they got result!

So what’s the result? England is top of their group and feeling positive about their chances for the second round – same for Argentina and Holland. T&T earned a result and the right to dream a little longer in search of the next result. Portugal starts the tournament with a victory and is at the top of group D with Mexico as we all expected/hoped at this stage. Not bad results at all.

More to come! Força Portugal!

Posted from  United States

I dont know why you guys are cutting Portugal up so bad. Its hard to play our style of game when you keep getting fouled and the other team have 10 men behind half. We hit the cross bar and Ronaldo and Maniche were both robbed. Hey its a win I will take the 3 points, we will play better against Iran and will Deco in the game we should score a couple more games. The game turned when Scolari took out Ronaldo for Costinha that was when Angola started getting most of thier chances.

Does anyone know if FIFA reviews the game and takes away yellow cards. Ronaldo should not have gotten a yellow card and wouldnt want to see him miss a game against Mexico or first of the next round because of a weak yellow card like this.

Posted from  Canada

Unacceptable result from Big Phil’s team. He must be mad by now!!!

Hi,

Simão was the worst player on the field? And Petit didn’t play well? Let me guess, you’re a Porto or Sporting fan, aren’t you. C’mon, wake up and analyse the game as it was. Not an imaginary one. Portugal didn’t play well … that’s for sure. Figo played well, though, as did Tiago. The rest? Well, some fought and ran (like Simão and Petit). Others didn’t (like Pauleta, what a ZERO)…

Posted from  Portugal

C’mon guys, better to have 3 points in the bag and a not brilliant performance, than putting a great show and loosing at the end (story of our lives). Even the other day, was watching GER with two italians, and while discussing ball, they both said “Portugal sometimes forgets that the result also counts”. They are right.

So Portugal played kinda half speed! So what…? Better to save some energy left for the future. Credits here to Angola, who looked like they could have made another 90 mins running, without any problem.

Don’t think Simao was bad. Only thing was his shots always over the bar. Also begin to think C Ronaldo is getting a bit too fond of the cameras… Good Scolari substituted him.

Also liked to see the team not depending so much on the wingers (playing on the woings) for the attack (I’d say it’s a brazillian influence), Figo in the core (he also lasts longer like this – less demanding physically), and the midfield worked OK. Nothing could get pass there. Loved Miguel and N Valente. Miguel was one of POR’s best, in my opinion. Very secure defending, always there supporting the attack.

Next step, Iran! Must get those 3 points! FORCA PORTUGAL!

Posted from  Netherlands

Carlos Amaral, I’m not from Portugal, no I’m neither a Porto or a Benfica’s fan.

3 points are surely important. I’m not even complaining about how well Portugal played. It’s normal to play badly on the debut. I’m complaining about the players attitude. Play badly but at least give your heart on the game.

Video: Angola vs Portugal

Date Played: June 11, 2006 (Group Stage)

Below is a video of the FIFA World Cup 2006 game between Angola vs Portugal where Pauleta scored in the 4th minute of the game. This video shows how Portugal has been dependent on Figo most of the time.

…

Posted from  United States

I agree that you have to give everything at this level, but I would rather they give there all in the second round. They expended what they had to expend to win against Angola. That to me seems smart. We all like to “fill our eyes” when we watch Portugal – Maybe it’s the Ronaldo influence..heh, but anyone looking to hang the team after their first game. I’m neither a fan of Benfica or Porto specifically, but I am a big fan of Portuguese football, especially when we start a tournament with a victory. Forca Portugal!

Posted from  United States

Carlos Amaral,

I disagree with Pauleta being a zero. True, Figo set up the goal, but Pauleta finished. He’s part of the reason we won. Also, you can’t produce if you never get the ball. Can’t blame strikers for not scoring if they hardly get the opportunity….

Posted from  United States

Seems funny to me that so many of us complain about Ronaldo’s tendency to show off for the cameras, but in the end it’s what we want. Look at the reactions when Portugal gets a 1 – 0 victory to start off the tournament with a positive result. We all act like a bunch of spoiled brats. It wasn’t pretty enough or we didn’t blow them out or whatever. Have some faith. Give our team a chance to show what it’s made of. They are trying to achieve a very difficult objective after a long and exhausting club season. It’s easy for us to sit around on our butts while watching the game on TV and even easier to criticize when it wasn’t the perfect game we all wanted.

There will be plenty of time to criticize if and when they crash out of the tournament, until then, have a little faith. All the games thus far have been very tight. Forca Portugal!

Posted from  United States

Gentlemen, before the start of the tournament we said the following:

#1. Pauleta needed to score so he could gain his confidence. And he scored once and could have gotten 3 goals.

#2. We wanted the Angola game to be competitive because a blow-out wouldn’t help us get sharp. We did get a good competitive game. They (Angola) played a solid defensive game with some excellent goaltending. Which is why we didn’t win 3 or 4 nothing.

#3. We said we needed Figo to play well and he did.

#4. We said that we needed our defence to show that they were solid with Miguel supporting the strikers etc. Well they did and Miguel was excellent.

#5. We said that Ronaldo needed to control his emotions. He did very well, especially for someone who palys with so much emotion. True he needs to be more selective as to when he shows off. (one of the few negatives).

#6. We said Recardo was a wildcard and in all honesty he wasn’t really tested but was there when we needed him.

So all in all it was a very very good first game for Portugal. It was all we wanted including that all important first win. Players played we for the most part in very hot conditions. Now Scolari will, I’m sure, fix up the small imperfections.

But like every game there were things I think we need to improve on.

A. Our free kicks were not very good.
B. With out Deco in mid, we seemed to be a little one dimensional. Nothing creative seemed to come up the middle.
C. Pauleta still didn’t get the service he needs.
D. Maybe this is just me and in all fairness to Viana he did come on when we were in full defence mode, he didn’t do anything.

There, how’s that.

Like was said before. A win is a win and we got ours. Move on!

Posted from  Canada

Did you all saw when Italy won the World cup in Spain back in 82?

Well they did not scored a single goal until finals and they did not played so well… but they won cause in sports we have to assure in first place that we don’t loose… Then we’ll give the show…

FORÇA PORTUGAL!!!

Posted from  Portugal

cristiano ronaldo is the best football player all over the world…
i like him…

Posted from  Belgium

i would have to agree. so when figo retiers from international play we have some one who can take his place on the wing but i dont think he is ready to be a leader but we will see

Posted from  United States

scolari should have played with pauleta and nuno gomes upfront and choose to play either simao or ronaldo.a lot of times there was no one in da box to recieve da crosses.an extra forward may have solved that problem

Posted from  Singapore