PT 1 – 1 FN

i though Nani was pretty average against Finland.The portuguese defence looks a bit shaky..missing the likes of miguel meria and andrade there..Ronaldo had an ineffective game..Nuno Gomes showed that he could replace pauleta upfront..

Posted from  Singapore

Yes, magnus, you’re right, but Nani is still very young and we hope he will be better in two year’s time.
Ricardo was brilliant once again and Ronaldo couldn’t do much because of fouls.

Posted from  Austria

To tell you the truth, I didn’t really see so much “physical problems” as Scolari claims… I saw some lack of agression and will, which the fins had plenty… But it’s a “good enough story” to “feed” the hiena-sport-press and give the team some rest form overly critical voices…

I did see a defensively disorganized Portugal, who still did everything to bring the 3 points home. More than Finland, I’d say. I also disagree Finland’s coach’s statements, praising Ricardo for his 2 great saves, thus denying Finland the victory. They were good but, although overall disorganized and playing with 10 men most of the time, Portugal was still quite a dangerous team.

R. Costa’s red… It was the 2nd yellow, the first yellow was a bit pushing it too far from the ref and the 2nd was also kinda harsh. But R Costa has hopefully learned something. On the other hand, some finish players kept on fouling…

Meira’s absence was deerly felt and maybe in the future Scolari will put his $ on Ricardo Rocha and not Ricardo Costa in the middle of the defense.

Scolari’s trying something with the full backs, but I couldn’t yet understand it. Maybe designing the team to be able to play with 3 men in the back and another in midfield. This or making the full backs be a bit more the wingers and letting the natural wingers be more “half-strikers”, supporting the playmaker and bringing the game more to the core of the pitch, rather than the flanks. Time will tell, but Nani – not a true winger, although usually playing on the side – could well be the beggining of the turning point in Portugal’s play.

N Valente performed OK and Caneira on the right-back was also OK (he’s usually left-back or cente-back). None of them impressed me.

Without the reference players, without Simao and Maniche, plus Deco not 100% and C Ronaldo dancing more than actually playing, the level couldn’t possibly be as high as “usual”.

Portugal showed again all its weakness against corner’s, especially with teams physically more robust, like Finland… This doesn’t excuse the fact that Hyypia didn’t score some 2 or 3 goals because, well, he failed it completelly, throuwing it on the side… But he had a completelly clear road ahead, courtesy of Portugal’s defense!

Again, Nani impressed me for his confidence and actually leading the team better than C Ronaldo, who didn’t play such a good game yesterday. I mean he was competent. Too little for a guy who says he can became the best in the world. On the other hand, like against Denmark, I barelly saw Moutinho. I was convinced it’d be the oposite: Nani with a shy and insecure start with the NT, Moutinho showing a sober, contained but solid performance. After all, it was the other way around…

All in all, 1 point away against our theorical striongest enemie in group A – a group without “heavy-weights” – cannot be considered a bad result. Portugal’s style of play produced twice as much the attacking effords but I have to say Finland wasn’t further from scoring than Portugal, albeit with a more direct and less technical game. In the last 15 minutes they were closer to scoring than Portugal.

Impressive how Portugal allowed the fins so much freedom in the box in corner kicks, impressive the dificulties felt by Portugal in transporting the ball after the midfield, but surelly also impressive the beauty and quality of the goal scored. Pitty there wasn’t another…

Posted from  Netherlands

Ricardo Costa, on his own sending off: “It was a too harsh a punishment and a pitty, cos I was doing good and didn’t deserve such a severe punishment”

http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/noticia.php?id=721937&div_id=1194

OK, although away from the box and touching the ball first, it was still a tackle from behind, scissor like, and we all know that these are like the devil for FIFA, no matter if the player actually played the ball, or whatever, so may this be a lesson to you for the future, Ricardinho…

Posted from  Netherlands

After this World Cup we should be starting to get used to the strict FIFA rules.
Anyway, the Finnish did play more aggressive and unfair than the Portuguese.
The apparent weakness in the defence shocked me a bit and I hope Felipão will get the personal problems under control soon.

Posted from  Austria

Lets not forget that R. Costa is essentiall 3rd string with Andrade and Meira both sidelined with injuries. Caneira isn’t first choice either. I’m not surprised that the defense is less then 100% right now. The poor work on corners and free kicks makes me nuts. I know these teams have some big players, but tall players don’t stop you from exhibiting proper placement in the box.

Posted from  United States

Of course that with Andrade and Meira both injured, the natural choice for the nr 2 in the centre of defense would fall on R Costa. Already called for the WC. This was, however, a rather undisputed choice at the time, considering the other options: R Rocha and Tonel, curiously just like R Costa, had played little to nothing with the NT, until that point. Caneira was also in the pack and is a versatile player, as he was the left-back substitute but plays often as central defender. Time will tell which of them will keep the place.

Posted from  Netherlands

Hopefully Miguel and Meira will be back for the next game. I have no faith in Ricardo Costa, I don’t believe he can play at that level. I understand he is fourth on the depth chart, but injuries happen and when he is in there the defense is less sound. I would not mind see Scolari calling up Manuel Da Costa, young player with alot of talent. When he plays with the U21, the ball seems to flow through him. I am not saying we put him in against a top opponent, but call him up for a friendly and lets see how he handles it. Overall it wasn’t a bad game, we seemed to control the game when it was 11 vs ll. I thought nani played well, was fouled quite often, and provided some nice passes. Ronaldo will have to do better, and he is more than capable of doing it, and though he was double and triple teamed, other teams will employ the same strategy and he sees the same type of agressive defense against him weekly in the Premiership so he must fight through it.

Posted from  United States

I think a good result overall for all the reasons mentioned in the blog.

Offensively, the team is trying small changes, so some closer scorelines will be inevitable as they tune things. It was nice to see Nani make a case for himself, he has clearly thrown his name into the hat along with Quaresma and BoaMorte for the 3rd string winger/forward.

Defensively, it was rather poor, similar to Denmark thrashing. R. Costa’s marking was brutal. He will have to have an excellent season to be considered again.

Although now is the time for screw-ups and alternative strategies and tryouts. The only goal is qualification and a few bumps along the way are quite the good thing IMO.

Posted from  Canada

Maybe we can have some success in 2008 with this team (only if Ronaldo does better! We know he doesn’t like to play in Manchester, but he still should put all his effort in winning), but for the next World Cup in South Africa we should have a closer look at the U21 team now.
The game was not bad, but only think of the World Cup qualification, which was perfect!
However, there must be a life after Figo and our youngsters have to try to win for him because he has done so much for Portugal.

Posted from  Austria

Luis!!!

I have been reading your blog since day one, but have sat idle as an observer. I am not much of a blogger myself, though the mere reading other fan’s shared opinions has been friggin cool to say the least. Needless to say, you run a good venue. Why don’t you start your own?? How long will this one be up?

Anyway, I realy think you all have forgotten Tonel….Sure he is young and screws up from time to time but please remember, R.Costa didn’t even have a place on FC Porto just months ago.

I ask only this… how long will all true FPF fans, ignore the facts….Alcochete is our most important asset. (Carlos Martins, Nani, Moutinho, Quaresma, Ronaldo, Hugo Viana, Tonel….) These are just my fav’s, I dare not list them all, because if you know FPF, you know the 85% of our recent contributors have had something to do with Juventude Leonino.

OK, my love for the verde may make me a bit bias, but c’mon…we need a striker right…here comes Yannick Djaló…..nuff said

Luis, Please continue and advise.

Viva Lisboa
Viva SCP
Viva Portugal

i feel Nuno Gomes is a good enuf replacement for Pauleta..He has a great goal scoring record for Portugal considering he is always on da bench..He is good enough to score da goals portugal needs in da next 2 years at least..

Posted from  Singapore

@Carlos: I think we are all heading for a fal if we expect the NT to perform regularlly as high as in recent days… BUT, I do believe they’ll still maintain quite a high level and that POR will still be a contender for EC08.

@LusoCanuck: SCP just beat Nacional (da Madeira) this weekend, after 4 years failing to do so…

SCP receives Inter, tomorrow night in Lisbon, with some players inj… However, against Nacional, Paulo Bento decided to place Miguel Veloso (Central Defender #3 – kids) as def mid and it worked, put Ronny (new brazilian kid) as left back, rested Caneira, etc, AND the result was to brerak the bad tradition of not winning at Nacional’s home… Guess who scored… Yup, NANI did the trick…

Of course… Inter is not Nacional…

Posted from  Netherlands

LusoCanuck – thanks for the props and yes the thought has crossed my mind. Stay tuned for more information.

Posted from  United States

nuno gomes should definently get more starts for portugal. He is producing the goods for benfica and im certain he will for portugal

Posted from  United Kingdom