PT 3 – 0 KZ: Coulda, shoulda been 6?

In a way, it kinda seems CR has actually “copied” some moves from this dude…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsYk-do6E-s

This is still from the days when Quaresma was just another young talent Sporting had lost to some “superpower”, with everything to follow Figo’s footsteps… It wasn’t to be, but he still managed to develop into a very good player… Dances a bit too much and produces a bit too little (funny, this was the acusation CR had to endure for a long time, but it is what I personaly think of Quaresma). A trend that has changed more and more with FC Porto. No doubt, if things progress like they have been, Portugal will have an electric winger duo, which will be extremelly dificult to match – I only see van Persie or Messi, as possible chalengers.

One possible answer to the “striker dilemma” is the one Portugal has found along the decades… Compensate with wingers and attacking midfielders, cos these we usually have plenty of… In 1996, we went to England wihtout having a pure #9… It was Sa Pinto and Joao Vieira Pinto, I think, what we had closest to a pure striker…

OK, seriously, I believe that the future is bright… Although these qualiying games are the best argument I have against people who didn’t like Pauleta – he was not the best striker in the world, but he was our all time “2nd” best, and the all time highest scorer. Meaning we still don’t have a striker as good as him, but I firmly believe that Postiga is improving, that Nuno Gomes’s biggest problem is being irregular (one day he gets out of the bench and decides a tough match, as easy as pie, like he had been doing it his entire life) and we DO have young promises… Hugo Almeida, Vaz Te, Djalo, already playing at high level, so to start with, even if they aren’t the best in the world, they are certainly good and at least we have something in “the hoven” that we didn’t, in the past years…

ps – What a goal, Simao’s first, two days ago…

Posted from  Netherlands

heh…fergie is all worked up over Scolari’s comments…

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=392369&cc=3888

I think Scolari is just fed up with Fergie and Queiroz always hounding him about Ronaldo. It seems that it happens almost every round of qualifiers.

Posted from  United States

Thanks a lot, Luis, great work, really.

A Portuguese friend of mine, who I watched the game with, is delighted about the fans’ knowledge and devotion for his fatherland. He wants to thank you all, and especially Luis, for the work and hopes that you keep going because it’s very important that someone watches the young players’ development very closely because the people who live inside Portugal don’t do that properly.
He once again points out our importance for the team and wishes you God’s blessings and the intercession of the Holy Virgin.

Posted from  Austria

just one question, why isnt maniche in the squad or playing these days? wb plz i would like to know, cheers.

Posted from  United States

Steven – after the poor performance fromt the midfield against Poland, Scolari must have decided to try some new faces. This doesn’t mean that Maniche won’t be included in future rosters.

Posted from  United States

(in portuguese)

http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/noticia.php?id=742399&div_id=1498

Posted from  Netherlands

http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/noticia.php?id=743460&div_id=1194

Posted from  Netherlands

http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/noticia.php?div_id=1497&id=743542

Posted from  Netherlands

http://www.record.pt/noticia.asp?id=727369&idCanal=24

Posted from  Netherlands

Some oldies…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUik3IkK990

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqKF0RMNi4Q

Posted from  Netherlands

Some more…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNAgJdCA6A0&NR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfpPXSpcHOk&mode=related&search=

Posted from  Netherlands

And this is from when some certain N Valente, Costinha, Maniche, R Carvalho, P Ferreira, Deco and another gentleman called J Mourinho, were ALL in the same team… Well, the rest is history…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A55kkFJn-Gk&NR

Posted from  Netherlands

Enjoy some more golden classics…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC0qpfumQsY&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72jCFRhru2Y&mode=related&search=

Posted from  Netherlands

THE GOLDEN GENERATION (and Carlos Queiroz)!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdZpinLaEtw&mode=related&search=

Posted from  Netherlands

great videos Pedro

Posted from  United States

OMG Pedro, the golden generation vidoe is priceless. I’m sure that Rui Costa and Figo wish to forget theis ‘image’ from those days. Figo has come a long way with his quaf.

Also, on the brazil team, I’m not sure, but I think that is Roberto Carlos with hair….but he went by his pseudonim ‘Roberto’….

Posted from  Canada

Rui Costa and Figo did have some special hairstyles… And Queiroz there, with a wonderfull display of the (ever famous) portuguese moustache…

Anyway, this was the 1991 batch… It’s very nice to see Lisbon in 1991 – and the Estadio da Luz (The Cathedral), the old one – completelly full… This meant, at the time, some 120 000 people gathered there… The new satadium is smaller than the old.

The trend had started 2 years before, with the tittle in 1989, in Saudi Arabia… I remember still everybody going downtown – actually to the roundabout you can see in the beggining of the video – with flags, to celebrate what was to be the real start of a new dimension in portuguese football…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_World_Youth_Championship

Of course, what is still today called the Golden Generation is a mix of both this team and the one from 1989. From this one, this is also quite a famous name…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Sousa

Currently this guy is also coaching the NT… Just like Brassard, the goalie you can see in the video, is now one of the goalkeeper’s coach of the NT…

ps – by this time, if I remember properly, the most mediatic player was “Peixe”, I think one of the holding midlfielders. This was THE player, at the time. It all happenend after once people saw him crying during the anthem… But he was an extremelly good player, at least during the tournement, and was the type of kid everybody liked, very simple, without a bullshit speech and not too cocky… This and Joao V Pinto – one of our famous “all-purpose” midfielders, more dangerous than a “pure striker”…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrA3Ek7iENA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOc_7NXnwfM&mode=related&search=

JV Pinto went on to be one of SL benfica stars, but never won anything, at the end… Peixe fell totally in oblivian, shortly after the tournement, until years later he was playing for FC porto. But he never regained his status back… On the other hand, F Couto and J Costa became legendary NT and FC Porto defense spinal cord; P Sousa went abroad and became one of the best #6 of his time, Figo set the neighbour country on fire for the past decade, Rui Costa left his beloved SL Benfica (it’s really an acute pashion case) for 12 years, and is now with his “dream” carreer end, with SLB…

pps – I don’t know if it was Roberto Carlos, still with hair, but I wouldn’t be surprised…

Posted from  Netherlands

Let’s ALL hope Sporting gets the same result as FC Porto and SL Benfica got, yesterday evening…

Posted from  Netherlands

It was a good day for Portuguese football yesterday. I dunno, but I still think that Quaresma is a little over-rated. He seems to think he is too important to really try on the pitch. He reminds me of a end of career Zidane… technically able, but unwilling.

Most of my wifes family are Sporting supporters. It will be a much talked about game at dinner tonight. I always like watching Figo play against his former teams…he gives it that little bit extra. Like cheating on his first love.

Posted from  Canada

Nice idea, Soze…
I’m an Inter fan, but tonight I’m gonna support Sporting – in the interests of Portugal.
It’s not sure yet if Luís will be playing, but Roberto Mancini won’t have any surprising ideas and if Figo’s condition is not too bad all of sudden, we will see an unmotivated, tired Portuguese who will be taken out after 75 minutes – if everything goes well or very bad for Inter.

Posted from  Austria

SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORTING!

So eu sei,
Porque nao fico em casa…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uud30o9p-Ek

Posted from  Netherlands

Moito Benficistas em casa?

Posted from  Canada

For those of us at work…..the game will be brodcast on the net on:

http://www.live-footy.org

Posted from  Canada

Eh, I’m very sorry for you…
at least Inter will beat Bayern, hopefully…

It was a strange match, and I didn’t like Roberto Mancini’s way of paying deference to SCP. Despite their loss in Lisbon, he didn’t take them seriously: He let Figo rest again (but one of his coaches said that he hadn’t been willing to play, which I can understand – he doesn’t want to lose his popularity in Portugal), replaced Dacourt only because he was hurt and Grosso went off the pitch just to give Esteban Cambiasso a nice comeback after his injury.

Once again, Zanetti had a great match.

Posted from  Austria

oh rite cool well trying some new faces is good i guess, i hope maniche returns soon though. anyway thanks luis for replying and keeping me and evry1 in touch with the goiongs on, nice 1.

Posted from  United States