Queiroz Answers My Prayers, Keeps Ricardo Away From His First Selecção

I pumped to see what Danny can do, It’s almost like Charlie knows something…
Ricardo out was a no-brainer, Charlie knew from the get-go he couldn’t use him, no matter what…
I thought ricky Q was practicing normally with FCP…wtf?

Posted from  United States

Firstly, I need to know who half of these guys are. And that’s not a bad thing, I’m kind of excited to see we have some sort of depth to this team. Danny, Duda, and the goalies named not Quim are players I have either never heard of or know simply by name recognition and not much else.

Overall, I’m excited. Euro Cup felt like premature ejaculation (sorry, had to go there), and I need more football from this team. Nuno doesn’t ruin it for me, as I still have a spot for him in my heart for all the times he’s scored goals for me against my friends in FIFA games. Hell, the guy was solid in Euro Cup and scored. Who else do we play right now?

Surprising omissions other than Quaresma (thanks for letting me know he’s hurt, I was stunned at first) I’d say Jorge Riberio and Miguel. I figured someone had to play LB and hopefully wouldn’t be that pansy Paulo. I’m crossing my fingers that Antunes starts. Pele is another guy that I’m surprised to not see on the team. I’m sure his time is coming, for all I know Mourinho sent Charlie a check telling him not to call up Pele.

Finally, I’m glad to see, that from who’s called up, Nani might actually get to start for once. You know, he does start for this club team that I heard is pretty good. Maybe he’d be good for Portugal??? Thank God Charlie is the coach.

Posted from  United States

Loyal reader #3 chiming in, no Cigano? Training room? I gotta have a talk with that guy who runs te Porto blog. Pele, would have liked to have seen him. Nuno, why God why? Antunes might get some time at LB, didn’t think he was ready yet. Simao, what? The way this looks we may be playing a 4-3-2-1 with Deco sliding in behind Simao and Nani. Moutinho and dare I say Miereles as the Trinco? Oh I dare but I hold Fernandes as getting some time because he is an english based player and Charlie has probably seen him play alot over the past few years (dirty foul that gave him a concussion and probably stunted hi growth not withstanding)

not a bad line-up although at times it makes me wonder if the portugal national team coach really does have quotas to fill as far as including players from the “BIG THREE” , i would have liked to see postiga instead of gomes , pele and/or pedro mendes instead of carlos martins , all considered not too bad of a job by quieroz , was glad to see petit was left off the squad as well

Posted from  United States

hey. just dropping by to say hi. anyway, you’ve got an excellent blog. i’ll come back more often here and hopefully i’ll be one of your loyal readers. (hint hint) Anyway, I’m quite happy with Queiroz line-up. And isnt Miguel Veloso in the U21 squad playing against England soon? Along with his buddy Rui Patricio. They are playing on 5th September at Wembley.

U21 squad announced on 14th August 2008
Siena: Gonçalo Brandão;
Fiorentina: Manuel da Costa;
Saint-Etienne: Paulo Machado;
Bolton: Vaz Té;
Trofense: Helder Barbosa;
Estrela Amadora: Nuno André Coelho and Vítor Vinha;
Inter de Milão: Pelé;
FC Porto: Candeias;
Leixões: Vasco Fernandes;
Paok: Vieirinha;
Rio Ave: Miguel Lopes;
Olhanense: André Castro;
Sporting: Miguel Veloso, Pereirinha, Ricardo Batista, Rui Patrício and Yannick;
V. Setúbal: Bruno Gama and Saleiro.

Posted from  Singapore

Well I’m glad, ecstatic actually, about the Q-man omitting Ricardo. Now maybe we can stop gifting the other team 2 goals before each game. Like you Greg I’m not liking Gomes being in again and I don’t buy the “we have no other strikers” crap. We will never have other strikers till we start giving them a chance to show they are up to the task, and what better venue than against the world beaters Faroe Islands. No offence to any and all the hot girls in the Faroe Islands..
Not sure how to take the omission of Quaresma though? I know he hasn’t been playing, due to transfer politics I believe, but considering CR7 won’t be there I am a little confused about this. It has to be a little disheartening to Q if he’s healthy and ready to go….

Posted from  Canada

I pretty much agree with what everybody else has said. This is an exciting group and it’s nice to see Queiroz switching things up. For me the biggest disappointment was the lack of Postiga, but other than that nothing has me totally doubting Queiroz’s judgement yet (assuming injuries barred Quaresma and the other obvious absences). I’m also hoping that corners and set pieces are #1 on their training agenda regardless of the fact that Ricardo isn’t there…

I was sooooo happy that Quieroz kept Ricardo away from the squad…But Miguel was in the squad…he played on the match (which we have won 5-0). After all, this is a good squad. Without Ricardo, with Ferreira on the bench. But I still cant understand why he didnt selected Maniche and Postiga (maybe Quaresma). Im a bit confused here. I hope they will prove their quality and will be picked next time. We need Postiga, because Almeida is not a good choice…

None of the goals came from the strikers… that’s impressive.

Posted from  Netherlands

1) we don´t have killer strikers and I actually liked to see Almeida in the starting 11 – he´s been deserving it more than Nuno Sissy Gomes; 2) when you play 4-3-3 with a technical team but low impact power, it´s expected that spaces will be opened and that somebody will eventually score or that the wingers (Nani finally scored, but he should have assisted in half the times he went for it himself) and full backs will wreck up defenses; 3) we only played 1 striker and then with Danny (debue, offspring of the huge portuguese comunity in Venezuela, now playing in Russia – we tugas are really everywhere ) as second striker (another inovation) – and he almost scored – I don´t care who did score… The important is that we scored…

But I notice something extremelly tuga here… Our eternal tendency to bathmouth ourselves (oh well, other countries don´t even know the meaning of irony and sarcasm…)… Others would be wetting their pants, shouting to the whole world just how “total” this football was, using this as an argument to prove that exact point…

I´m also happy Ricardo Butter Hands (the worlds worst goalie and the worlds best penalty stopper) didn´t play, but against all mighty Feroe Islands, it didn´t really matter, did it…?

I liked Antunes (almost scored as well), M Fernandes, recalling Duda to the squad, Danny as extra option for assisting striker (we only had Deco, a mid, now we have danny and Carlos Martins – former sporting boy, like others reborn in another club) and also Pepe doing the dummy striker in the last minutes – he´s got the skill and the smell for it.

Maniche is gone, Quaresma hasn´t been playing, CR is injured, Postiga and Djaló will get their chance. Queiroz will bring more imagination and youth, cos that´s his feature…

Again, against this team, it was a good preliminary test. The real test will come soon, from Denmark and Malta (another world power that might still take points from us)… But I liked what I saw. Good signs for the future…

5-0 is always 5-0… FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORÇA PT

Posted from  Netherlands

@ Pedro i agree
charlie is using the 4-3-3 similar to man united. 3 creative midfielder, 2 wide players, and one big guy up front to hold the ball up and bring other players into the game.

Posted from  United States