Scolari calls up more new blood

By the way, SCP won again last night (FCP lost), so now they are both leading the league!!! Nani scored one…

http://www.ojogo.pt/22-224/artigo582691.htm

Posted from  Netherlands

Hi

I will be in Porto this weekend and am trying to find out how I can get tickets for this game – can anyone help (i don’t speak portuguese). Thanks

Sam

Posted from  United Kingdom

I just read that Meira and Almeida will be out for the next qualifiers. Any idea who will start in place of Meira. Ricardo Rocha?

Posted from  United States

That’s very strange indeed. Meira, the captain of Vfb Stuttgart, is actually in good form at the moment… and I heard nothing about an injury. I’ll look it up…

Luis or Pedro P, could you please help Sam, I’m sure your Portuguese is better than mine…

Posted from  Austria

Meira and Almeida ARE indeed injured.

I´m now back in Portugal for some days and just saw a bit of the group train, the team performed this afternoon, in the National Stadium. I didn´t see Petit (?) and still dunno why, Nani played very well, a lot of teenager girls waitig in line to see CR, Carvalho and Costinha play much better live than on TV, Deco still a class of his own, AND… I did see some 2 guys (one holding mid + winger/striker) I couldn´t quite recognize. So, I went to the federation site, and here´s what I found…

http://www.fpf.pt/scriptnews/view/show.php?id=3660~

Scolari called 4 young kids, from SCP Maybe they were one of them… I can tell you the def mid was a hell of a kid. I was totally conviced, untill now, that maybe Petit couldn´t make it and Scolari had called M Veloso to replace him. The kidd seemed to know what he was doing just to well…

@Sam: Usually you can buy tickets either at the stadium or at the federation. I don´t think it´ll be full. But in the last years, the NT has been bringing a lot more people…
figure… They should know him well enbough.

About the training, I saw as usual 2 teams (white and yellow), with Maniche, Costinha and CR frequently changing. I wouldn´t be surprised if the 11 for tomorrow would be: Ricardo, the 2 defense Ricardos (Carvalho and Rocha), Miguel (that man runs light lightning), Valente, Costinha, maniche, Deco, Simão, CR and N Gomes. I also saw, for some 15 mins, one formation with Deco, Nani and Costinha making the midfield trio. Postiga is getting better but is still a bit clumsy. Overall, the same brilliance in midfield, the same dificulty in scoring. So much, that in one counter, the so called B-team (yellows) scored easily. Also for what I saw, Quim and Ricardo shoudln´t make us feel worried. They are very good.

STILL, these injuries do bother me, as we don´t yet have either Andrade back or a solid 4th centre defender.

ps – Sam, if you need portuguese lessons, I can also give you a hand, but you must tell me what you wanna know.

Tickets for tomorrow are between 5-20 euros, Sam.

http://www.ojogo.pt/22-226/artigo583244.htm

Maybe you must hurry up.

Ticket = bilhete
Price = preço
Topo = behind goal place

In Macau (former portuguese colony in southern China) are now happening the “Lusofonia Games”…

http://www.macau2006.org/

Also just foun out Petit came down with a flu… Nobody to kick ass in midfield, now…

Are there any good news too???
F Meira is not injured but seems to be under pressure in his club because the beginning of the Bundesliga could have been better for Vfb Stuttgart. I wished him luck yesterday and his manager told me that he had wanted to train seperately the day before. I don’t really know why, but his German is really nice. However.

BTW, Luís Figo shot a goal in the Sky Trophy match against Atlanta in honour of Giacinto Facchetti (rest in peace, Cipe!). He entered the pitch in minute 16 because Esteban Cambiasso doesn’t feel well still.

Posted from  Austria

Well, Fabio Capello is after Miguel, for Real´s defense right side…

http://www.abola.pt/nnh/index.asp?op=ver&noticia=109457&d=1&tema=2

Hurrah Petit isn’t playing! I can say with all seriousness he is the player I hate most in the Portuguese team. Penalty misser, bad tackler…GR!!

I wish Portugal luck tomorrow, but of course we will be able to kick Azerbyjan’s arses! (Hopefully! Let’s not see another poor display boys…)

Posted from  United Kingdom

Hi guys,

Sorry I have been missing in action. I’m just finishing a killer project for work this week. I forgot what sleep was like. I will try to get our posts up to day this weekend.

U21 team was crushed by Russia 4 -1. OUCH! that hurts

Posted from  United States

Pedro P,

Would you be interested in a full blogging account? I could use the help.

Posted from  United States

Yeah, Luis, indeed it hurts… Did you see it?

Here´s how I saw it…

First russian goal happens quite early, out of a defensive mistake. BUT… Not even a minute had gone by, already the right back (don´t know all these palyers so well) had taken a yellow, for a foul that wasn´t a foul. But OK, one gives the benefit of doubt. However, throughout the rest of the game, what we saw was a series of hard tackles, actually fouls, just pass by, as if they were nothing. All this reaches its climax, when later the same guy gets another yellow and is sent off, without even having touched the russian player.

Anyway, after the first goal, the team reacted well and managed to score an excellent goal, after a brilliant work by Moutinho – made a great game and I imagine there´s our next #10, albeit a totally diferent style than Deco´s. Can´t have everything…

The russian team was by no means worse, or inferior, to ours. Just the usual… Our brilliant midfield was somewhat inconsequent, when faced against their pragmatic spirit and overall efficiency. They also have an excellent #7. So, they scored 2 more. Also out of defensive mistakes…

Last but not least, the last russian goal… The ref gives a penalty for a foul that didn´t exist. The defender kicks the ball, stealing it from the russian, the russian goes down and its a penalty. 4-1.

Naturally, nothing is yet lost as there will be the 2nd round, here in Portugal. Also naturally, to score them 3-0 isn´t the easiest thing in the world…

All in all, a classic case of “no mistakes are allowed, because the conditions are not favourable to us” (to say the least). But the russians did deserve the victory. But for no more than 2-1, and we mustn´t forget the 2 balls that hit the bar of the russian goal, at a time our team was playing better.

Here´s some links (portuguese) from a portuguese newspaper:

http://www.abola.pt/nnh/index.asp?op=ver&noticia=109457&d=1&tema=2

Sorry, wrong link… Here you go

http://www.ojogo.pt/22-228/artigo583624.htm

Just a few more thoughts for tomorrow…

This will be a complicated match. Until we score the first (if we score at all), it´ll be a patience test, a mind frying game. POR is by far better, but that means nothing. They´ll defend and try to get one in a counter. It has happened (time and again) that Portugal fails against these teams. Our chronicall inability to clinically score also helps.

But if we score one, I believe others will follow. This is also usually the case…

If it goes well, I expect to see Scolari trying out a few things. Just don´t know what…

Maybe 2 strikers and use the match to force the wingers to adjust the play/service, and also to force the 2 strikers to combine well together. I still believe (maybe I´m wrong) N Gomes is so much better when playing as fake #10, or in other words, when he plays as a more mobile striker, just behind a more fixed striker – Postiga in this case.

Maybe, also if things go well, maybe we´ll also see Deco going out early and Nani going in.

Maybe Valente out, Costinha stays for the compensations, Maniche secures the mid (Tiago is also there and playing good) and goes up when possible, Deco as “maestro” and maybe Nani to explore any open space or also to liberate the wingers, so that they can surprise…

Any thoughts on more possible experimental moves…?

I talked to a Portuguese journalist about Azerbaijan and Poland and he told me it was very likely that Scolari wants to give Deco a break by taking him out soon in the first match and let Nani play from the beginning because of his speediness and creativity.
They’ll try an offensive game, but maybe this will be doomed by a fractional tired defence…

Big Phil’s confirmed wish of secure football could backfire against a weak team like Azerbaijan which is underrated so often and only tries to betake itself to counterattacks.
In the WC qualification, this team was, of course, unorganized, slow and very insecure, but there have been some personal changes and so I don’t really know how to rate them.

Concerning the midfield, I really wouldn’t be too happy about Petit’s outfall because after losing Luís Figo, we don’t have any true freekick experts.

Petit’s situation in the Portuguese team has always been like Lucio’s in Brazil. Some say, he’s so brutal and stupid and snobbish and others think he’s the nicest guy and best player in the world (I belong to the second ones, by the way).
This won’t change, but you can’t deny Petit is a very important player for Portugal. Support him and CR and Costinha as much as you can because they really need it at the moment.

Posted from  Austria

Hi Carlos.

Simão is also a great freekick taker and so is CR.

I also like Petit, although we must agree he gives a sort of “roughness” element to the team. Anyway, this guy would still run, even if injured. And he is the guy who runs the most, up ad down the pitch.

I´d guess something like that about Deco… Moreover, the guy is always “squeezed” to the last drop by Barça…

Portugal drew once with Azerbaijan. It’s the type of teams Portugal would always stumble upon. The culture of “we’re better, so sooner or later the victory will come” was the downfall of the team so many times before. Fortunatelly, that trend is disappering. There are no easy matches anymore…

For what I learned, they usually put up 3 centre defenders, 3 holding midfielders, 2 strikers and 1 offensive midfield. 2 lines of well organized defense, 10 men almost permanentely behind the ball, and counters…

A few words from the man himself…

http://www.ojogo.pt/22-228/Artigo583600.htm

http://www.ojogo.pt/22-228/artigo583603.htm

Big Phil says the team’s condition has improved. He gives some very intelligent comments:
He will be very happy if they win four points in the two matches, even happier if they collect more points and less happy if they win less points.

Although some different sources tell different things, I’m quite sure now that F Meira is injured after all (but no flu for sure, as he said himself).

To my mind, R Rocha and R Carvalho will be the central defenders. I’m waiting for José António to be brought on, but it would be a great surprise if he was to play from the beginning. Simão will play on the right.

So this is the probable lineup for tonight (4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1):

Ricardo; Miguel, R Carvalho, R Rocha, N Valente; Maniche, Costinha, Deco; C Ronaldo, Simão;/, N Gomes.

It would be possible that Nani plays from the beginning, but at present his chances are really not the best, but he will be brought on if the score allows it.

Concerning the Azerbaijanis, some of the Brazilians will be interesting to watch… but they don’t have any popular or extraordinarily good players (Coach: Shakhin Diniyev).

Posted from  Austria

In Macau, currently an event called “Lusofonia Games” is underway. Take a look at the site.

http://www.macau2006.org/en/index.php

Our U20 team beat Guiné 3-0, after beating São Tomé e Principe 6-0… These are arguably not the strongest teams in the world…

http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/noticia.php?id=730504&div_id=1194

Portugal will now face Moçambique and Angola will face Cabo-Verde. These are the last 4.

3-0

FORÇA PORTUGAL…

Scorers: C. Ronaldo (2), R. Carvalho
Man of the match: C. Ronaldo (one regular goal shot by him was not accepted – dorky ref), Nani was brought on for him when the three points were sure.

Deco seemed to be excellent… well I didn’t see the match, so I won’t comment it now… visit
http://pfutebol.com , for example.

Posted from  Austria

Turning the tide? Next game will be important. Hey Luis, IF Portugal wins next game I expect you to start talking about becoming Euro champs.

Posted from  Canada

CR19,
I think that would be getting ahead of ourselves. There is far too much time left for any such declarations. I think Portugal is a contender, but anything can happen between now and the finals. Besides, there are plenty of other teams that could do it as well.

Posted from  United States

I am disappointed in your loyalty Luis. : )

Posted from  Canada

Stay calm, there’s still a lot of work to do and we’ve got to try small steps.
On the other hand, illusions have never caused any damage – except depressions and never-ending desperation after losing against Greece or France.

Well, just to stay reliable: I’m always talking about their POTENTIAL, but somehow they lose from time to time very important games… OK, nobody is perfect.
Small is beautiful, and if you take a look at those chaotic Italian blogs, I’m happy to know that there are some REAL fans in the world who know what they’re talking about. This does NOT mean I don’t want Portugal to win any championships!

Posted from  Austria