Scolari opts for more new faces

This line up is average.

Posted from  Canada

CR19 – come on man. give us more then that. Avg. why? What led you to that conclusion?

Posted from  United States

My man ROnaldo let me down again today agianst Blackburn. WHy did he have to overreact to that dive he did in th 91st? Then he limped around only to spront 50 yards at full speed. I wich he would not do this!!!!

Posted from  Canada

And what is a good lineup then?

It’s very positive that Scolari shows his opportunities, and in that case not very dangerous because you wouldn’t call Kazakhstan a strong opponent like Poland.
We can look forward to seeing an interesting match, different from any WC match.
We should also have a close look at our captains, because in the long run we’ll need new ones. Or maybe soon, with reference to Costinha’s small popularity inside and even more outside Portugal.

Posted from  Austria

CR19 – I saw every minute of that game and, frankly, your criticism rings so hollow. It’s so easy to criticize when you’re not the one on the pitch getting hacked all day. If you were paying close attention to the game, then you would also have heard the commentators say that Ronaldo is probably one of the most hacked players in the EPL and deserves a lot of respect for always getting up moving forward. He played 91 minutes where he made the Blackburn defensive right wing look like a bunch of newbies. “Like a knife cutting through butter”, is how the English commentator phrased it. For some reason, you choose to ignore his performance throughout the entire game and only focus on the last few minutes.

I guess you make your little jabs at Ronaldo to suggest that he’s a wimp or goes down too easily, right? Well, if that were true he wouldn’t be considered one of the best players in the EPL, would he? Especially when the EPL is considered to be one of the most physical leagues around.

Anyone without an anti-Ronaldo bias could see that he was hurt and simply tried to run it off when it became clear that he could not be substituted right away. With a talent like Ronaldo, you take no chances. Any injury has to be taken seriously and I’m sure that’s the way Ferguson wants it.

Posted from  United States

If there is one thing I hate; It’s Ronaldo haters. I don’t curl up to Ronaldo posters at night and he is sometimes; well, how can i say it, frustrating. But one thing you can cash at the bank is his fearlessness and stupendious talent. I am soo proud of him. Week in and week out, he is booed by the fans, yet he puts on this magic show all the time. He is truly the best player in the EPL right now. No question. He is the engine of Man U, and if you think they would sitting on top of the table in the EPL without him, you F#*% crazy.
CR19, you don’t jack squat about this young man’s courage and desire to win. He is attacked every game. In fact, the EPL has had to tighten the rules on fouls because he is just that dominant. I would like to see how long Lionel Messi would last in the EPL? Messi is soo tremendously talented, but look at how fragile he is(in the spanish liga)???
Listen up CR19,Ronaldo’s only flaw (on the pitch)is his desire to do it all, which is attributable to his youth and immaturity (sound familiar CR19)? If Man U beats Chelsea when they meet in two weeks, He will probably be the reason and my friends, he looks good for Player of the year awards

All Portuguese, Big Phil and Ferguson should be very, very proud of him because his development in the last weeks is simply incredible.
He has to bear such a lot of criticism and hate every day so that he is allowed to lose his nerves a little bit from time to time. Not everybody is as perfect, cool and popular as Figo.
And if you really loved Portugal, CR19, you wouldn’t criticize the most important player for the NT who needs nothing else than self-confidence and loyal fans now.

Posted from  Austria

I happen to like CR19. I just learned to play soccer a different way. I have never dove or faked an injury. IF you guys cant handle this, that is too bad. YOu can not tell me what to think of a player.

Posted from  Canada

CR19 – we’re not telling you who to like or why to like, but please don’t come around here just to take jabs at our players or our blog. Your comments are pretty much useless since you don’t offer any real insight into anything. You just take your jabs in one sentence comments and that’s all you’re interested in.

We could care less how you learned to play football since you don’t own the game and haven’t been appointed it’s protector. I’ve been more then patient with you and have given you plenty flexibility to leave your thoughts, even if I think they’re just juvenile nonsense. You should now at least have the courtesy to either be a real participant in our discussions, something I feel is impossible since you don’t seem to know a darn thing about Portuguese football or athletes, or move on to a blog where you do have something to offer. I’m sure there are plenty of them out there for you to leave your graffiti chicken scratch.

Posted from  United States

CR19 – By the way, I’m glad to hear you’re such a tough guy. Maybe we can setup an opportunity for you to go one-on-one with Ronaldo for charity? I’d love to see how tough you really are. I bet you couldn’t take a 1/4 of the abuse Ronaldo takes.

Posted from  United States

Watching Ronaldo for about two years now, he doesn’t dive any more or less than other players do. He does take an inordinate amount of abuse though from Anglophiles, who still harbour a grudge for the WC, and Man U haters, who wish they had him on their team. Simply put he is the most exciting player in the world right now bar none, notice I didn’t say best I said most exciting. I dare anyone on this site to say anything on the contrary. But if you do, give a name of a player you think is more exciting

Posted from  United States

Well put Nelson. Obviously not the best but a very exciting player indeed. It would be useless to name a few players to rival CR mainly cause the ronaldo lovers would argue anything against CR. RIGHT NOW there are a few players bringing fans to their feet. As Arsenal fans would agree with.

Posted from  Canada

Listen up,
I am here to vent and vent I will. Let’s all establish a few certanties and well get along just fine.
1)Scolari had better not bring back Petit and Costinha together in the midfield if he expects Portugal to make it through.
2)The more the young guns play, the better the chances there will be chemistry by EURO08.
3) Portugal has the possibility of having the best ensemble of defenders at EURO (Miguel,Carvalho,Andrade,Nelson)
4)Going with two strikers instead of one will yield more goals. Lots more goals..
5)Gomes,Postiga, Boa Morte don’t make the grade!!!
6)Portugal played with ten men throughout the last world cup(Thanks Pauleta, you Stink!!!)
7) Sporting has the best damm academy in the world with the exception of Santos in Brasil
9) Scolari is the right man (at this transitional time)
10) Finally, C.Ronaldo rocks. With each and every game he proves he is the real deal.Remember, he is only 21 years old. Wait till he matures. Mark my words he will leave a larger legacy than Figo.

(as a final comment). CR19 Why don’t you stop being a moma’s boy and stick to your comments instead of hiding under Nelson’s skirt. Dushbag!!!

Posted from  Canada

Apperently, Quaresma put on a great show, yesterday in practice… Not only did he bring his galaxy of dribbles, he also scored 5 of the 12 goals scored, at the “finishing practice”…

http://www.ojogo.pt/22-266/artigo591502.htm

This newspaper also suggests Raul Meireles will play as holding midfielder (he’s actually the only “trinco” there), in front of R Carvalho + Tonel – Andrade still out of rythm and apparently Manuel da Costa was resting (?). Paulo Ferreira should be first choice for left back, but Nelson is ready as well.

Meireles should also play behind a duo of attacking mids, Tiago and Carlos Martins (SCP). So apparently NO DECO… Up front, the second surpirse, Simao on the left, Nuno Gomes in the middle – he’s likelly to be the Captain – and probably QUARESMA ON THE RIGHT…!

Deco’s and CR’s absence in training were due to a minor injuury in CR’s case (still from the Blackburn match) and Deco because, AS USAL, he played the day before for Barcelona…

It’s been a long, long time, since I last saw Deco fully fit in the NT, not completelly squeezed dry from the Barcelona games…

Anyway, this structure confirms the traditional 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 formation. No big changes there…

Posted from  Netherlands

Check it out…

http://www.eurosport.com/allsports/press-review/2006-2007/sport_sto1008131.shtml

Eurosport says “AS” (spanish football newspaper) are tipping Quaresma to Atl. Madrid, for 12 million, but truth is I read nothing so far about it in the portuguese press…

FC Porto have always been masters in business… Quaresma left Sporting for Barcelona. Couldn’t really impress there, the story ended up with him in the bench, publically stating he’d never play under Rijkaard ever again…

Then cames FC Porto taking the Champs League, 03-04, and then came Euro 04 in Portugal… Deco’s “market value” went sky high, HE moved to Barca, IN came Quaresma for FC Porto as part of the deal…

FC Porto had a cross in the desert after the Mourinho days, took some time to find themselves but nowadays, even so shortly after a new coach (J Ferreira, since summer) and a kinda drastic change in the playing system, (3-4-3 back to 4-3-3), they are the strongest team in the portuguese league. Goalkeeper Helton played almost the entire last season with a 3 men defense line in front of him, only to end the least beated defense in european leagues that season. He was already called twice by Dunga to defend Brazil’s goal. Lucho is better and better, unquestioned in the Argentinian team’s midfield.

And Quaresma was voted the best player in the portuguese league, last year…!

Just hope this guy can bring all the good stuff he can do in the NT…

Posted from  Netherlands

http://www.eurosport.com/football/euro-2008-qualifying/2006-2007/sport_sto1007515.shtml

Posted from  Netherlands

This is not about a player, but abut a coach… Yes, Portugal DOES have several coaches working abroad.

This is one of them. His name is Manuel Jose and he just won (for the second consecutive time, if I’m not mistaken) the african equivalent of “our” Champs League, with Al-Ahly!

http://www.ojogo.pt/22-266/artigo591636.htm

Thus guy was Boavista FC ’s coach for a long, long time… When they won (their only time) the portuguese league, 00-01, it was under coach J Pacheco. However, what Manuel Jose had done for Boavista left it’s mark.

This is also a coach that has been tipped for the place of Portugal’s coach a lot of times, in the course of these last 10-15 years… Of course, “we” can only argue, or hear the rumours… One thing is sure, he’s not well taken in the FC Porto “clan”… Some say this is the main reason why we never saw him coaching the national team…

Just checked…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Ahly#African_Championships

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Jos%C3%A9_de_Jesus

Posted from  Netherlands

Pedro

Once again you come up with some excellent incites. Great site and info.

On the CR front I’d like to say that I watch the English EP very regularly and I have noticed recently that even the English commentators have grudgingly had to admit lately that CR is by far the best player in the EP this season and that he takes an incredible amount of abuse, day in and day out.
Trust me when I tell you that it’s a shock to hear this from English commentators! They will only talk about an English player this way. Even guys like Henry or Berkamp (in his day) got talked about like this.
So it’s very very high praise for our boy….

Posted from  Canada

Ceasar – I agree with you. I see the trend as well. English commentators are indeed starting to balance their comments on Ronaldo. We’re not Ronaldo groupies, as some would sugguest, we just think he deserves some degree of fairness and recognition for the fantastic talent and hard work he displays on the pitch.

Posted from  United States

Guys, I think Manolo took the words right out of my mouth, We can have the strongest defense in Euro 08. These guys are all world class and none of them would be playing out of position. Petit are Costinha are useless. And as I said before Miereles is the only real DM on the squad right now which could lead to a change in strategy for Portugal. I think that is why Ronaldo wants so badly to play in this game because he knows Scolari is going to turn it up and he wants to be a part of it. Tomorrow we should see a different team than the one we’ve seen before and I for one am excited.

Posted from  United States

In a game like the one against Kazakhstan, Petit and Costinha are probably not the most useful ones.
But I really don’t believe that they are useless at all… old hands are needed in every team in the world and it’s impossible to build up the best defence in Europe without having experienced and tactically good men who can introduce the younger players to their tough life with a double burden.

Posted from  Austria

http://www.eurosport.com/football/mc_vid30860.shtml

Posted from  Netherlands

http://www.rtp.pt/index.php?article=259964&visual=16

Posted from  Netherlands

A bit off-topic, but well… Always worthwhile…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUJcULXm4xk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9qbwhOtLto&mode=related&search=

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

Posted from  Netherlands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKAgdV0rFlQ&mode=related&search=

This is about Quaresma, BUT, here you can even see Paulo Bento (currently SCP’s coach) actually playing with the old bunch…

Posted from  Netherlands