The Azorean Cyclone

I was extremelly happy that somebody, other than ourselves, actually says these things about him. Pauleta is, and has always been, a discrete character.

My generation of people is one that has witnessed the “rebirth” of portuguese football. The rise of our country as one that produces highly skilled players, a country that has emerged form the “dark ages” as a national team. And it was a very slow walk…

Pauleta was a significant help towards this goal.

After EC96, the striker position was, as it is today, a critical one with the portuguese side. Pauleta was already showing a lot with Salamanca and nobody was calling him. Later, already with the NT, he was never really given “the” place. He would always toggle with Nuno Gomes, arguably because sometimes one would be in a better form than the other. pauleta was better but not consistent. Nuno Gomes was option #2, never really doing anything special, but delivering when it counted – look at EC2000.

It was with Scolari that this place “The Striker”, became finally HIS. A lot of performances were indeed below par. I do believe, though, that the place was his to keep and that giving it to him would solidify the team itself. I believe it did.

Today he is our striker. As the article states, he won’t be for much longer. I feel a lot of people will miss him in a couple of years…

Posted from  Netherlands

In all fairness to Pauleta, in EC04 he missed so many good chances but only by fractions of inches. And for worldclass strikers, those inches are the difference between goal or no goal. Really in that competition he only clearly missed one for sure goal that I recall, which we could lay the blame on him? All the other chances were there but could have just as easily gone in as out.
He just had bad luck in EC04, plain and simple. The ball didn’t want to drop for him. Plus he handled it with quite reserve and class, which are 2 of his great qualities. So hopefully he can take his ‘rightfull’ place as a great striker this WC, not because he’s Portuguese or Acoreano, or because we need him to to advance, but because he deserves it!!!

Posted from  Canada

He has trouble with the ball because he keeps playing football with that ‘Terra Nostra’ cheese…Did anyone ever see that commercial?.It’s funny. He’s in the Acorean countryside dribbnling a round cheese.

I wish I could have seen that commercial Soze, especially since I’m acorean. Sounds funny though..

Posted from  Canada

I looked on-line for the comercial but could not find it. This is all I could find.

http://www.azoresdigital.com/ler.php?id=4437&PHPSESSID=04cd14d8b9efd88ef39feb2feebf6386

Thanks Soze..

Posted from  Canada