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Match Preview: Albania vs Portugal

June 1st, 2009 | By: Miguel | 10 Comments »

June, 6, 2009
Quemal Stafa Stadium, Tirane, Albania
20:45 Tirane; 19:45 Lisbon, London; 14:45 New York

Current Group Standings:

Matches left to play:

Possible line-up:

Eduardo
Bosingwa – Bruno Alves – Ricardo Carvalho – Duda
Deco – Raúl Meireles – Tiago
Cristiano Ronaldo – Hugo Almeida – Simão Sabrosa

Cristiano Ronaldo said today on his arrival at Óbidos, where the squad is assembled for the next couple of days: “If we don’t win against Albania we miss the world-cup.” so I bloody well hope they leave their skin on the pitch and do their utmost to help us forget the last half a dozen painful performances.

Albania is a tough team, they held us to a goalless draw in the first match we played them and lets not forget they were down 1 man for the entire second half. Piss poor performance from Portugal. Croatian Josif Kuze has taken over the Albanian squad and having a new manager might go two ways. Either the players get a confidence boost trying to impress or being at the job only for the last 3 weeks the new manager fucks up due to some lack of player knowledge. Sometimes when a new manager comes on he wants to implement his tactics and it takes the players a couple of games to get used to it and… wishful thinking.

5 Games to go. 5 Victories to bag. Simple as that.

Tags: Albania, Portugal, Preview, Qualifier, World Cup 2010

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Comments

By Seth | June 1st, 2009 at 8:44 pm

I feel indifferent about Meireles. Ok to be honest, I think he’s crap.

And let’s hope Ronaldo does not flop again for the national team. I think he’s too scared of getting hurt. But with the EPL season over, I think he can loosen up a bit.

Forca Portugal!!!

By Miguel | June 2nd, 2009 at 12:08 pm

I’ve seen a lot of solid performances by Meireles this year for FC Porto. The only real alternative I see on the bench is Moutinho or perhaps using Pepe as defensive midfield but we need to score and Meireles’s aptitude for that is far better then both combined. Come to think of it Pepe and Meireles are the only 2 players who have played the full 90m in all 5 matches. It seems likely now he will play them both.

What would your preferred line-up be Seth?

Ronaldo’s ego must be panicking with the possibility of him not being at the world cup (very unlikely possibility I know), so with that in mind he must be getting himself pretty much wound up to go beyond the call of duty… I hope.

Até os comemos carago! Força Portugal!

Posted from Portugal

By Simboli i Diellit | June 4th, 2009 at 9:49 am

Well it’s a very important match for Portugal, but for Albanian players and his new manager is immportant as well. (there’ll be new player playing)
If Ronaldo wasn’t part of Portugal i’d like that Portugal wins and reaches WWcup2010 but i really don’t like that player, he’s very egoist as u said , and his individualistic way of playing may be positive or negative for Portugal . Obviously there’ll be a New Albanian way of playing, so Albanians playing in attack could let free space behind and be exposed to the portoghese strikers. I hope that there will be a good match. Good Luck to Albania and her new manager Kuzhe. I wish good luck to Deco (my prefered portoghese player) & Simao good luck too. ^_^

By cristiano | June 6th, 2009 at 4:30 am

[`ThE pOrTuGaL wOn 4-EveR ...............`]

Posted from Serbia And Montenegro

By tonny | June 6th, 2009 at 9:11 am

albania won 3-1 ronaldo out….i love albania….forzza albania….
albania 4 ever……..won won won won

Posted from Albania

By tonny | June 6th, 2009 at 9:12 am

draw in braga won in tirana..
forca albania…………………………gooolll bogdaniiii

Posted from Albania

By tonny | June 6th, 2009 at 9:13 am

fuck greec fuck serbia…….i love kosovo and albania..
u.s.a united state of albania…………

Posted from Albania

By Germany | June 6th, 2009 at 12:34 pm

Forza Albania ihr seid die beste fick die scheiss serben und portogalen weitter so

By João | June 6th, 2009 at 1:38 pm

“Ronaldo’s ego must be panicking with the possibility of him not being at the world cup (very unlikely possibility I know)”

Of course he’ll be at the world cup, but at the rate this team is going he’ll be sitting in the stadium watching his Manchester team mates play instead of participating. :p

I’ll be quoting myself in the morning and say “I hate being right”. ^^

By Seth | June 6th, 2009 at 6:17 pm

Omg, we’re still alive!

Comments are closed