[R] Portugal x Italy

[calve11]

Well I think it may be too early for this thread, but here it is anyway. Portugal and Italy will play a friendly in Italy on February the 12. It's Scolari's first game at the helm for Portugal and there's a lot of pressure on him. Lets see how he does...

My prediction:

Portugal 3 x 2 Italy

Goals from Figo, Costinha and Simão ()

 

[MarcoCanada]

What is it with my Portuguese brethren. Why do they think that our overrated national team will walk into Italia and leave with two or three goals under their belts????

This game has 0-0, 1-0 written all over it.

I hope we win, but I don't really care about the end result. It's just a friendly.

 

[Costa 10]

Ya you are unerestimating Italy but i hope we win so i can sh*t on all the italians that make fun of portuguese people down herre.

 

[Internazionale]

Since Del Piero is injured, I'd like to see this Italy line up.

------------------------Buffon--------------------
------Cannavaro - Nesta - Materazzi--------
Camoranesi - Cristiano - Fiore - Zambrotta
----------------------Totti-------------------------
------------------Vieri - Miccoli------------------

 

[calve11]

I'm not underestimating at all! I honestly think that Italy may beat us, but I will NEVER make a prediction (think) that my favourite team will lose. I am also a Santa Clara supporter and even if they did face a team like Real Madrid, I'll still think positive and hope/predict for a tie (LoL).

Anyways Portugal does have one of the best attacking teams in the world (Simão, Figo, Rui Costa, Pauleta) so a high scoring game may be on hand and Deco would/will only help it (BTW, has he made his decision?!)

I would like to see more players from the SuperLiga in the squad. Nuno Valente, Paulo Ferreira, Simão & Petit should all be starting IMO...

 

[::shinji::]

Considering this game is in Italy and is Scolari's debut, I'd be VERY happy if we could get even just get a tie out of this game..

I'm not really concerned with the result either though, I'm more curious to see what the squad will look like and what kind of tactics Scolari uses. I'm also curious to see if there will be any surprise call-ups to the NT, now that we have an all new foreign coach.

I know I've mentioned this before, but I think Silas and Quaresma are going to finally make their debuts for the AA squad. Scolari hasn't hid the fact that he's a big admirer of these two.

Marco, I really don't agree that we're overrated at all....the problem with our Portuguese national team is that it's full of Portuguese players and thier (our) Portuguese mentality with all it's politics, accusations, grudges, resentments, mis-guided loyalties, etc, etc....not to mention our lack of a winning spirit (hopefully Scolari can do something about this).

That's just my own opinion though...

 

[INFESTA]

Originally posted by ::shinji::
Marco, I really don't agree that we're overrated at all....the problem with our Portuguese national team is that it's full of Portuguese players and thier (our) Portuguese mentality with all it's politics, accusations, grudges, resentments, mis-guided loyalties, etc, etc....not to mention our lack of a winning spirit (hopefully Scolari can do something about this).

You're spot on, Luis. In fact, that is so true that you see it in other sports: just look at our handball NT. They totally cracked under pressure, and the fact that they were playing in front of a home crowd only made things worse. I don't know what's wrong with these 'passarinhos', but I believe it's more of a structural problem, bcs of the way they're dealt with in their teams since they were kids: lack of discipline, paternalizing towards their irresponsible behaviour, accepting they're prima-donnas, etc. Guys, I've played football and basketball and I know how things work. It's no wonder that when someone like Carlos Queirós comes along we start winning titles...

I hope they don't fack up in 2004, bcs they will play here. That's why I think Scolari is the man for the job.

About the game itself, I don't expect too much from us because:

- Italy is one of the top 5 teams in the wold.
- The game will be played in Italy.
- Scolari's debut.
- He won't have any time to work on the tactical and mental aspects with the players before the game.

This game is meant mainly for the coach to get to know the players and vice-versa, and see how they react against a top team.
Italy wins 1-0 or we draw 1-1.

 

[IceBlu]

Trappatoni has stated that he will field Zambrotta in the Left Back position (the same position he has been playing for Juve recently).

and in addition to what Hugo said about Scolaris debut etc,

-Italy will be in their new kits .
-Camoranesi should be making his debut
-Miccoli could get a call up
-Di Vaio could get a call up


Should be awesome.

 

[MarcoCanada]

Originally posted by ::shinji::
Marco, I really don't agree that we're overrated at all....the problem with our Portuguese national team is that it's full of Portuguese players and thier (our) Portuguese mentality with all it's politics, accusations, grudges, resentments, mis-guided loyalties, etc, etc....not to mention our lack of a winning spirit (hopefully Scolari can do something about this).

That's just my own opinion though...

I disagree. We are not like Spain where our entire national team plays in the same nation. In the Spanish team, the basque hate the castellano, the castellano hate the catalonians etc...etc... hard to get a working together unit there.

With our overrated select team, the 'core' players all play outside of Portugal and thus should not have those inner political problems affecting them like it does our Spanish cousins.

Oh and we're overrated because we showed up at the world cup and played like a bunch of faggots. You can argue all you want that it was Oliveira, I do agree that he was part of the problem I disagree that he was the entire problem like everyone makes him out to be.

 

[calve11]

Originally posted by MarcoCanada
Oh and we're overrated because we showed up at the world cup and played like a bunch of faggots. You can argue all you want that it was Oliveira, I do agree that he was part of the problem I disagree that he was the entire problem like everyone makes him out to be.

Its true that we did do bad but I think AO was the biggest problem. Who the fúck plays Paulo Bento when you have players like Rui Costa on the bench?!?

 

[night]

my prediction: 1-0 to one of the sides
portugal have the potential to beat italy.. but if italy score first.. they will use the traditional 10 defence to defend the lead till the rest of the game

 

[Hugo-45-Viana]

To say that Figo is even a class player is a lie. If anything, we have have many WORLD CLASS players who still haven't gotten much playing time, and are still unknown to the world, but have the ability RIGHT NOW to be world class. I'd say if you don't consider Simao, and Pauleta to be at least near World Class... well then you don't know futebol. The fact is a team doesn't win by player quality, it wins by team quality, and Augustinho has made a GREAT start to making Portugal into a TEAM, which makes the job for Scolari just slightly easier. The fact is even though we had what could be consided by some a piss poor game against Tunisia, the fact is our team futebol was great at most times, the passing was on the spot, and when we got to the point where we once again saw our defence relying on Couto, Ricardo saved... A LOT. The only problem in the game, was the fact that Figo easily had one of the easiest chances of the game to score, an easy hit left pocket of the goal, HE MISSED TO THE RIGHT. But they kept on plugging and really kept the Tunisia defence busy for long periods of time in the second half, with Pauleta having a handful of great shots which came short. By the Sweden game, we were just incredible, coming from 2 behind to win 3, with Rui Costa ,who's not a primary goal scorer, getting the winning goal.

It could go either way but if Portugal gets that team game going it will go 2-1.

 

[::shinji::]

Originally posted by mister
Most Canadian born Italians(myself) and Portuguese probably care more about this game than they do in Europe. Theres just so much chops around and they'll finally be put in their place. Portugal has only 2 world class players in Rui and Figo while Italia has 8 or 10. Its just too bad they didn't face at Euro or WC when both times if Portugal reached the next stage they'd face Italia. portugal only betters Italy in one catergory RM, by the way Totti is a better playmaker than Rui Costa.

Don't refer to us as "chops", I f*cking hate it when moron Portuguese people call themselves that, let alone hearing it from someone like you..

..and that only 2 world class players thing is bullsh!t. For starters, what exactly makes a player 'world class'? Media hype? If that's the case, then yeah, Italy definatly has us beat 10-2 Besides, what would you consider players like Couto and Conceicao? They're starters for 2 of the best teams in YOUR league...not "world class" enough?

 

[Costa 10]

Originally posted by mister
by the way Totti is a better playmaker than Rui Costa.

You couldnt be more wrong, and if hes such a playmaker then why are Roma in 9th place in Serie A

 

[Costa 10]

BTW if he refers to us as chops just call him a guinea

 

[INFESTA]

Originally posted by mister
Most Canadian born Italians(myself) and Portuguese probably care more about this game than they do in Europe. Theres just so much chops around and they'll finally be put in their place. Portugal has only 2 world class players in Rui and Figo while Italia has 8 or 10. Its just too bad they didn't face at Euro or WC when both times if Portugal reached the next stage they'd face Italia. portugal only betters Italy in one catergory RM, by the way Totti is a better playmaker than Rui Costa.

Thanks for your unbiased opinion.
You're right about Italy having 8 or 10 world class players, though.

We care a lot about the game, here, just not about the result. It's important to see who'll be the spine of the team, to see if we can get some chemistry and, hopefully, a successful renewal of key players.

Costa 10, if "chop" is an insult (honestly, I've never heard that word before) please don't respond in the same tone.

 

[Costa 10]

Originally posted by INFESTA
Thanks for your unbiased opinion.

Costa 10, if "chop" is an insult (honestly, I've never heard that word before) please don't respond in the same tone.

ok, sorry

 

[MarcoCanada]

Chop an insult? Thats news to me. most of my friends are wops and we call each other wops and chops all the time.

POrtugal only has 2 world class players, 3 when Deco gets called up.

Pauleta is not world class and Simao???? What???? Get real.

Seems to me that in Portugal the term "World Class" gets used more than a 2 dollar hooker.

 

[Costa 10]

Hard to believe that the 2 time best player in France (pauleta), isnt world class.

 

[Hugo-45-Viana]

Plus, how can you slack off Simao? He's on fire with his freekicks.