Big Phil Doesn’t Have to Take This

Sorry, meant Quaresma is a better player than any Oliveira brother will ever be as a coach. And that Portugal, as a team, in any of its incarnations in history, even before Scolari, in Finland´s position would have at least TRIED to win that game a whole lot harder than that cold controlled lifeless Finland. It was strange to see them cry afterwards, they were so controlled during the game.

Regarding the crowd, even Porto fans like Scolari. And it is Portugal after all, on a final decisive match. Jorge Ribeiro did his bit for national unity ( not) by asking first for northern audiences to show their support. From my point of view, Leiria is north already ;) but Leiria is a bad choice for an important match because the stadium is nearly empty and it was filled people who should have gone to the movies instead. Idiots.

Well, everybody portuguese has wanted, at some point to smack Ricardo Quaresma. And to protect him as well - I do, honestly. He has had a very hurt ranting recently at press criticism. I think he is right to complain, but I so wish instead he could learn to ignore the sports press for what it is, eternal complainers and nitpickers without any fairness or real loyalty behind deadlines. Quaresma needs some psychological support because the fact he can get psychologically hurt very easily is worrying. And I am talking also of last summer, I can understand Scolari not picking him up. But then the, I will try to be diplomatic, incompetent youth coach, the *worst* Oliveira brother at that, blaming Portugal not winning the u-21 on Quaresma not winning it on his own. Very very low - and Quaresma´s reply showed again hurt feelings. And Ricardo Quaresma, for all his many faults, is already a better player than Agostinho OT António Oliveira will ever be. The Oliveira brothers have major ties to Porto, they got a monopoly on tv rights and are beyond some very dodgy things indeed. Their grip on the federation has loosened a bit now, I hope, but the price was total managerial incompetence in TWO major tournaments.

The link is this one, it´s not very kind to either,or Portugal, humorists got even less obligation to be kind that sports reporters but it is funny

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8d-...

and in a way he is mocking the "indignation" than scolari or quaresma. "minha senhora, não ralhe é com o Quaresma..", LOL

And ditto all that Pedro said. No more moral victories thank goodness. Personally, I was worried, Portugal lost a friendly to Finland 4-1 some years ago. Finland wears blue. Final game in the dragon/antas stadium. Not good vibes, according to history. Obrigadão Scolari.

Finland was not much of a threat at all, it was just luck and their having a good keeper, and a lot of rain not helping. But I can not give them any credit, Poland winning 2-0, they only needing a goal and they not even trying to attack, working so hard on not giving any space they completely nullified their chances. Minute 90, they need just one goal for qualification, go on, that is the time to attack with 11 men. Not even then. Portugal has a team, has some chronical flaws, perhaps, but at least it would have tried a lot harder to win.

Thank you, Pedro and BC -- now that Greg has retired, you two are going to have to be my source on all things Portugal.

(BC, is it significant that the fans in Porto -- at least according to the stuff I've read -- were so supportive of the team during and after the Finland match? Is there a conscious effort to show that the fans there differ from the press and the Porto brass, or would that response have happened no matter where the game was play?)

And I would love to see the link about protecting Quaresma -- in spite of my best instincts, I'm a huge fan of the kid (as you suggest, though, I couldn't believe Big Phil was protect and not smacking him).

Things are pretty much as BC says. On an earlier stage, there was some sort of struggle between Scolari vs Porto (who "owned" the federation + media rights, etc...).

Nowadays, it's, in my mind, simply the media showing all its stupidity. Scolari is well liked by virtually everybody (Porto fans included, and it took the last WC, so some 2 and something years, to convince them - they'd say he had done nothing other than placing Mourinho built former FC Porto midfield.

Scolari is very right to complain. Nobody from the media stood for him when he complained about the fake goal Servia scored in the dying minutes. Right or wrong, he didn't just go and punch the serb player.

Last but not least, PT didn't convince a lot of people. They didn't play brilliantly and they didn't crush Poland, Finland, etc... I imagine it would have been better like it was in the old days... A super team, with Rui Costa and Figo, who never managed to qualify out of being too naive, always outplayed most of the better teams but always stayed home. On top of it, we were seen as the guys that end up fighting or the "wannabes". And that's what you get if you don't win, even if you're better.

Should we all remember than England's out? That Scotland almost went in a group with France and Italy? That teams like Luxembourg were really nothing some years ago, but now are very difficult to score against? PT has the best attack in group A. C Ronaldo is the guy who shot the most form all the players (OK, 50% were wide, but still). And PT is a very good team but it's not the best team and, like others, has strong and weak points.

C'mon...

Furthermore, in just this year he had to call some 40 players, due to injuries. We've hardly played with our best defenders (Carvalho + Andrade), the struggle to find a left back has been immense; the same with the striker, when there's no Deco, there's no offensive midfield creating danger through the centre (and Deco usually comes totally squezed dry from Barcelona).

So, I mean... Really, what does the press really want?

What they don't like is the fact that Scolari has balls and fights them back. But at the same time, Scolari has a grip on all the prima donnas, who just love him and respect him, is a magnificent strategist (giving up Simao as fake off mid and placing another tall guy to lplay as anchor proved perfect, cos FIN never made it through and the midfielders could now pass the ball around more up front) and IS an excellent coach.

And by the way, PT didn't limp through the match against Finland. FIN didn't do shit to try and win the match, PT totally dominated but just could't score. Also let us all keep in mind that in Group A, up until the second last match, we had 4 teams in a position of going through. And WE went through...

There... 8) FORCA PT!!!

No, article was in DN, Diário de Noticias that is, here is the piece online,

http://dn.sapo.pt/2007/11/23/d...

more details when the coaching staff was sitting down, the e Benfica players in the selecçã, Nuno Gomes and Quim arrived and apparently there was "diálogo divertido" between them - all those mobile phones with cameras, and nobody put it on youtube yet, what a waste! Oh, if you get spoken portuguese enough, you have to check this Ricardo Araújo Pereira´s take on Scolari hitting the serb to defend Ricardo Quaresma. I can dig a link for you. And at least it was not Scolari hitting Quaresma, which would sometimes be understandable if not excusable.

Sports press, and particularly northern based sports press, is one thing, general feelings another. Not sure you know, but there is *still* a lot of animosity between some Porto factions and Scolari. Portugal qualifying this way, it was typical, vintage Scolari, ask any brazillian. And a change on typical Portugal, keeping the nerves on, taking control, and for once, holding a tie. Arguably Scolari had handicaps, the team is really on renewal, 35 players ( and 4 different kits) used in a year, injuries, all the 4 regular defenders AND Deco injured on this round, a couple 21 year olds with big responsabilities. Portugal doing just enough to go through, that is an evolution in character.

Thanks a lot, BC, I appreciate that POV -- I've got huge affection for both Scolari and Portugal (both the country and the football), and it's nice to hear he's generally well-liked. I'd love to see that story, was it in one of the sports paper?

My interpretation is a bit different - there has been for a very long time, a tug of war between Scolari and Porto´s mafioso corrupt president. Some of the Porto-friendly sports press has always been very tough on Scolari, the Vítor Baía thing and then Quaresma last year, and considering the guys asking the questions that is my interpretation.

On today´s paper, there is a very cool story, on that same night when some of players and staff where making their way back to Lisbon, Scolari stopped in Bairrada for a midnight snack of the famous leitão ( don´t ask), and apparently got an ovation from the people in the restaurant. The people who write about football complain, but they need something to write about. The majority, we hd decades of playing beautifully and attacking and not being able to hold a result ever, playing badly and winning, it feels great! And conversations on the street are thatare going to the euro and England is not.Eriksson is still pretty popular in some quarters of Portugal so some Benfiquistas are thinking it quite funny this happens to England after them firing Eriksson.

Scolari WILL likely leave next summer, he said months ago it´s long enough and it´s time for a change.