QF: Czech Rep. vs Portugal: WIN or You're OUT!

Discuss here...

Game will be much harder than people think...I see it 1-0 to Portugal.

Portugal will be fine if it plays with the same resolve it has shown throughout (even in the Germany match). Yesterday, the team didn't panic when it fell behind or when it blew some good chances in the opening 25 minutes. It just kept doing the same things which led to those chances until Ronaldo finished one. Holland was lucky to be even at halftime, and even luckier to only lose 2-1.

Honestly, Portugal will have to play its worst game of the tournament to lose on Thursday. All of the Czech goals have come right down the middle of the pitch, which plays right into the hands of Portugal's defense. Meanwhile, the Czech's resounding 4-1 loss to Russia saw the Russians score three times on counters when it just poured forward. The Czech defense actually got back well on the last couple, but didn't do enough to dictate anything and was left sitting on its heels.

Portugal should be licking its chops right about now. There is no reason it shouldn't put two goals on the scoreboard and it would take a real letdown to allow as many to this Czech team. As things tend to go for Portugal, it won't be as simple as it could be, but 2-1 or 3-1 is a realistic expectation. The only worry I have is that the defense will lapse and not do what it did when the Dutch had numbers a couple times. Knockout matches as favorites always make me way more nervous, though. Damn expectations!

I pretty much agree with this.

This really shouldn't be that difficult for us. If it is and we lose, we choked.

Nani needs to score in the one. The guy deserves it

Probably won't know for sure until the day of the match, he flew back to Prague today to get additional treatment, but he will rejoin the team tomorrow. We'll most likely need him to have any chance against your team.

That said, I hope for a good match by both sides, Portugal is one of my favorite countries that I've visited.

Should be an interesting game. Not sure what to expect. Very polarizing performances from the Czechs throughout the group stage. They completely dominated Poland. However, if Portugal plays confident, smart, and calm, it should be a win. Very everyone thus far. Btw, when have we ever seen JP thread such a beauty before?! I thought he was gonna exploited but he has reasonably well.

Petr Cech can be frustrating to play against. We're playing against the best goalkeeper we have gone against so far in this tournament. Benfica had a tough time against him when they played Chelsea in the Champions League. I'm confident, though. We seem to be getting better each game, i hope it's no different against the Czech's

We need to be calm indeed and play our game. If the Czechs take a lead, we'll be in tough. They'll park the team bus.

Which Portugal will show up though? and which Ronaldo will show up? If we play like we did against Holland and Denmark in the first half, the czech's have no chance. However, if the game is tied going into half-time, I feel like that favors the czech's. Portugal needs an early goal to kill off the game completely.

OFFICIAL ---Z--- MATCH PREVIEW

21st of June 2012

Warsaw, Poland

is a game that will represent a watershed moment in the history of not only Portuguese Football, but world football in itself.

in what has been a solid Euro 2012 tournament thus far, on this date will be the first quarterfinal.

the match will be between the Czech Republic and Portugal.

two sides who arrive at this quarterfinal, in similar ways

both sides were widely not expected to make the knockout rounds by the so called experts..

and after the first match day, when Portugal fought hard but lost, perhaps unjustly to the Joachim Low's fancied German Fourth Reich squad 1-0, and the Czech's fell to a lopsided 4-1 defeat to the Russians. It had seemed that the Experts may have been correct.

the Czech Republic bounced back, with a 2-1 win over a stubborn Greek Side. the Portuguese battled hard to claim an epic and deserved 3 points against a Denmark squad, with unheralded substitute Silvestre Varela putting an end to any Danish false hopes that their side topping the qualifying round actually meant they were a better side than Portugal. The game was another chapter in what has become a riveting Danish-Portuguese Rivalry, dating back to Portugal's infamous win over Denmark in the 1995 SkyDome Cup, a defeat in which the Danes have since not recovered from.

The Czechs then ended delusional Polish hopes, by beating them 1-0. Poland hosted the tournament and their fans actually thought they might do something. But the Czechs merely confirmed a fact known to many already: Poland is useless, and claimed a 0-1 away win to win Group A.

Portugal then squared off against another heated Rival, the Netherlands. The best player in the world, and Portuguese Captain Cristiano Ronaldo was under heavy criticism for failing to make a mark on the opening two matches and for missing some goal scoring opportunities against Denmark. Ronaldo responded like a True Champion, putting on an epic individual performance as the Portuguese fought back from a goal behind to defeat the Dutch 2-1 and send the World Cup Runners-Up Home.

and now the Czech Republic and Portuguese will find themselves squaring off on 21st of June, in Warsaw,Poland. in Euro 2012's first Quarterfinal, the Portuguese will be starting the match as faviourtes, and rightly so as they performed against stronger opposition and simply have more class on the pitch.

However, the Czech's cannot be written off.
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Actually they can. lets face it, Portugal will win because it is their Destiny...

in 1996, the Golden Generation Portuguese Side featuring players such as Figo, Joao and Sa Pinto, Domingos, Fernando Couto, Rui Costa, Paulo Sousta etc performed admirably in England only to be undone in the quarter finals by...the Czechs.

16 years later, the Golden Generation may be gone but Portugal has the Golden Boy: CR7 , and he has finally woken up . Czech Republic have no chance, they were defeated in Euro 2008 by Portugal 3-1 in the group round, and that was a taste to come because now

on 21 of June 2012, The Golden Boy CR7 will gain proper revenge for the undoing of the Golden Generation of 1996...
the tears of a (at the time) young child ---Z--- witnessing his first tournament dissapointing with Portugal will be relinquished in glorious fashion...

The Golden Generation may not have won, but Portugal continues to have a great squad, the best player in the tournament, and tournament runs of the past have fostered more of a wining mentality in the Portuguese psyche.

Portugal has never lost on June 21..., Czech Republic's destiny is to repent for their sins of 1996. They committed a crime against football by defeating a Portugal side which played beautiful and free flowing football. The time for pennance is upon us and their destiny is to fall at the hands of Portugal at Euro 2012 as we march towards the Kiev Final and attempt to exorcise the demons of 2004 and past tournaments.

FORCA PORTUGAL

What! R U serious? Since when is Cech even considered in the same class a Neuer?

A little clip to get us ready for Thursday:

Well, if we're going to win this game, our attack will have to carry us. Sitting back and defending is not our strong suit, we did that to Denmark/Holland. The Czechs are no joke, they've got some weapons but we should able to penetrate their defense and cause them problems.

NOTE: I hope the ref doesn't screw us. Seems to me like they're are paid officials in this tourney, Ukraine got screwed over. I am really pissed the amount of bogus calls being made. Replay should be implemented, but of course, Fifa wants to make the m****** happy.

This is why the team is doing well... all love, no egos.

Oh, come on.... Did you literally just start watching this sport? Did you even watch the Champions League at all? Do you even know who Petr Cech is? Neuer has an amazing team in-front of him on both the national and club level, that sort of helps. Any goalkeeper is susceptible to letting bad goals in. To say Cech is not even in the same class as Neuer is just outrageous. Of course they are in the same class except Cech is carrying more experience with him.

Howard Webb is the referee for tomorrow's match. I've always thought Webb is pretty solid, but with refrees you tend to remember the bad (like his 2010 WC Final). He has done a lot of big matches, finals, etc., though.

Also, Pedro Proenca will referee the England-Italy match. The other two matches will be refereed by Slovenia's Damir Skomina and Italy's Nicola Rizzoli, respectively. I only mention the last two because they could potentially referee a Portugal semifinal.

Alguem sabe essas canções?

2:13, Pepe is 100% Portuguese, the guy was singing Xutos e Pontapes

Good article ..........
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...efficient-approach-built-on-Sporting-way.html

Lol, What's up with Nani's glasses?

Son, I remember watching Cech when he played with Rennes in France and Jose Mourinho brought him to Chelsea in 2004. I also know that Cech is NOT the same goalkeeper since getting kicked in the melon a couple of times two years ago.

Anyone who saw him play this season with Chelsea could tell you that he is simply not in the
same class a Neuer. Cech is a really good gk and I'm not saying that he's bad. But if you were talking two or three years ago it would be another story!

The three best goalkeepers in the world are Casillas, Buffon and Neuer!

I guess I'm not as confident as a lot of people here. Don't get me wrong, I think Portugal has a stronger team but here are my concerns:

*We tend to not play up to our level when facing teams that we don't consider "top teams"
*We struggle against compact defenses and teams that "park the bus"
*Not only do we have a poor strike record, we are facing a top goalkeeper

Given our first 3 games, I expect we will concede 1 goal. So we'll need to capitalize on our chances. The good thing is that with Nani and Ronaldo on the wings we can hopefully stretch out their D. I expect the same starting line up unless we have an injury...which means Meireles will have to step up.