Pre-match: USA vs Portugal, June 22nd

what's the word on cr7?

 

his inevitable tears will make our victory ever more sweet.

 

Don't worry, CR7. We'll just give you the same treatment as we did the last Portuguese superstar who played for Real Madrid, wore #7, won a CL title in a World Cup year, and led his team to the Euro semis two years prior only to lose to the eventual champions after regulation, and said Euro champs happened to be the defending World Champs. Oh, and he was also dealing with a nagging injury. I know this comparison has been made, but it sounds hauntingly familiar....

 

Portugal played Germany tough in Euro 2012 and Euro 2008. Also lost in the 3rd place game in at World Cup '06 Please, Germany, do not let Portugal enter Manaus with 3 points unless you Germans plan on an epic group stage fail.

 

If ever there were a time for German failure in group, surely this must be it. A searing atmosphere in Manaus against Portugal followed by a game against Ghanaians who are really tough to beat in normal climes like South Africa, not to mention Brazil. What if Germany have 0 or 1 point going into the last match against USA....

 

Pepe out.

 

Pepe is their best defender.

 

That's a 2 match ban minimum. Maybe even 3. Violent conduct. Pepe won't play vs Ghana or USA.

 

Hopefully he's back for Ghana. But yeah, won't be there against us!

Admittedly, never really seen him play, but seems to get polarizing reviews. Not sure if his absence is to benefit or detriment of US.

 

He won't be. Its violent conduct - min. 2 games suspension.

The subs for Pepe are Luis Neto and Ricardo Costa, bot average defenders.

 

There is always the potential for him to do something stupid like he did today but when his head is right he is one of the best central defenders around. Has everything you would want in a central defender.

 

Looks like Meireles may be out as well...There is a still of him flipping off the ref with both hands after the red card

 

That would be bad news for Ghana and USA... Meirelles is just such a bad player and I was all smiling he would be playing.

 

Thank you Fabio's groin. Another defender likely out for our match. Looks bad

 

Now Fabio Coentrao!

 

Portugal has just lost 2 of their 4 best players in Pepe and Coentrao... very thin bench... Portugal looking done.

 

Pepe out

Coentrao our best player today probably tore his groin

2 of our top 5 players

Congrats on the three points

World Cup over.

65 minutes from the stuff of nightmares.

 

Now Hummels out? This game takes no prisoners...

 

As an old-timer, it's nice to see that Portugal, much like Uruguay, never really changes....

 

I never want to see a player get injured and always cheer for a rapid recovery. Leaving aside injuries, the Germany-Portugal result was nearly perfect for the USA: -4 GD to Portugal and a Pepe red card to boot.

The theory of a Germany-Portugal draw was not without its appeal, but as I see it, the USA likely needs to defeat Germany to win the group anyway, so why not ruin Portugal's goal differential? I suppose that there's very little chance now that the USA will win the group by defeating Ghana, defeating Portugal, drawing Germany, and winning the tiebreaker, but that was never a likely outcome anyway.

But now the defeat-Ghana-draw-Portugal-close-loss-to-Germany-advance-in-second-place scenario looks very possible.

 

Frankly, the more likely scenario would be draw Ghana, beat Portugal, close loss to Germany. Right? For one thing, if we draw Portugal, they're dead on matchday 3, so Ghana is likely to drill them.

Anyway, I always thought the idea that Ghana was a must-win was off base. Must result, sure, but not must win. Now that the Portugal-Germany result is in the book, I think it's an even stronger case that Ghana is must-result, but not must-win.

Although, a win against Ghana puts us in really, really great shape.

 

Let's get point or three off Ghana first

 

Beat Ghana Beat Portugal ought to do it .