Pre-match: Semi-final: Portugal vs Spain - June 27 [R]

Discussion in 'Euro 2012' started by JaredSS07, Jun 23, 2012.

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  1. the one and only

    Jul 15, 2011
    Spain will do what they've done to other teams, which is make them chase the ball and completly dominate the midfield and isolate Ronaldo and Nani.
    Everybody "seems" to know what to do against them, but when it's game time, they still dominate.
     
  2. joaommx

    joaommx Member+

    Sep 27, 2009
    Lisboa
    Club:
    Sporting CP Lisbon
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    And that's the way Portugal has been playing in this competition. Let them have the ball all they want, we'll play on the counter.

    The more they attack, the larger the spaces between or behind their lines for Ronaldo and Nani to exploit.
     
  3. Skippysasquirrel

    May 11, 2012
    San Diego, CA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Everyone seems pretty optimistic about Portugal's chances. I have to agree with those that say this will go to PK's, both sides just trying to dominate possession.
     
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  4. d3rd3vil

    d3rd3vil Member

    Jan 3, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Portugal will try to counter attack. That is not enough to win. Maybe they can score once but Spain will do more.
    Can't see Portugal winning. Can't :(
     
  5. LoewenBoy

    LoewenBoy Member+

    Aug 25, 2004
    Giesing, Muenchen
    Club:
    TSV 1860 München
    Nat'l Team:
    Sint Maarten
    As with most goals, it will be defensive lapses rather than goal-scoring brilliance that decides this one. Which ever team can stay focused for 90 mins (or more) will go through. The first to blink will concede.
     
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  6. raviept

    raviept Member

    Jun 11, 2010
    Braga
    Club:
    Sporting Braga
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    After getting past the group of death and reaching the semi-finals, we really don't need pessimism. Look at what exacerbated respect did to France. If this was all about comparing teams player by player, then what would be the point of sending these players to expensive hotels for almost a month? Would anyone believe that Greece could win the Euro 2004?

    Sometimes, I notice that people tend to think that those who support a smaller team must bow to the big ones and can't be optimistic, because "they have never won anything". Technically, none of us has won anything. The merit is all of the players and the structure surrounding the team. Just because someone is Spanish, German or Italian doesn't mean that he holds a greater knowledge of football, nor does that fact give him the right to treat others as inferiors.
     
  7. LoewenBoy

    LoewenBoy Member+

    Aug 25, 2004
    Giesing, Muenchen
    Club:
    TSV 1860 München
    Nat'l Team:
    Sint Maarten
    No one could see Greece winning Way back when either but look what happened. That's why we play the games...anything is possible.
     
  8. BENFICATUGA

    BENFICATUGA BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Jun 10, 2012
    Club:
    SL Benfica
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    I absolutely agree... In football anything can happen, and that's why it's such a popular sport. Portugal has a chance. :thumbsup:
     
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  9. RobbyRobson

    RobbyRobson Member

    Jun 20, 2006
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    i dont know why, but for the first time i really keep my fingers crossed for portugal this time.
    i know i made some fun about ronaldo in this forum posting pictures of him crying ect. but if we lose against england/italy i really hope you win the title. just can't stand those spaniards anymore. good luck!! ( seriously!)
     
  10. the one and only

    Jul 15, 2011
    But that didn't work against Germany, and Spain's brand of football makes them different from other teams. They also have a better defence and midfield than Holland
     
  11. BENFICATUGA

    BENFICATUGA BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Jun 10, 2012
    Club:
    SL Benfica
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    Hahaha thanks, i guess... xD I also support Germany so if Portugal doesn't go through I can still watch Germany winning the Euro. But a final between Portugal and Germany would be perfect :p We'll see what happens...
     
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  12. the one and only

    Jul 15, 2011
    True... but we can also make individual analysis judging by the style of play that teams have shown so far, that doesn't mean things will go exactly the way we think they will, but still...
     
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  13. joaommx

    joaommx Member+

    Sep 27, 2009
    Lisboa
    Club:
    Sporting CP Lisbon
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    True, but it didn't work because of Gómez, Spain, oddly enough, has no Gómez of its own (it's true I checked it out). They do have two Fernando Torres though, and I'm more worried about the one who looks more like Gómez.

    I'm not saying that we'll win, I'm saying we have a chance, mainly because although they're much better, the way they play fits well into ours.
     
  14. Lafleur

    Lafleur Member

    Jun 23, 2012
    But Portugal has grown in confidence and belief in their game since the opening match. In fact, the longer that game went on the more Portugal started to come into the form they are now in and should`ve had a more positive result with a little luck.
     
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  15. kaizer5

    kaizer5 Member

    Jun 23, 2012
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    This is exactly what happened in QF games with Greece and France. A shaky goal keeper in one game,malouda not feeling like marking in another,created almost all of the scoring chances.

    So with all the offensive genius of nani and ronaldo,will spains defense leave the door open......??
     
  16. LoewenBoy

    LoewenBoy Member+

    Aug 25, 2004
    Giesing, Muenchen
    Club:
    TSV 1860 München
    Nat'l Team:
    Sint Maarten
    Absolutley. The danger is one bad play can change all of that. Germany almost found that out against Greece. My primary concern with many of the teams left, including Germany and Spain, is that they don't put away the game until very late in the match. If that trend continues that is what leads me to believe anyone left can win it all.
     
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  17. portugal#1

    portugal#1 Member

    Mar 10, 2007
    It didn't, however Germany had its worse game of the tournament against Portugal. Also the game vs Germany could have easily been a tie. That's football though, the ball is round and anything can happen.
     
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  18. portugal#1

    portugal#1 Member

    Mar 10, 2007
    forgot about the friendly before euro 2004
     
  19. LoewenBoy

    LoewenBoy Member+

    Aug 25, 2004
    Giesing, Muenchen
    Club:
    TSV 1860 München
    Nat'l Team:
    Sint Maarten
    Germany's weakness is the right back when Boateng plays and the confusion on fast counters in the middle when both Piggy and Khedira are up. Spain defends and attacks with 5 players. If Portugal can contain and press the attack they can slow the counter, close the space behind th defense and force Spain to play a different game.
     
  20. Juanele

    Juanele Member+

    Aug 4, 1999
    Colorado, US
    I'd love to see that happen.
    Portugal definitely has a chance. And I think they are one of the few teams who aren't afraid of Spain (we see for sure if they are or not). One of the biggest strengths Spain has over teams now is psychological. Germany in the last WC had enough talent to beat Spain, in fact up to that game they were on a roll just like they are now. But they played scared shitless versus Spain. I don't think Portugal will do that. Also Puyol is out, traditionally Puyol has played Ronaldo very well.

    It's all set up very well for Portugal in this game I think. We'll see if it happens though.
     
  21. Excape Goat

    Excape Goat Member+

    Mar 18, 1999
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    I don't see that happening. Spain, except vs Ireland, has not been scoring a lot of goals. They simply maintained procession and passed the ball around until the defense broke down. They did not create many dangerious chances vs Croatia, Italy and France.

    If Spain can shut down Portugal, it will be a 1-nil victory.... or it would be 2-nil just liked vs France when the second goal was basically meaningless. If Portugal scores, let's see if spain has a second gear.... they have been playing and winning in the first gear.
     
  22. SpaniardFC

    SpaniardFC Member

    Jun 8, 2009
    Vilagarcía de Arousa
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Can't wait until Wednesday, so far away. Seeing as i'm 1/8 portuguese, I really dislike when portugal and spain face off in a tournament, but it seems destined as of late for an all iberian affair. If we lose to portugal, I hope they win this tournament
     
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  23. AmericanKaka

    AmericanKaka Member+

    Dec 30, 2006
    The key question here is who plays the ball out of the back when Portugal does get hold of it, and do they do a good job of it to find Ronaldo and Nani versus coughing it right back up?
    That, and whether Pepe gets a red card. Whoever said he likes to smash some midgets, that was hilarious.

    The team that should play with a no-striker system is Portgual, not Spain. Other than occasionally Nuno Gomes at times, it has been embarrassing to watch the excuses for strikers they have trotted out for a decade or more. Almeida is the worst player I have ever seen. I watch a lot of Besiktas matches because I am a huge Quaresma fan, and if Almeida could finish as well as a crippled old woman, Quaresma would have twice as many assists. It's obscene how terrible Almeida is. Why not just add an extra midfielder instead of playing with 10 men, effectively? Like Quaresma!

    I know that won't happen but I would love to see him score the winner. I assume he won't come on unless Portugal is down goals and desperate, which I don't hope for. I know Quaresma is not trusted, but letting Ronaldo roam more centrally with Nani and Quaresma wide... has it been tried in the past? Although he is undisciplined and a card magnet, I think the perception that Quaresma doesn't track back or is lazy is actually quite inaccurate. He does hustle, he just doesn't necessarily hustle intelligently. And he does have the ability to make game-breaking plays.
     
  24. Chess_Panther

    Chess_Panther Member+

    Apr 29, 2007
    Porto, Portugal
    I disagree. Quaresma is a poor decision maker and has a horrible work ethic.

    I've seen him doing things that rubber on amateurish. He's a one dimensional minded player that is immune to his surroundings. He does what he wants to do rather than what is effective. And by this I mean that he is really a selfish a-hole.

    I will never forget that friendly vs Kuwait when Portugal was playing very poorly and in the final minutes, with a lot of space to crosss, he decided to do a 360 dribble on the closest defender...and ended up beyond the goal line - smiling proudly of his attempt.

    He never matured. He is able to do a magic trick once in a while but that's all there is to him. I am fairly confident to say that most people in Portugal don't want him in the national team.
     
  25. the one and only

    Jul 15, 2011
    I keep saying this, Spain (and Barca) often win games before they even step on the field because other teams spend their time "thinking" about how to play them (what formation? what tactics? etc...) while they just go on the field and play "their" game.
     

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