Howard - Champions League - Manchester United @ Porto[r] undoubtedly the biggest match in Tim Howard's career to date. At any level. And he'll be tested as ManU are missing their starting CenterBacks. This match is in Portugal. Porto are league leaders, ahead of Benefica by 11 points, and have won the Potugese Cup. they have not lost a domestic match this year. While ManU is has been up and down, 7 points off Arsenal with 12 fixtures to go. ManU Traveling Squad Carroll, Howard, Neville, Neville, O’Shea, Fortune, Butt, Keane, Kleberson, Ronaldo, Giggs, Fletcher, Nistelrooy, Forlan, Pugh, Bellion, Scholes, Djemba Djemba, Saha, Richardson, Brown. Here's my guess at the starting XI --------------------Timmy------------------ --G.Neville----W.Brown---Keano---O'Shea---- -------------------------------------------- ---Fletcher------Butt----Scholes---Giggs--- ------------------------------------------- -------------RVN------Saha---------------- ------------------------------------------- Obviously ManU could move O'Shea to the middle, play Fortune at RB, slide Keane on for Butt. Ronaldo might start in place of Fletcher. Or ManU could go defensive, drop Saha, and replace his with Kleber to play alongside Butt.
Timmy expected to start, amid much debate as to who's going to defend in front of him, as Manchester United travel to Oporto to take on FC Porto at the Estadio Do Dragão in the first leg of the teams' quarterfinal-round knockout tie in the UEFA Champions League. Kickoff's at 11:45 a.m. PT/2:45 p.m. ET (and 6:45 a.m. Melbourne time for me here). Bad news on the TV front, folks-- nothing live in the USA, as far as I know, other than perhaps PPV, and not on live here in Australia, either. My best-case scenario is that ESPN International-Pacific Rim is airing the match at 2 p.m. Melbourne time. I plan on watching it then and giving my impressions following the tape-delayed showing. The only audio webcasts concern the pay-subscription stuff on Manchester United's and UEFA's official sites. Perhaps that wild Eastern European link to the video might be up and running? Otherwise, maybe one of our European-based posters (Tree or Splarg, for example) can help out, provided they have a live feed where they're at. As far as matchtrackers go, UEFA's official site will have one, as well as the usual suspects between the BBC, sportinglife.com and Soccernet, to name a few. I'll bring you all the news update next.
* * *I'm William, and this is the news* * * [*]Tim: We'll stick together -- The Sun I usually don't include articles from the tabloids, much less lead with them, but this is a pretty good short feature addressing the defensive problems with Man Utd from Timmy's perspective [*]Team News -- sportinglife.com [*]Fergie stresses importance of scoring -- sportinglife.com [*]Fergie keeping own counsel -- sportinglife.com [*]Queiroz has faith in United -- sportinglife.com Interesting words from Man Utd's ex-assistant who happens to be a former MetroStars coach [*]Manchester United v Porto key battles -- sportinglife.com [*]Ferguson weighing up options -- sportinglife.com About the options in defence, mainly... could we see Roy Keane in the centre of defence? [*]Ruud: United are missing Becks -- sportinglife.com [*]Silvestre setback for United -- sportinglife.com [*](Phil) Neville warns of European failure -- sportinglife.com [*]Match preview & competition form guides -- Soccernet Soccernet is also offering up a live text & graphics commentary service for this one [*]Defensive poser for ton-up Fergie -- Soccernet [*]Mourinho Porto worry -- Soccernet [*]Brown determined -- Soccernet [*]Match preview & OPTA stats -- skysports.com [*]Silvestre's quick return -- skysports.com [*]Ronaldo ready for Porto clash -- skysports.com [*]Ruud: No clear favourites -- skysports.com [*]Porto threat clear to United -- UEFA's official site [*]Match preview -- UEFA's official site [*]Keane corralled into defence -- Yahoo's UK site, via AFP [*]Ferguson delighted with Saha -- Yahoo's UK site, via TeamTalk [*]United going for goals in Porto -- Yahoo's UK site, via TeamTalk [*]Match preview, complete with competition facts & figures -- The BBC [*]Fergie's attacking intent for Porto clash -- Manchester Evening News [*]Roy to remedy United's back pain -- Manchester Evening News [*]Porto profile: Reds wary of Deco threat -- Manchester Evening News [*]Ole left out of Porto clash -- Manchester Evening News [*]Brown keeps his head up -- Manchester Evening News [*]Ferguson refuses to fret about United's defensive problems -- The Independent [*]Silvestre's injury puts Keane in line for a defensive role -- The Independent [*]Worried Ferguson on the defensive -- The Guardian [*]Ferguson bent on attack to hide defensive frailties -- The Times (London) [*]O'Shea gets the axe -- The Sun Wow, what a list. I think I'm going to lie down and have a rest now. Update on the PPV in the USA-- only in the pubs via closed circuit, methinks.
I'll add one to the list, bit of nice praise, way down the artilce in the ManU section, obviously. http://football.guardian.co.uk/championsleague/story/0,13885,1154258,00.html Simply states that Howard is the biggest star this season for manu, having ``saved their bacon,'' on numerous occassions.
And unrelated to Howard and United, there is one really bad pun in there... The strike force of Benni McCarthy and Derlei - 13 goals each in the domestic league - is worth looking out for, but Sir Alex would do well to keep a bloodshot eye on the Brazilian-born playmaker Deco, who weaves his magic just behind the front two. Now a naturalised Portuguese, his first name is not Art. I thought The Guardian was beyond that. EDIT: And that's my 6,000th post on BigSoccer.
hey DK or Buff, would you mind merging the thread I started on this? My preditcion of the starting XI is in there and I'd like credit for being the first here to predict that Roy Kean would start in the backline next to Wes Brown
Perhaps The Guardian should start doing some actual reporting. Derlei injured his knee a couple of months ago and is lost for the season.
As per UEFA website, Howard starts: Howard, G. Neville, P. Neville, Brown, Keane, Butt, Fortune, Scholes, Giggs, Van Nistelrooij, Saha on the bench: Carroll, O' Shea, Bellion, Kleberson, Djemba-Djemba, Ronaldo, Forlan
2 good offensive line-ups, perhaps not the best defense, only tactical speculations about the return game can stop this from being a high scoring game. Timmy will have a lot to do. Edit: Oh, and the game is shown live on danish tv, nya nya nya <G>
Great atmosphere. Very loud sold out crowd with a lot of singing. Tim Howard with a save in first minute.
?? --------TH----------- --GN--RK--WB--QF-- -------------------- ----NB-----PN----- ----PS-----RG----- ------------------- ----RVN---LS----- -------------------- Maybe Man U is using an unbalanced midfield??? Or perhaps 5 defenders?? a 3-5-2 with 3 D-Mids? Phillip Neville playing right back and Gary Neville playing Right Mid? anybody with anyidea how this woudl work?
Victor Baia is FC porto's starting keeper. That tells you what the goalkeeping standard is in portugal.
Now they will really be coming at TH... The commentary from match tracker The South African gives United the lead. Giggs rolls a free-kick short to Paul Scholes, whose low strike is saved by Vítor Baía. Fortune is first to the rebound to score.
Baia with the save on a low Scholes shot, gives up the rebound, which Fortune pounces gleefully on to put the red Devils up 1-0 15' - Alberto just misses with a screamer
EXACTLY why I hate Away Goals rule. If Porto scores to finish the match at 1 - 1 then a 2 - 1 lead at OT is almost a disadvantage for ManU as a 2 - 2 means United loses.
Porto has only had 1(?) shot inside the goal frame, and it was soft and easy for Timmy to get... Porto needs to be more direct in their plays...
Looks like a good start for United so far (I just woke up over here). Bluedaddy, the PbP's all yours if you have the game on live TV in Holland. Wish I could say the same for myself here...