I think it is pretty obvious how we will line up in the first game. I suppose the only doubt is Inacio or Veiga at LCB, but I think Martinez will go with Veiga. Inacio has been brutal for both club and country all year. I may not agree with Leao/Bernardo starting, but it’s what is most likely to happen.
Also what in the Indian AI slop is this image.. Made half the team look Sicilian and the other half Cape Verdean..
That's a serious squad! You don't think Neto starts? I thought maybe Bernanrdo would be Brunos sub. I would prefer Neto/Trincao/Concecaio running in behind causing havoc to break these low blocks. Although it should be noted Pulisic looked a man reborn away from Allegri ball where he was not played as an isolated CF in a 352 so it is possible Leao could do the same and was suffering under the same system.
If we want to win ------------ CR7 ------ Felix ------------ ----J Neves ----- Fernandes ---- Vitinha Nuno mendes ---------------------Cancelo ------ Ignacio ---- Dias ----- Viega -------- This we they can feel confident defending freekicks and corner kicks. Inacio being a ''ball playing' center back has made most of his errors this year with the ball, not off it. Maybe in a 3 at the back formation he get back to doing that like ive seen him.But remember Inacio is left footed and coaches like have this in a centerback pair and so do I. The fractions of a second or inches of advantage this can provide can make the difference. Viega is a physical monster and Villareal came in 3rd place in la liga last year. He went up against some of the scary players in this tournament, im talking specifically on teams we will have to beat to win this. Vinicius, Mbappe, Yamal, Alvarez, Torres, Oyatzabal. Viega should be starting. Because Palhina isnt there the physicality of this squad no matter how the midfield and attackers is set up is low. Very low. And Samu costa has intensity but not enough there physically. I dont see how a coach is confident with this team defensively without 3 at the back. Considering Portugal have not been a solid wall defensively for a while now, and how small this squad is. And unleash Nuno mendes and Cancelo along those lines, these are total football backs they deserve to be employed as wingbacks its how theyre built. Bernardo is incredibly intelligent and adaptable Guardiola has been shoehorning him into positions outside the main central mid his whole career and he trust him. And as unfair as it is no to blindly start a player with his level of success and proven pedigree, i wouldn't start him and just force him into the wing like coaches have for half his career. Even on our national team like city he gets pushed out wide and upfront even though that not where his best skillets lay. He so complete coaches have avoided building the team around him as the main maestro (which he always deserved) because he is the highest quality multi tool you could ask for in this sport. He will do it and do a great job in his own style on the wing, as a no, as a no 10, but dont expect him to play that position like the typical archetype.. Were too spoiled at the center of the pitch and were going to start 3 players with center mid DNA already. And I like the combination of Neves, Vitinha Fernandes better. Bernardo is a powerful sub, with manager like intelligence and adaptability hes the most versatile sub a coach could ask for. Along with Trincao and Pedro neto the heartbeat/tempo of the game can be maintained or modified without. And felix has his confidence back and as far as taking shots in the box, out of all the non ronaldo forwards hes got the best shots. The pedro neto goal against Nigeria if Felix gets that pass hes bagging a goal too. We aren't going to be competing with teams based on our firepower upfront, thats not our strength this year. No matter how you shuffle the forwards the lethality is above average. If we win its on intelligence and moving the ball well.
Ehhh... Is that a 5-3-2.. I think right now Chico, Neto are cooking. Leao is a bum sadly, great super sub like General Raamos.. Felix is in good form.. Ronaldo looked shaky with his first touch and horrible finishing. I also think he got some bad luck on those looks in the Nigeria game cuz wtf.. He missed a ton of sitters.. If he does that in the Congo or Uzbekistan game, he needs to be benched I am not sorry and will admit this.. Right now Felix in a false 9 would do magic. Trust me.
Yes a 5-3-2 I don't trust our backing enough in open play and even more so on set pices with just 2 centers. And we can basically have dias or veiga out there on every one of our setpeices so it's not Ronaldo and the 7 dwarves everytime we get a corner. Ronaldo starting every game is ridiculous but he's the king of portugal so it's just one of those realities we gotta live with. He'd be more effective coming on a sub. But he probably not coming on to be the hero if we're down by one or two. No point wasting his stamina if we're already winning. He comes on if it's tied after 60 or 70 minutes. This was he's there for the penalties. Starting Ronaldo in a knockout game basically guarantees he gotta be benched before we get to penalties. Felix if what the team needs if Ronaldo has got to play. His job at Al Nassr is to basically occupy all the space Ronaldo won't. Ronaldo can't go the corner of the panlty area and link up with the fullbacks then run back into the middle to find space every time the ball comes through the sides. He'll be gassed even faster. He just need to camp deep and centrally. And Felix has adapted to not playing with a striker like Ronaldo, he's learned exactly how to play with Ronaldo himself. And we're going to bench that? But playing Bernardo on the right wing and expecting him to morph into an Olise or Yamal type player is what Martinez will do. He's sneaky as a false 9 too Felix got so many steals and interception high up the pitch, and those are exciting, and they discombobulate the opponent. Defenders are getting mad at eachother, goalies are freaking out, even if it doesn't convert to a goal.
I like the lineup but not a fan of a 3 CB system with the current defenders the Seleção have. I rather have a DM out there then an extra CB especially since they have problem on who to decide who will be the other starter next to Dias. I personally like Veiga as well to be the starter over Inácio. Also its way too late to switch to 3 back system now. When they have tried it, it did not work out well for the Seleção. I like the line up you put in but I would take Inácio out for Samu or Ruben Neves (I also wish Palhinha was called up as well as Mateus Fernandes by the way...) I really like the idea of Felix playing with Ronaldo since they play with each other at the club level.
Definitely too late to implement without kinks. But it's gotta be Samu costa as a dm because he's over 6ft. And he's more leggy. I just think there's no point having 3 forwards because honestly whether there's 2 or 3 is basically the same situation and same lack of fire power. We may as well be more brutal at the back.
Samu is a beast but Palhinha in terms of size, strength and aggression completely blows Samu away. Idk why he was left behind from World Cup squad. I honestly think Palhinha had an injury we don't know about..
Yeah 3 at the back is a nightmare for us and never worked in our favor when Romar experimented with it.. I think we actually might be thin at centre back.. Unless we rotate Veiga in.. This is gonna be a longer, hotter and more aggressive tournament than the past.. Veiga is 6'3'' and has garra.. Inácio is a limpão and runs like my dead avo.. God forgive me.. Give me Renato Veiga and Rúben Dias CB pairing and I want Araújo rotated in with Inácio if we win our first game. See how the CBs share chemistry with each other.. Idk what it is but Inácio does NOT play well with Rúben.. In my opinion, Renato Veiga is the closest we have right now to a Pepe regen.. Very similar size and play style.. Plus he's only 22.. Kid is an animal.. Let him cook.. Samu Costa is cold blooded too. Our new CDM. Man I love Palhinha but Samu brings a more tactical prowess that Palhinha had but with Samu it's amplified.. Dude is feral..
I agree. Currently this teams strengths are the fullbacks and midfield positions. So Martinez should build around that. The lack of depth in the CB position is what is worrisome. Which is exactly why I dont like the 3 CB formation with this team. Against a good side they definitely need a DM playing to help shore up the defensive side of things.
Yeah but 6'0-6'4 is really all you need, the sweet spot. The game is mostly played on the ground and wingspan isn't really a thing in soccer. The advantage 6'4 and taller athletes get is the ape ratio/index begins to change. Where almost every persons arms span equals their height in the 6'4 - 7'0 athletes that begins to change. In swimming, boxing, basketball its very advantageous. In football the higher center of gravity, less raw torque, less agility, less acceleration, less stamina, more injuries is not worth the compromise. Scared of a few swamp puppies lol. At first its shocking but I go to Florida every winter, kayaking and tubing in waters with them. Its generally safe. All those golf course ponds and storm water ponds have gators. If its not crystal clean spring fed rivers its got gators. Even the those crystal clear springs in central west florida got gators but they're not as ballsy when the water is clear. Theyll swim pretty close to you too. Generally in florida no swimming in fresh water. its never completely safe. Kayaking and paddle boarding only is my recommendation. But the gators in the ponds they spotted aren't going to charge the pitch lol
You can literally make a dozen Pasteis de nata in the same amount of time it will take Gogalo Eggnacio to clear his line.. If you watch this limpao, it legit looks like he is TRYING his hardest to concede a goal when he's on the pitch.. Why Edu and Antonio Silva were left behind over this loser is forever a Portuguese mystery..
lol no. He played every minute of Tottenham's last remaining games. He just straight up wasn't picked.
Martinez seems to believe so. You're speculating that Palhinha is injured based on nothing. He hasn't been picked the last few windows. Martinez simply doesn't favor him.