Match 45: Portugal x Brazil, post-match thread.

Agree, best of luck to Brasil and a shout out to Leonidas, Redshift for their fair and balanced posts.

Forca Portugal

 

I think both teams played a great game. I love when we play Brazil.

Good luck to Brazil and all their fans. Looking forward to Brazil - Holland

 

Can't really agree with that. I think Port defense was easy penetrable, especcialy in first half when whenever Brazil showed a will to play they were dangerously close to goal.
Nothing was really thrown at them.

 

And you base that on what? Sure, Ricardo Costa was easily bypassed, but how many cuts our defense had made during the entire game. And agains CIV, a good offensive team. Get over with this. Brasil didn't throw their entire fire power because they could get caught with deadly counter-atacks. Remember, once again, the hand and Meireles's miss.

 

It wasn't easily penetrable, else we would have penetrated it. Could our starters have done so? Perhaps. But that doesn't change the fact that our subs could not. Coentrao did a great job diminishing the threat from Maicon, and most of our chances came from aerial crosses (we looked like England). We did dominate possession and had the game well under control in the first half, but we could not convert that dominance into real scoring opportunities. What I mean by "handled everything that was thrown at them" is that they DID, in fact, handle everything we actually tried to do. Who cares about what we might have done? Credit given where it is due: great job by the Portuguese defense. Spain may be in for a unwelcome surprise come Monday.

 

I thought that was going to be the unraveling of Portugal. I really believes that Fabio was going to have a very difficult time covering Maicon, who was much more experienced and physically stronger then Coentrao. He did a phenomenal job, and one of the reasons why Portugal were able to hold Brasil.

In terms of the Iberian battle, I like our chances. Portugal tend to get up to play for Spain, a little rivalry with historic and cultural history. I think if Miguel plays, our defense will be able to handle the dual threat of Villa and Torres. I also think their defense can be exposed by the likes of Ronaldo in company, particularly Pique and Ramos.


Anyways, I hope Brasil the best. Perhaps we will meet again in the end? I think you guys have a very good road to the Final. Boa sorte.

 

Lke I said. Noone wanted to play at Brasil.It was extremely weird match. When Alves was still playing (I think the only person who was not afraid to play- he sucked at it but still ... he tried) Maicon made 3 or 4 opportunities out of 5 attacks with only exchanging the ball with Alves. First half Bra had some nice opportunities. I had a feeling tht every time someone had the guts to play football there was an opportunity for Brasil

 

Your counters were dangerous, and were a factor. But the main reason we didn't attack full force is that we didn't have a single person on the field capable of orchestrating such attacks. Our passing and plays in the final third were disjointed and uninspired. Your good defense had much to do with this, but so did our subs' lack of quality.

 

The only people that should be disappointed with this game are the neutrals who expected a great game. Because for both teams, this was an excellent performance, excepting the yellow cards. I, personally, don't like playing like this, but when we are facing Brasil and our team isn't so capable of controlling the midfield, it seems the only way to not losing by 4 or more, as happened in Brasilia.

As i said before, i believe that Brasil will win this cup, or at least make to the final, unless something terrible happens. And that is because Dunga is aware of what he must do to accomplish that, unlike Maradona, that likes to do an atacking play. Jogar bonito is a luxury in moddern football, because exposes to much your defense.

 

NO. NO. NO. for Brasil that was not great match and I have not seen any comment on this forum, the news, sport magazines that would say so.

 

I don't think this mediocrity came from a lack of will, but rather, from a lack of skill.

Alves is too direct. He never went for a dribble, a through pass, or some kind of jogada de effeito. He's great on the wing. In the middle, not so much.

Nilmar's chapeu would have been spectacular if it had come off (wasn't there a handball?). Whatever. We lacked the cutting edge.

 

When i say a great game, i mean given the circunstances and that we didn't risk a little bit. Brasil finished first without tiering their players. For the third match of the group, it is good to me.

In the knock outs, other teams won't play like Portugal, neither we will do that against Spain. So, Brasil will have plenty of opportunities to play their atacking football.

But i've read the pappers and everyone criticized the performance from both teams.

 

This hits the nail on the head.

Many of those criticizing the match are taken for "Portugal-Hating". Some are. In my case, I'm disappointed about the negativity of Portugal's play (and I hate diving and whining...even as a United supporter who admire's Ronaldo's talent, I despise his "show-pony" antics).

I also remember a sparkling Portugal's loss to a very anti-football Greece in the final of Euro '04. While Greece's performance was gutsy throughout the elimination rounds, it made for dismal football, and I very much wanted Portugal to win their first major trophy, just as I'd like to see Spain or Netherlands win their first World Cup.

I fully understand that the team's responsibility is to advance first, entertain second. A now less-talented Portugal side is playing to their strengths, and trying to minimize their limitations. That isn't cowardice, it's intelligence, and it has proven effective so far. As many Portuguese supporters have pointed out, that same strategy gives Portugal its best chance against a more talented Spain.

My criticism for some of the Portuguese fans is saved for those who equate a 7-0 thrashing of North Korea with offensive superiority by Portugal compared with Ivory Coast or Brazil. This is not a team that demonstrated the ability to score in WC 2006 or Euro 2008, so my point there was that Portugal's performance was more a function of North Korea's choice (in that match only) to play an open style. Some of the more blinkered fans may not like it, but the team and its coach certainly recognize when to open up, and when to lock it down.

Portugal are a quality side, but can't afford to play an open style against the very top-flight competition (Brazil or Spain, likely Netherlands) and hope to advance. Accordingly, the more negative strategy is likely to be more successful and they should continue to pursue it.

It's lamentable, just as Brazil's transition from Jogo Bonito (date of death, 1990) to "Bully Ball" (date of birth, 1994 and going strong under Dunga) was lamentable. Argentina now carries the banner for beautiful football, and has since at least 2007. But given the stakes at the World Cup and Euro competitions, it's almost inevitable, and Portugal would be equally criticized by their fans to try to play skill for skill v. Brazil or Spain. It would be a mis-match, and at the end of the day, it's trophies first, aesthetics second.

 

Not many offensive changes have occurred from 2008 team to this 2010 team to make anyone call them an offensive side then, to a defensive side now. Its almost exactly the same team and some added pieces. Actually, I would say this 2010 team has more offense then 2008. Now with that said, we got suffered terribly due to injuries on the offensive side. We lost Nani, Varela and Bosingwa... all right before the tournament.

Nani was going to provide an equal spark and outlet opposite side Ronaldo. Varela lit up the Portuguese league this year for Porto and many though he could have been used as a winger or forward. And Bosingwa I am sure you are familiar with.

Now add those injuries, to that fact that CQ is indeed a defensive coach, and you get the results that we have been getting. However, I think Portugal still have the offensive talent to compete and win this tournament. Greece 04, Italy 06, teams who played defense first.

 

I agree. Therefore I wouldn't boast about good defense on Portugal team. Honestly I don't understand this match. When I get some time I will surely rewatch it. So many things doesn't add up. Watching subs play I though Slo attack would do better.

 

Martininho, So you're suggesting Portugal will make it to the finals?? I think their defense has been sound. The game against Brazil was CQ's brilliance, I think we did try to go for the win, but were defensive minded. Beautiful soccer is no more. It is all about Strategy!

 

Honestly, I don't think they'll get past Spain, but the defensive approach gives them their best chance to do so.

They have shown some ability to defend well, but so far against both a depleted through injury Ivory Coast and less than full-strength Brazil. The real tests begin Monday.

 

What? Explain to me how Ivory Coast was "depleted through injury"? They were missing 1 player. We are missing numerous players, 3 starters actually. Portugal were the one's that were depleted. Nani, Pepe, Bosingwa, all out....

If you think Drogba was going to make that much of a difference your mistaken. Ivory Coast sat back in their game against Portugal much the way Portugal did against Brasil. Hell IC had 3 strikers on the field the 1st game, all playing behind the ball....

I won't touch the Brasil comment. The only player that was missing that could have changed the game would have been Robinho.

 

Yep. We are missing three KEY players and still manage to keep it together. CQ said in practice that "the best as yet to come."

If Spain are going to take us lightly, so be it. We;ll come at them at all angles.

 

Not to mention Pepe, that played for the first time in months, because of a injury, or Deco's bad shape. We are a small country, and we can't afford to lose so many players.

 

That is why were still in it, working hard and building confidence. That is our SHIELD!

Brazil thinks their unbeatable. Sure, go ahead and think that way but they are other teams working their asses off to win a title.

 

Sorry to say, but I completely disagree with you about this statement, and proves to you come from all who never recognizes your countries achievements and actually never will. Football as many sports are beautiful because in them you must struggle for victory, if you don`t and it lands on you by the opponents effort will always be considered as lousy and without any merit, while your opponent even though as he lost, will be recognized for his will to try to win the game. Oh yes, making 7 goals in a match is a possible outcome of a defenssive game, but for viewers of that game, its clear that all the will came from your opponents who tried to do something, you didn`t, its their merit not yours. Anyway, I`m not trying to convince you, since you have your opinion absolutely clear and nothing that I can say will change your mind on the respective issue, but playing defenssive all the time, will never get you a championship, unless most of who participate in it play the same way. It will end up being the most boring and absent of interest Championship. This is probably the reason why Europe in general, had such a deceptive performance this WC in the first phase, specially from some of the teams that are full of talent, but since they renounce to attack and worry only in defending, they at the best get a draw, but most of the times a lost. If Italy would have played this WC as its last 15 minutes of its match against Slovakia, attacking all the time, very few teams would have had a great performance against them and they would be in the round of 16 by now, but they went for defenssive tactics, and they are where they deserve to be, due to their election. In your case, if North Korea would have had a slightly better team and a little luck against you , you`d be traveling home by now. Fortunately in WC, you see all kinds of styles and in them you are not going to last longer, at least not till the last instances of it with that kind of style.

I wish you well though, luck against Spain, but sincerely against them I don`t think you got what is needed to beat them, at least not without taking a risk.

 

Lol, I find funny that you have well mannered posts and suddenly launch this bitter piece after losing against Spain.

The whole dissertation about what's beautiful or not is just senseless. And then you attack Europe and its trend to defend (???) like it's made of bottom tier clubs...it's funny, since that brought a world cup title to the same Italy in 2006. It might even bring one to Brazil this year, who knows?

Oh and let me ask you one thing, trying to play beautiful against Spain worked it out for you? I hope you enjoyed it.

 

I know I was just about to say. For all of Chile innovativeness, and offensive talent, their defense was terrible. So easily exposed. Yet you guys consiously went into the game like that...and almost payed dearly for it.

Lets see how Chile lines up against Brasil shall we.