I will pass it along a article by my friend Paulo Oliveira PATIENCE It seems as if most people are starting to panic following the recent friendly loss to Italy. Hey, it sucks to lose to anyone, but stings more when it is one of the big powers of Europe, especially Italia. Personally, I am glad it happened. I would rather enter EURO 2004 with something to prove, as opposed to peaking so soon that we fall flat on our face as we did in the World Cup. I also think the routine of playing one meaningless friendly after another, while we inaugurate one new stadium after another, is boring some of these guys and they are just eager to play a real national team game. Afterall, they play hard for their club teams most of the month and then when called to the national team they are not really competing against another team but their own teammates for a EURO 2004 roster spot this summer. The contrast between life with their club and national team is just different and playing in a game that counts tends to bring out the best in everybody. Come June, I expect these very well paid professional athletes to step up and give us a good performance. Scolari is the boss and will receive a brunt of the pressure, but it is the players that must step up and give the fans the glory they seek. Scolari can’t step on the field and kick the ball. These players play for big teams, play every weekend in some of the biggest stadiums in Europe, and know what it takes to win at that level. The golden generation or upcoming platinum generation, however you wish to say it, must step up. There is nothing else to say. TICKET BOOKED I recently booked my trip to Portugal to catch the Portugal-Spain and Germany-Czech Republic games in Lisbon. I am going for one week and wish I could have stayed longer, but someone has to pay the bills and my dreams are not yet credit worthy to let me do it. I admit to being worried about possible terrorist attacks but this is the new strange world we live in and have to adjust to the concern. Here is hoping Fatima is truly looking down on us that month. FC PORTO No matter what your Superliga allegiance is year round, I hope you will throw your support to FC Porto in the Champions League as they enter an historical phase of Portuguese futebol history. The more they win, the better our vital UEFA league ranking gets. Just think, if someone told you a few years ago we may have a chance to have three superliga teams in the champions league, you would not have believed it. Well, it will happen in 2005-06, provided our preliminary round third team wins its two legs that year. We must take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity, and be grateful for the success teams such as FC Porto and Boavista have given us in the past. Jeez, just imagine if Sporting C.P. could do something decent in Europe these past years, we may have been competing for a regular top five spot in the ranking. MOURINHO I have tremendous respect for Jose Mourinho. The guy says what is on his mind and believes his team can do anything. Most Portuguese coaches in past years always like to talk about their teams having the privilege to play in the champions league, but you had the feeling they knew they were not good enough to get to the latter stages. I always hated when our people conceded. Mourinho? He expects them to win. I like that and I wonder if this guy subscribes to the Tony Robbins or Bill Parcells way of thinking. My only concern about Mourinho is he has to relax a bit and not be so celebratory in front of the cameras. Right now, it is hard to criticize him but in life what goes up, comes down. Jose, try not to piss off to many people because if you come back down to earth, there will be plenty people who will help you come down. Media love to build up heroes but in the end, they also like criticize villains and every villain was once a hero. Just ask Alex Ferguson, if you are still talking. BENFICA What a second leg game against Inter Milan! I was at work and was having a heart attack following it on the radio and internet. The first goal by Nuno Gomes had me pumping my fist up and down so much that my co-workers around my cubicle thought I was beating someone up. Unfortunately, it was too good to be true as the Benfica defense broke apart in a startling display. It was a shame but hopefully the experience of coming so close to a win in Italy will solidify them next season.
correction the article was written by the main director of portuguesesoccer.com, not by Paulo Oliveira