This was the team we wanted to avoid, but you never know. If we can keep Mutu under check we have a chance, if not we'll be doomed.
Also we play the first leg in Alvalade. PB needs to use a special tactic here, and bunker down otherwise, they'll bunker, and kill us on counter attacks.
Tbh I agree with the original Post, Even Arsenal would be better than this as it would be possible to account for them through phyiscal play and their lack of a phyiscal striker. Will be watching this one through my fingers.
I'm not so pessimistic, I've always felt if you have to get a big Italian club Fiorentina is the one to get. They're notoriously inconsistent, really not overpoweringly talented, and have a recent history as chokers. Mutu is going to be hitting the coke hard this season after being order to pay back all that money to Chelsea. As long as Sporting doesn't get their Euro-paralysis they have a chance. I say SCP 1-Fiorentina 0 in Lisbon Fiorentina 2-SCP 1 in Florence Sporting sneaks through to group stages on the away goal.
Who? Sporting?!...exception to Caicedo who else they have that is a physical beast? Well, this is going to be tough to handle. Sporting need more than just getting back to shape.
LOL, wouldn't he be sellin it hard to get the money back? Good luck guys, make them pay for not paying for Luisao
Seriously guys? Come on now. This team is very beatable. I understand why everyone is being so pessimistic with Sporting's horrible form of late, but this is very achievable. I know for a fact that Sporting MUST play physical. And that might be our downfall. Other than the likes of Veloso Caicedo and Polga, everyone else is a pushover. btw, a lot of sh*t being said about us over at the Fiorentina thread
this is gonna b a tough game for sporting thats for sure....maybe that miracle in holland will spark them, and theyll start playin in good form again...one things for sure they aint gonna advance if they play they did in the last leg....sporting attack can be deadly but their forwards n midfielders for the exception of vuk n rochembak n caicedo r not too physically built...they get muscled alot so their gonna have to b slick....but i will b rootin for sporting in this one again....i always wanna see portuguese teams do well in european competetions....but its very much do able...fiorentina do have theirr flaws..its gonna b hard to break them down defensively so sporting defense is gonna have to b solid in both legs
Sporting can beat Fiorentina, but they are underperforming atm. I am always optimistic about sporting but, the team seems to lack mentality to take on foreign clubs at the european level they make silly mistakes lose huge to bayern, barcelona etc. under paulo bento they beat inter once, and shakhtar donestk (ended up winning uefa cup) other than that there hasnt been any notable european victories.
Assuming we're healthy we'll field this formation... Frey Comotto---Gamberini---Natali---Pasqual C Zanetti---Montolivo Marchionni---Mutu---LocoVargas Gilardino And yeah I'm probably the one that scp_16 is talking about with the sh*t talking. I have never known a Sporting fan I have ever liked even though our clubs are friendly with each other. I'll be nice though, as I don't know any of you guys.
Well, results aren't to your like, I'm sure. But what about the performance so far? Is it convincing you?
Results of pre-season friendlies mean nothing at all to me or to our coach. I cannot recall us ever winning a summer friendly against anyone but our own youth team or semi-pro sides since our coach arrived in 2005. It does seem that we have improved, though, since our 0-3 loss to PSG to our most recent 1-0 loss to Aston Villa. I think that we have a better team today than we did last season so, in that sense, I think we have had a very good summer.
No kidding that's why it's called pre-season. Sporting is a bit better then last year, just a shame Izmailov is out otherwise I would classify it as pretty even match. Now with the additions of Matty, and Caicedo theirs no telling what their really capable of doing. Our defense is something I had hoped we would strenghthen in the off season, but PB didn't think so. I still think that if we hold off Mutu we'll win this draw.
caicedo will brin sumtin good hes a physical presence on the attack somethin sporting dont have.....shud loosen up liedson a lil more..... but watch out yeah mutu is more of the mobile guy....gillardino can do the killing too...he mite b silent but the silent one r deadly, the ones who show up in sperts...theyll kill u puttin the ball away wit one chance
After seeing both Sporting/Twente matches, I dont think Sporting stands a chance against Fiorentina. Liedson and Caicedo have to work extremely well together and the team as a whole has to improve. Considering Sporting have the same coach and only have 2 new additions, you would expect them to be playing well. Sporting barely got past Twente. Signing Daniel Varvalho would be a great help. Fiorentina have dangerous key players like Gilardino, Mutu, Montolivo and new addition Zanetti. Impossible? No. Unlikely. Yes. Best of luck to you guys though.
Good luck Sporting, I think the key for this game is in the midfield. Florentina aren't extremely good going forward and they are only going to be playing 1 striker most likely. I think if Veloso and Moutinho stuffs the passing lanes early, they will begin to get fustrated and Mutu will play himself out of it. If that happens, the ball needs to get to Matias immediately, and let Liedson and Caicedo play off Matigol. The tandem up front could very well be potent. With that said, I think Sportings defense still has the same problems that they have shown so far, they are very weak on the right side. Carrico and Tonel eventually end up trying to cover for the RB, and it turns everything up down.... But I believe, Forca Sporting e bom sorte!
I actually think we're going to be VERY good going forward this season. The concern is whether, or not, we will be good going forward at this stage of the season.
Sporting's lack of quality outside backs is what is killing them at the moment. Abel has gone downhill, Pedro Silva is not the answer and the Left side is a mess between, Caneira/Grimi/Veloso/and anyone else that can kick with his left...lol When playing a "losango" in the middle you need your outside backs to provide width when attacking. When we don't get that, everythings get funneled into the middle of the field and that does not play to our strengths. PB would like to play Rochemback as he is a much better ball winner then Veloso but doesn't have the quickness anymore and just looks like a lumbering load out there. Moutinho is the only saving grace as he works his ass off every game, but currently he is alone. Without Izmailov we don't have anyone that can take defenders on...Matias is good but he is being asked to do other things. Vuckcevic could be the answer but he hasn't found his form yet. Defense isn't as bad as everyone thinks since they don't get much help from the outside backs and thus they can't do everything....Carrico has been exceptional this year, but Polga seems to be missing something... With all of this being said...SCP can beat Fiorentina. I expect them to come to Alvalade and bunker down and play the counter attack. As all Italian teams do...they think tactical first and that means bunker down and counter when you are away. So look for another slow paced game and Fiorentina getting everyone behind the ball...
This is the kind of Sporting supporter I was talking about when I said that every one I had come across was a delusional whiner.
what is he whining about? all you've done is come in here and troll and talk about how "good" shit-rentina is going to be this season or how good they've been in pre-season. In no way is he putting down or insulting your team. So maybe you should treck back to your ****** forum before you start getting yourself into trouble.
I don't mind trouble. Do you remember that JuveLeo guy when you guys lost to Udinese? On, and on, and on... You don't think that... ...is incendiary?
Alright everyone tone it down, Florentina supporters have every right to come here and talk up their team, but as do Sporting fans. JuveleoRules was simply voicing his opinion on what Florentina would do, and made a general stereotype about Italian teams. One that I also uphold for a majority of the teams in series A and coincidentally for this particular encounter.