Friendly is just friendly.
Hi guys,
This is my second contribution to our blog. Linda seems to have had a great new year at home. What about you, Micheal? Congratulations on passing a driving test, Lu. Nuno, you seem to enjoy meeting interesting people with various cultural background at Mexican restaurant. Do not eat too much britos and tortillas! Julian, you are studying hard, aren't you.
Today's topic is "football". Sorry that some of you are not very much interested in this topic. It is a pity that China is already out of competition. I am not sure if Taiwan has ever participated. If you like, Micheal, Linda, I will arrange a brilliant red shirt or scarf to join our club. Lu, you are obliged to support the selection national de Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo is better looking kid than Italians. So, there is another reason for your support.
Well, Japan snatched a narrow victory against North Korea. The winning goal was made in the lost time in the second half. Our players' individual skills has not come up to the European level. The game against Germany proved that. Japan probably will go to Germany but it would be lucky enough to go through group league.
Watching and analysing preliminary matches, the following teams are at their best: Portugal, England and Sweden. These countries have already established their system at Euro competiton. Especially Portugal and England have a lot of talents. Nuno, this is my best possible team for worldcup. I am glad to hear comment.
Goalkeeper: undecided, maybe Moreira who played in the olimpic team
- Ricardo De Pollo is not very much convincing.
defender: Ricardo Carbalho, Jorge Andrade, Nuno Valente, Miguel
Possible subsititute: Paolo Ferreira
defensive midfielder: Maniche, Costinha
Costina is getting old. Need a possible subsitute
central midfielder: Deco
substitute: Hugo Viana. But he is not yet convining.
windger: Cristiano Ronald, Ricardo Queresma
forward: Pedro Pauleta De Quejo Rosa
substitute: undecided. I only have seen Postiga playing against England. I can not judge if he is good enough. He is not a regular player in Porto as well. The one in the Olympic team is just tall and dull. Nuno Gomes is not in a good shape as well.
Anyway, Portugal do not need a striker with Golden boots. Three attacking midfielders who regularly change their positions can do well enough to produce an excellent last pass or cross. The system should be 4-2-3-1. Queresma and Ronald frequently change their position and exert dribbles and cross balls. Portugal should only change their system to 4-1-4-1 to face a very defensive team in case they could not score in the first half. Costinha should be out then and put The King Figo, paralelled with Deco.
I can not wait another round in the late March.
Un abrazo,
Yasu
PS. Horrible defeat against Irland. Missing many key players. (No Carbalho, Manche, Costinha, ) Friendly is just friendly. Who cares.
posted by Yasu @ 6:11 am
2 Comments:
Dear Yasu
As you can imagine Lu already has a Portugal's national team shirt. I'm still trying to convince her to become an enthusastic supporter but I think she can never get too enthusiastic about football, it's not in her nature. And I'm 100% sure she'll never be as enthusastic as you for the portuguese national team! :)
About other teams, I think Taiwan doesn't have one. In any competition I also support Japan and China in a special way (I hope Japan can make a good world cup with crazy Inamoto leading - how is he doing by the way??).
The game with Ireland seems to have been quite poor. I didn't see it in the TV, but according to what I read the motivation of the players was not at its peak. Anyway that's what usually happens with portuguese players on friendly games, the guys just give all they have when it's for real! Also a lot of key players were missing, especially in defence and midfield.
I also agree with your ideas about portuguese players. I think the main problems in the future will be the midfield and the striker position.
The midfield was great at Euro because Costinha, Maniche and Deco were like a machine, they played the three in Champions League winner Porto and their syncrony was transported to the national team with great results. But now Deco moved to Barcelona, the midfield tactics changed at Porto (2 dismissed coaches in the same season!) and Maniche and Costinha are not good physically and are getting older (especially Costinha). New midfielders, although young and unexperienced, are nevertheless emerging: Custódio, Carlos Martins and João Moutinho (Sporting), Manuel Fernandes (Benfica, quite good player although being in such a horribly shity club!) and Quaresma (Porto) all have potential to play in the main team in the future. In my opinion Simão, Petit and Tiago are not good enough, particularly for the big big games. Ronaldo and Quaresma should be the future wingers, they are the best we have, and Deco should continue central creative midfielder at least for 2 more years.
The striker position is also a problem. Pauleta is becoming old and tired, Nuno Gomes is good (defonetly the man for the big games) but very often injured and a bit irregular, Postiga vanished and Hugo Almeida is simply a beast! No easy solution for the future.
The defence is quite ok, with Miguel (the best, maybe he goes to Juventus soon) and Ferreira, Carvalho and Andrade, Nuno Valente (although this one has no good replacement). Young Ricardo Costa (Porto) isa good replacement. The pollo is the problem...
Changing of topic, the other day I met a Portuguese in London that had been in Tokyo for many years learning and improving his martial arts skills. He is now teachin Ai-ki-do in London and he was telling me about his funny experiences in Japan. One of them was how he bacame manager of a night club in Tokyo called ONE-EYED JACK (I think that's the name). Did ou hear about it? He said it's quite famous because many Hollywood stars when they come to Japan they use to go there to have fun in the night (I think he knew Tom Cruise and Steven Seagal).
And how is your spanish going? Did you enroll in some course after all, chico? Obviously I'm always going to provoke you for learning that barbarian language!!
Cheers to you and the rest of the gang
Nuno
Hola amigo,
Muchas gracias por tu correo electronico. Esta vez, te saludo con la lengua de barbaros. Bueno,estoy abusolutamente de acuerdo contigo en relation del equipo de Portugal. No creo que sea facil combiar a Lu por un verdadero supporter del nuestro equipo. Mira, yo habia afeccionado a la seleccion antes te encontre. Por eso, yo soy verdadero supporter.
Ok enough for my Spanish practice. Once I enroll, I do have more exercises at school. One thing I should say to you. The barbarian language will actually help me to understand your blog. It worth learning, isn't it?
Talking about Inamoto, as you do not hear about him in England, he is not at his best right now. (he is playing at the secondary division).
I do not know the name of the Night club but it must be very famous in Kabukicho. Interesting. Portuguese are everywhere.
Un abrazo,
yasu
Post a Comment
<< Home