The Portugeezer - All Comments

re: Porto aim to sink the Yellow Submarine and force an all-Portuguese final

Dan6193 — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 23:32:39 GMT

what a surprise, focus only on the porto match

Weekender: Road king Roy, Torres solved and Neil Morrissey's fun-juice

FourFourTwo's Inside Track — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:19:18 GMT

1. Roy Hodgson is king of the road If West Brom can win at Tottenham on Saturday, Roy Hodgson will have

A perfect night in Portugal’s European odyssey

The Portugeezer — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:57:13 GMT

It was a flawless Thursday for the Portuguese trio still in the Europa League. Porto, Braga and Benfica

re: End of the line for Sporting

Karl13Contra3 — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:12:34 GMT

It's amazing how you side stepped yesterdays game in which Braga killed off any faint hopes Benfica had of winning the title. Sporting's elections? Of little interest to anyone except Sporting fans. And you focused on Benfica's win against Sporting which happened last Wednesday? Not only did you write just a few lines about the game yesterday but you ignored one of the goals of the season, the crowd trouble that is inflicting hard on the Portuguese league, Jorge Jesus's ignorance toward a deserved win, a disputed red card and about 50% of everything that was written inthe newspapers covered yesterdays game. Sportings elections are just a sidenote today. Besides the fact that you missed that BdC is the fans favourite at the moment to win the election as he was the only one that spoke sense during the debate. Had Jorge Jesus's opting for Menezes and Jara worked out it would have been reported as a stroke of genius on behalf of the manager. The fact that Benfica were leading 1-0 until Javi Garcia ot sent off and that Roberto made a complete hash of a free kick from the sideline and nearly 50 yards away had nothing to do with Benfica losing. Braga sold or released several top players during the JAnuary transfers. Only three players that started against Arsenal last November started against Lech Poznan last week which is incredible at the least. Benfica's weaknesses are difficult to spot in the league but when it comes to European competitions they will be found out pretty soon. As usual in Portugal its all about blowing hot air and sensational headlines and not showing on the pitch when it matters(which these days are european competitions).

Ignoring the game (apart froma few lines) was a huge mistake. Focusing on a minor cup game instead of the fact that Braga ended Benifca's 18(or19?) game unbeaten run and also finished any lingering title hopes(which week in week out are triumphed by the newspapers) is unpardonable. You have reported a lot about Benfica's outside chance of the league title because of the run they have been on and all of a sudden you ignore it?

Come on Sergio. You can do a lot better than that! It's tiem you wrote an article about one of the games of the season. Every other newspaper, blog, forum is bursting with the story...

re: Portuguese minnows looking to emulate Wigan Athletic

logz90 — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:14:42 GMT

if that big lump up front could head a ball they would have easily won this game.

re: Braga keep the dream alive, while Benfica are stuck in a nightmare

Tiago Martins — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 12:49:16 GMT

If I was to express my opinion regarding all that's wrong with Benfica I think I would need a blog like the one you have dude... anyway without getting into much detail I don't think even half of what's going on is Jesus' fault. It's more of a case of bad management than bad coaching. Sure, maybe he's at fault in some motivational issues but even the most motivated squad can't do much without talent and we can all see that the talent required to win just isn't there. I guess that they thought that if they could win the league one year and get qualified to the Champions League they would be able to get the money to buy the best players in Europe and thus be the dominant force in the portuguese league in the next...well, 100 years maybe. The thing is football is way more complicated than that, but they still don't get it...

re: The Gods Must Be Crazy: A wacky week in Portugal

Sir Natty — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:56:38 GMT

totally agree with the article except the bit about benfica's investment...they frankly didnt and the scoreline was predicted by some blogger on soccernet whilst introducing villas-boas after his appointment some months back

re: Portugal in bullish mood to take on Vikings

Quiggle — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:01:11 GMT

put me down for a danish win

re: Portugal need to get Bento

temjin — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:27:51 GMT

Ever got the feeling that portuguese football is turning into the lounge scene in "fear and loathing in las vegas"?

re: Euro draws favour Portuguese quartet

Karl13Contra3 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:53:57 GMT

Sporting to win their group? hey will struggle to finish second in tha group...

re: Portugal suffering Cypriot hangover

Karl13Contra3 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:50:15 GMT

Hi Sergio,

I haven't given you the best of reviews in the past so I'll try be objective.

1. The FPF are trying to get Queiroz out. Even a badly executed plan has backfired with politicians putting their nose in where its neither wanted nor acceptable. Queiroz wl be bought out of his cotract before the internationals come back in March. The Portuguese press have blown the situation out of all proportions as usual.

2. Young/Old players - Its nothing to do with ag in my opinion. Its all about money. Few of the players wear the shirt with passion. Carvalho and Eduardo were visibly upset after the Norwegian game tonight. Others like Ronaldo and Quaresma rarely perform well at international level. Quaresma's over dramatised good start at his new club Besiktas (4 goals in 9 games) has made him out to be better than he is. Just like Ronaldo who has never truly shone on the international stage. Quaresma may have played well against Cyprus but he once again disappeared against Norway and seemsed more intent on showing off his tricks than playing as part of a team. Almeida and Fernandes are not international calibre players who can change a gaem. Neither have been ever consisent enough to merit their starting places on this weeks teams.

3. Agostinho Oliveira was thrown in at the deep end at the last minute. The selection criteria was forced upon him by several players not being available. The goals that Portugal suffered was basically down to por defesive errors. Too many new faces and too much individualism cost Portugal the points and it had nothing to with the selection criteria.

4. The attendance. It's funny how Guimaraes prides itself on claiming to be where Portugal was born. Every time it's advertised thats what we hear. Saying a friday night hadto do with the poor attendance is a very weak point of view. The majority of International matches in the past were all on Wednesdays and the attendance although never great they were never this low. The truth of the matter is that your average Portuguese football fan is very fickle. Winning they are the best and losing they stay away. 9,100 is a horrible attendance no matter which way you look at it.

re: Portugal suffering Cypriot hangover

dipeca — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:23:03 GMT

Good article (once again) Sergio! I really like to read your opinion about portuguese football. Your article starts a little bit more negativally that you usually do but with the poor exhibitions our Selecção is doing, who can blame you? You know, even if i blame Queiroz to not have this audacy that is needed to make the teams grow i think he is not the biggest problem. I thing our clubs are not taking risks with young portuguese players. Looke at the start XI for out 4 biggest clubs! Braga as reached the champions league bu how many portuguese players have played in the battle against Sevilla? Unitl now SCP was betting on his formation but not anymore.. We need to rebuild all from the start! From the youngers.. If you look to our sub-21, the players are not in our biggest club or they are not playing.. This is what i think to be the biggest problem of our Selecção..

re: Portugal suffering Cypriot hangover

temjin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:39:02 GMT

"Sweden even had two once upon a time!"

And Portugal even had 4 (!) once upon a time.

Ya know what also happened once upon a time? FFT hired a douche to write about portuguese football and forgot to confirm if he actually knew anything about portuguese football.

re: Portugal suffering Cypriot hangover

Fqdd — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:45:51 GMT

What do I think? Unfortunately I think you, as many others Rui Santos and António Tadeias, don't know the first thing about what yuo're talking about...

re: Porto give Benfica plenty to ponder

ei02028 — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:36:58 GMT

In this opinion, I think it's missing what has been going on this Summer, during the pre-season, between Porto and Benfica. As Sergio said (and well), Porto was the underdogs and the press considered this game like Goliah (Benfica) against David (Porto). Before the game, everyone was talking about the impressive 29 goals scored by the eagles during the pre-season, talking about how Porto didn't manage to win any game in Paris, that our coach was too young, etc etc. Even the white-horse Benfica's coach said that was nearly impossible to stop the Eagles this season. Well, it was a delight to watch the eagles being overplayed by an almighty Porto.

That's a Dragon's fan perspective of what happened this Saturday.

PS - By the way, I watch the game with Sergio in the stadium. Do you want a pic of him?

re: Avoiding second season syndrome

maykay — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:41:34 GMT

damn.....you were spot on with the result!

re: 'Little' Braga humble Celtic

drgreen — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:23:41 GMT

apologies, Samaras may have had one or two sub appearances, and Maloney too. whoopey doo!

don_cule, what ludicrous money? £2m on a mexican International? hardly tore andre flo is it my Rangers supporting friend?

re: 'Little' Braga humble Celtic

drgreen — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:13:55 GMT

The Scots have a lot of experience in the competition, but if Neil Lennon’s men thought they were going to have an easy day at the office, they couldn’t have been any more wrong.

eh? There wasn't one player in the Celtic team with ANY champs league experience. It was a brand new team. And there wasn't one Celtic fan who thought we were favourites to go through - did you see us play last season? Why do think a rank rotten Rangers team are champions?

re: 'Little' Braga humble Celtic

don_cule — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:29:55 GMT

I'm an admirer of this side who appear to be progressing season after season.

Who knows in two or three seasons they could be SuperLiga champs and group stage entrants.

I'd rather see debutants winning for as long as possible and it means we in the Scottish media can berate a member of the Old Firm for spending ludicrous money and still not winning enough.

re: Sporting face Moutinho sale backlash

Tiago Martins — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:00:28 GMT

Temjin i didn't see anything in the article specifying when a bid was made for moutinho. The only thing the author said was and i quote "reject bids of upwards of €15M for his services from the likes of Everton in recent years". He didn't say someone made a bid for him last year...

Furthermore i would urge sporting fans not to judge moutinho too quickly because we only heard bettencourt's side to that story and i got to say...it has some holes in it...

P.S: it's spelled hearsay...

re: Sporting face Moutinho sale backlash

temjin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:16:08 GMT

I really don't agree with some things written in this article.

I think that most of the Sporting fans see the loss of Moutinho with a shrug. It would be good if he remained in the club but his last seasons have been a joke. It's a pity that he decided to go mercenary on our hides but that's how the worm turns these days.

Oh, and Moutinho didn't receive any bids since 2008. Heresay is not a journalistic tool.

Just a reminder.

re: Sporting face Moutinho sale backlash

don_cule — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:59:26 GMT

Are Braga the real deal this year?

Nine new signings and given that last year they were close for much of the season, is this the year they lift the Liga?

Also, at what point do Sporting CP start to realise that they'll need to face years in the title wilderness to rebuild before they can challenge at the top again?

re: Claudia Schiffer, Mark Knopfler and 30 years of Portuguese madness

MrTips — Tue, 25 May 2010 11:11:58 GMT

How could you forget the Joao Pinto pearls:

"My heart has only one colour: blue and white"

"I'll give you a forecast of the result after the game" ("prognosticos so depois do jogo")

We are blessed with some magnificent clankers, we are...

re: Has Queiroz caused problems for himself with his World Cup selection?

Sergio Santos — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:11:13 GMT

@TheBrain

I agree with you; Meireles had a below-par season and at the moment I wouldn't include him in the starting XI.

If fully fit, Mendes should always play. A truly underrated midfielder that was somehow overlooked by Scolari and only now has the chance to shine for the Seleccção.

Also, if it was up to me, I would play in a formation similar to the one employed by Real Madrid, with Ronaldo as a forward alongside Liedson and taking full advantage of our wingers.

We'll see what happens...

re: Has Queiroz caused problems for himself with his World Cup selection?

The Brain — Sat, 15 May 2010 12:12:29 GMT

Despite usually posting well-written articles, this time you fail to convincingly ascertain the problems in the squad. Quite conservative, you are right, as he should have picked one more in midfield, which looks like lacking that unpredictability you say.

Meireles is an overrated player and shouldn't be playing with Mendes, who's better.

re: Has Queiroz caused problems for himself with his World Cup selection?

maykay — Sat, 15 May 2010 04:19:06 GMT

To be honest, I have a bad feeling about this one. Queiroz just doesn't inspire any confidence, and the 'Manuel Fernandes' affair was hilarious, the guy wasn't even on the 50-man squad, but then is chosen to be one of the 6 reserves. And the absence of Carlos Martins, as you point out, says a lot about Queiroz himself. Deco is well past his prime, yet there is nobody in the squad that can naturally fill that role. The truth is, Queiroz called up 12 or 13 potential starting XI players, and the rest are players that don't make people wonder why they're not starting...they're 'safe players. He didn't take the players that were in best form, like he promised. As I said......I have a bad feeling about this one.

re: Only Benfica capitulation save Braga's title dream

maykay — Sun, 09 May 2010 21:27:26 GMT

i guess they didn't capitulate ;)

re: Braga keep up the pressure on Benfica as title race hots up

Karl13Contra3 — Sun, 02 May 2010 15:28:55 GMT

Nothing special about the goal... Good pass by Di Maria but then its easy to showboat when you are playing against ten men for 83 minutes in a game and 2-0 up... The build up to the goal was good though..

re: Braga keep up the pressure on Benfica as title race hots up

maykay — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:24:41 GMT

well, at least someone agreed :D

re: Braga keep up the pressure on Benfica as title race hots up

Quiggle — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:32:22 GMT

agreed, that was superb

re: Braga keep up the pressure on Benfica as title race hots up

maykay — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:52:15 GMT

For those of you who have not seen it:

videos.sapo.pt/MDEfucMWC32K8ibkIz8f

re: Braga keep up the pressure on Benfica as title race hots up

maykay — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:50:10 GMT

Portugeezer,

I respectfully disagree. I can't believe you didn't even mention Benfica's 3rd goal. That has to be one of the most beautiful goals I've seen. By the way, what club do you support? ;)

re: Benfica edge closer to title after derby success

Karl13Contra3 — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:44:22 GMT

Kinda let that Liverpool result slide by didnt you?

re: Much-hyped Benfica look to come of age at Anfield

Suivaloom — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:29:50 GMT

Shame for Benfica they got mauled last night.

Liverpool are too experienced at this level, I don't think Benfica stood any chance after conceding the first goal. This will be a valuable lesson to the Portuguese side though, and they can build on this next season.

re: Why Liverpool will lose to Benfica this evening

kurdi — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 12:28:29 GMT

i think Anfield will swallow Benfica on de return match .. come on reds ;)

re: Why Liverpool will lose to Benfica this evening

Fabrecass — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 09:25:13 GMT

touche portugueezer.

I feel you were lucky though, the ref was abismal. Luisao is a thug, he meant to hurt torres, no question.

I maintain they'll still go out however.

re: Why Liverpool will lose to Benfica this evening

Perat — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:04:34 GMT

Congrats!! Great game by Benfas! Luisão should have been sent off instead of Babel, but still... Great game. Benfica won, and deservedly so, tonight they were much better than Liverpool. And as for the previous comment, I don't thing he is overestimating Benfica... English fans don't know much about portuguese football, so they think their teams are always better. When Porto won the champions, o'shea said porto was an average team, and he had a duty to know what that team was capable of.

Benfica has a very good team, and tonight was much better than Liverpool... 3:1 was an too much? From what I saw... 3:1 would have been flattering for Liverpool, 2:1 was a blessing.

Still, pretty tough job for Benfica in Liverpool... Should be a good game.

P.S. - I expected much more from Torres.

Enjoy

re: Why Liverpool will lose to Benfica this evening

Karl13Contra3 — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:00:36 GMT

Good luck for the game tonight. I wouldn't compare Liverpool to Everton... Everton had up to nine first team players out injured or cup tied against Benfica when they lost the first game. Liverpool have also beaten Everton twice this season... Benitez always goes for a draw in tight away games.... I expect Torres will score...7 in the last four games.. Benfica haven't kept a clean sheet in over 50% of European games this season. We'll see... Hope its a good game..

re: Why Liverpool will lose to Benfica this evening

Fabrecass — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:16:45 GMT

Whoa dude, i think you're mega biased, maybe benfica will snatch a narrow victory tonight, to be honest i think it'll be a low scoring draw, but 3-1?!?!....

calm down.

re: Why Liverpool will lose to Benfica this evening

lfcdiehard_cc — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:31:30 GMT

what the hell ...

stop overestimate benfica ... they are just that not good enough to beat liverpool ...

re: Benfica outclass hapless Porto to retain League Cup

Perat — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 22:53:18 GMT

Come on Geezer, stop playing... "In the first real opportunity for the Reds..." - That was no opportunity! That was a gift! And you should thank us ;) And as for the second goal... "barely gave Nuno a chance" - that ball had to be his! But I like him, so I forgive him... And congratulations for winning the Beer Cup! And this time, without Lucilio Batista!! That's even better!! eheheh Now tell your readers what's really happening in our country... Aimar the diver, giving Cardoso plenty of penaltys for him to miss, The Hulk being framed... And so on, and so on... eheh

But, apart from all that, when the championship ends I'll buy you a beer.

Cheers! (For the Beer Cup)

re: Benfica outclass hapless Porto to retain League Cup

Yorugua — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:21:00 GMT

I can see Jesualdo coaching Uruguay after Tabarez resigns after the World Cup, he's more than familiar with Rodriguez, Pereira & Fucile at Porto... I know the language would be an issue but Porto plays identical to Uruguay, with a push it forward style or as Tim Vickery, "a crash, bang, wallop" side.

Porto's problem is mainly Benfica though, they recovered their form without Rodriguez & Fucile and defeated Belenenses very easily over the weekend.

re: Sporting lead the way in Europe as Dragons slain

Karl13Contra3 — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:14:01 GMT

Good article Sergio,

Just want to correct something... Benfica had an official 46,635 and not the 60,000 that you stated. Even though Benfica have had their best season in years they have only filled the stadium once this season.. 64,000 against Porto(The restrictions due to a big game laft about 1500 seat unused). They have an average attendance of over 47,000 throughout the league season which is one of the best of recent season for any Portuguese teams.

I thought Sporting would win this game until I read that they have lots of injury problems at the back and with Tonel and Grimi out and J Pereira cup tied plus an injury to Abel they are looking very short at the back. Plus the fact that they have Patricio in goal whose blunders give third division Chinese players the chance to play for the Chinese National team... I'd like to see them go through but I doubt it now..

Benfica on the other hand have every chance to go through if they play to their strengths and attack from the get go. Marseille have suggested through newspaper reports that they will try hold onto the away goal and it would be the worst thing they could do.. A tight match that could go either way..

Good luck for the game....

Karl

snowballjoyrider.wordpress.com/.../braga55-lucky-numbers

re: Extinguished Dragons snuffed out of title race

Karl13Contra3 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:22:45 GMT

Oh and the managers for Porto..

I've heard a lot of rumours about Paulo Bento but I doubt he'll get it.. What are the odds on Domingos Pacienca and Jesualdo Ferreira going opposite ways.. If Braga go to the Champions Leauge they would be able to manage his salary and possibly Porto would offer a sweetner by paying some of his salary like Benfica did when he went to Braga.

re: Extinguished Dragons snuffed out of title race

Karl13Contra3 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:13:38 GMT

Good article Sergio.

If Benfica get past Marseille the quarter finals are during the week after they play Braga and directly preceeding the Sporting game I think. Although Fatigue may not hit them some players will have their eys on the World Cup. Braga only have Rio Ave and if they overcome them they will have 14 days to rest before the Benfica game whereas Benfica will have 5 games in the next 17/18 days. Will tiredness be a factor? Will the freshness show for Braga as Hugo Viana desperately needs a rest. He's not played this much football in years. Nacional should be a tricky test for Benfica. Machado and Jesus's continued verbal assaults on each other should make for interesting viewing. Sporting play Benfica at the beginning of April. How do you feel Benfica will handle this new and improved Sporting team? Of course the game of the season will be Benfica Braga but the Lucilio cup final is the week before and I'm sure Porto will go full speed ahead to try not only beat Benfica but dish out some Bruno Alves vigilanty style punishment(which more times than not goes unpunished) A lot of people have said Braga's bubble has burst. Do you agree? I think a few weeks ago Benfica struggled against both Setubal and Belenenses and have bounced back. Will Braga do the same? Even though Benfica have lots of backup do you think that fatigue may play a part as they have up to a possible 8 of their remaining games against top quality opposition(Marseille twice Porto twice Braga and Sporting and a possible two leg quarter final) I think its silly that some commentators have said Braga have no chance considering the games that are to be played... Lots of questions.... What are your thoughts?

PLANET BRAGA

snowballjoyrider.wordpress.com/.../and-the-oscar-goes-to

snowballjoyrider.wordpress.com/.../advertisements-id-love-to-see-part-1

re: China crisis: Five reasons why Portugal failed

yogal — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:37:12 GMT

Joao Pereira might have made irreparable damage to this WC hopes with that sending off against Benfica. Abel is in the starting 11 at Sporting and I really think Paulo Ferreira is going to be our RB in South Africa. He did well against Bosnia and unlike most of the others is tall which I think is an advantage - I just hope he gets some more game time this season at Chelsea.

Duda is far from world class but who else? I'm not a supporter of Coentrao being called as a LB. Peixoto maybe could but don't think he is in Queiroz's plans.

re: Are Sporting a big club or not?

Karl13Contra3 — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:57:03 GMT

There's rumours of Vilas Boas and Domingos going to Sporting... Any chance of Carvalhal staying after the teams recent resurgence?

Also heard a silly rumour that Paulo Bento is going to Porto.... miss his interviews.... they were so bad they were comical...

re: China crisis: Five reasons why Portugal failed

Karl13Contra3 — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:51:42 GMT

I completely agree that he should have tried other players... for me it was a waste to see CR on the pitch as we know what he can do. I would have tried Joao Pereira personally. Not sure if he's up to it but I'll be honest I didn't see the game but i read that Duda wasn't great t now with Bosingwa out the maager should try different options...

re: China crisis: Five reasons why Portugal failed

Sergio Santos — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:38:33 GMT

@Karl13Contra3

The timing should not be not an excuse. Top teams played on that day as well and well...some of them actually played good football. As far the opposition...well that was one problem, but I expected that players would give their best for two reasons: 1) they needed to make amends with the Portuguese supporters; 2) players like Tiago, Hugo Almeida and Varela should have wanted to impress Queiroz to stake their claim for a place in the squad.

Cheers

re: China crisis: Five reasons why Portugal failed

Karl13Contra3 — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:28:51 GMT

Actually my opinion is completely different. Every single player would agree that the timing of the international was really bad. And who is going to give 100% against China? League gaems are much more important to players at this crucial part of the season and the crowds whistling was disgraceful... It was more a potically motivated friendly than a football motivated one..

re: China crisis: Five reasons why Portugal failed

yogal — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:28:41 GMT

I share most of your concerns and am not going into the World Cup with high hopes...that said, Portugal is always crap against 'supposedly' small teams - it's an attitude problem and one we always had!

re: The week: Super Sporting hammer hapless Porto

Gary Parkinson — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:36:33 GMT

Yorugua, give us chance!

We're covering as many leagues as we can, and if any bloggers wish to cover futsal for a feature they can, but I'm not sure we can commit to a full-time blog for what is, for better or worse, a minority sport.

We try, but we need sleep occasionally...

Cheers for your support

Gary (FFT.com editor)

re: The week: Super Sporting hammer hapless Porto

Sergio Santos — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:17:54 GMT

@temjin

The thing with Sporting is that they cannot have it both ways. One day they're hailing their academy and the next Carvalhal is saying you cannot win championships with only youth products.

Same thing when they claimed they couldn't compete financially with Benfica and Porto...We all know what happened in January.

If they're as big as they claim, they only need to acknowledge they failed to meet expectations. That's my "problem" with them.

@Karl13Contra3

Hi Karl! Long time, no see!

I think Izmailov's goal was a really good one, but I found Di Maria's effort more eye-catching. Guess it is just a matter of opinion.

About Benfica being with their morale on a season-high, it's not only about their continuous good performances and results but also about gaining a psychological edge over their rivals. That's why I think they're on the right track even though they'll have very tough matches ahead.

Like you said, everything is still open and the league is more exciting because of that...

re: The week: Super Sporting hammer hapless Porto

Karl13Contra3 — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:50:04 GMT

Izmailov's goal was by far the best goal of the week if not one of the goals of the season. His total control of the ball before he put it away was world class.

How could Benfica's win against an extrememly poor Leixoes team in awful conditions put their moral at a seasons high? They have a very tough schedule ahead. Di Maria's form has been so up and down you dont know which one will turn up each week..

Long way to go... Morale doesnt win points. Only results do.

re: The week: Super Sporting hammer hapless Porto

Yorugua — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:28:18 GMT

Off-topic, how come nobody ever covers Futsal on this website? I've been watching Portuguese Futsal and I lvoe it, I can't wait for Brazilian Futsal to start-up again (which is today by the way)...

Regarding Porto, once Cristian "Cebolla" (that's Onion) Rodriguez is 100% healthy, they should start winning again.

re: The week: Super Sporting hammer hapless Porto

temjin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:21:52 GMT

So... I guess I can call SCP a big team now? It's ok right?

So,like... Are FCP a little team now?

re: Are Sporting a big club or not?

Yorugua — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:36:29 GMT

Had Cristian Rodriguez played earlier in the game instead of coming on when the score was 3-nil, I doubt that Sporting would have defeated Porto so easily. Rodriguez is instrumental to Porto's success, they just got fooled into thinking they could get away with giving him extra rest.

re: Are Sporting a big club or not?

Willem_Pie — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:46:14 GMT

Acedemy is one of (if not the) best in Portugal.

Support is matching Benfica and probably surpassing Porto.

Have a broad foreign fan-base

Have been winning titles (a lot in recent years) when O Glorioso were too busy pushing of the increasing debts.

So yes, Sporting is a big club....

re: Are Sporting a big club or not?

Joetoffee — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:42:08 GMT

Omg No.

Absoultely shocking crowd for there home games this year(average less than 24,000) and to have only a 17,000 at the gamne against everton when the score was 2-1 from the first was disgarceful and 7,000 of that was everton .

hardly met anyone in the city of lisbon who didnt support benfica.

call me bitter fine, but calling it as it was

big team my *rse.

we got beat by a pub team and becaUSE WE HAVE A MANGER WHO CANNOT MANAGE IN EUROPE.

re: Brave Braga lose top spot as Porto hit top form

Eddie — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:00:14 GMT

Yes! Smart decision by Benfica.

The match I am waiting for with trepidation is Arsenal-Porto. Very frustrating to be without Hulk, but Varela seems pretty good, and of course, Falcao is in top form.

re: Sporting plummet as Braga show their strength

Karl13Contra3 — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:41:51 GMT

It's going to be an exciting finish to the league. Great goal by Renteria. A good Setubal goal against Benfica which was disallowed was largely overlooked by the media.

Good article Sergio.

snowballjoyrider.wordpress.com

re: Sporting plummet as Braga show their strength

don_cule — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 10:47:15 GMT

I reckon Wason Renteria's goal is the better of the two.

But what a sublime free-kick by Ozeia.

We should see more Liga Sagres on TV...it's certainly more entertaining than the present SPL over here in Scotland.

re: The Portugeezer's Midseason Awards

kbones — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:09:14 GMT

aaaand anyway, why did Benfica signed Keirrison in the first place? there were about 24 strikers already in the squad.

re: Why Baia's better than Shilton (and many others)

Sergio Santos — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:57:33 GMT

@temjin

OK, you don't like Baia fair enough. I think we could discuss who's better based on many, many parameters and I've never said I think Baía is better than ***'Homme.

However, I expected that an organization that focuses on statistics would base its rankings on concrete, tangible data. That's why he don't always see the team we perceive as best topping their club rankings.

And when you look at the trophies Baía won, he's second to none. Not only has he won trophies, he actually played in all the European competitions finals, which in my opinion is also a sign of his quality.

re: Why Baia's better than Shilton (and many others)

temjin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:33:10 GMT

Vitor Baía = Harald Schumacher.

Baia was a good goalkeeper and i'm not disputing that. However his lack of sportsmanship (I recall several displays of very poor behaviour in FPF cup finals and a famous game against Campomaiorense just to name two examples), Senator-like behaviour in the national team, his taste for c**k-ups (Denmark-Portugal in Euro'96 anyone?), and a very miserable season at FC Barcelona make 18th place seem very fair as far as I am concerned.

The fact that ***'homme is still highly regarded not only by Benfica fans but also by supporters of many other portuguese clubs speaks volumes about how good he was. Baia however is generally loathed by everyone who's not a FC Porto fan.

I agree that the list is anything but fair (Illgner was always better that Kopke methinks) but using your "might is right" trophy cabinet method a true "all-time GK" ranking would probably not only put two-time (pre-)Champions League winner and World cup bronze medallist Shilton behind Baía, but would also relegate the mighty Banks of England into oblivion.Simply because he only played for clubs like Stoke or Leicester...

(P.S.: BTW Baia is probably the only GK to defend shots BEYOND the goal line SEVERAL times and not have a goal called against him, so then again maybe he's the best ever.)

re: Why Baia's better than Shilton (and many others)

don_cule — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:19:43 GMT

I disagree with Dida, Seaman, Zenga and Zubizarreta being in the top 20.

The only issue i have with Vitor Baia, and it's not a notable one, is the theatrics in the UEFA cup during the Mourinho reign.

Otherwise he was a fantastic player...but I would say Higuita, Kasey Keller or Casillas should be the number one keeper.

re: The Portugeezer's Midseason Awards

Yorugua — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:09:58 GMT

I'm going to be honest, I was never a fan of Saviola anywhere... I always thought he was too short, a little too pretentious and didn't think much of him when he played for River Plate, Barcelona or Sevilla... in fact most of the European teams he's played for don't care too much for his services, except for Benfica he's been Johnny-On-The-Spot... I saw the last two goals he's scored for Benfica and they were pretty good... not bad for a player I always thought was being shoved down our throats.

re: Why Everton are a better bet than Arsenal

Paulo Pincaro — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:47:36 GMT

Considering Sporting tied Benfica, I would say they have shown something....

re: Portuguese 101

Paulo Pincaro — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:43:58 GMT

While your point about a lack of regional identity is valid (even though in addition to Guimaraes, you failed to mention that Braga have had good numbers as they've continued to improve), it does exist on the top-three scale, a person from the North will be more inclined to follow Porto than Benfica or Sporting and vice-versa with Lisbon.

re: Bloga Bonito

Paulo Pincaro — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:39:46 GMT

Oporto?

I've heard of Porto. Never Oporto. Is that next to Olisboa or Ocoimbra?

re: New Year's revelations in the transfer market

Paulo Pincaro — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:36:52 GMT

What I don't understand is the logic in paying 3 million for a decent defender in Pereira, while you're watching your rivals pay 2.3 million euros for a future superstar in Kardec, especially considering that a good defender never costs as much as a good striker. And the Pongolle money is a bit absurd, he's not a regular goal-scorer. For the same price, they could've bought two good up-coming strikers, not a player who is quickly becoming a 'never-was.'

re: The Portuguese Liga team of the decade

Paulo Pincaro — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:29:41 GMT

I have to agree that if you're including Jardel as a sub, you really should have him in place of Liedson. Sorry bout he was the golden boot winner for crying out loud! Liedson is a more complete player, but as a striker the goals are the most important.

As far as for the inclusion of Costinha. I'm not happy with that. How about switching to a 4-4-2 and including Jardel and taking out Costinha? Costinha was so massively overrated, take away his repossession skills and the goal against United and he was mediocre at best.

As for the disgruntled anti-Baia fan. Sergio is right. Vitor Baia is the winningest Portuguese goalkeeper... EVER. I think that speaks volumes, personally. The only other goalkeeper who came close in the league in terms of capabilities would be Helton, and I guess Peter Schmeichel could be included as well even though he only played in 2000 and 2001.

As for the left-back option... Leo was miles better than Valente. Valente is slow and sluggish, while Leo is pacey and agile. Not to mention that Valente has a tendency to... well... be dirty, let's put it that way. Do you remember the semi-final against Deportivo in 2004 when he nailed the Depor player in the face and got away with it?

Jorge Costa for Pepe? Have we completely lost it? Jorge Costa is good but nowhere near the player Pepe has become/was at Porto.

I guess my corrections would have to be...

Simao for Lisandro (Sorry but Lisandro isn't that great)

Lucho Gonzalez for Costinha

and in some respects Jardel for Liedson

If you're putting Costinha in there just for winning the Champions League, you might as well throw Paulo Ferreira in there as well. (Who should appear on the subs-list ahead of Valente, hands down)

re: The Portuguese Liga team of the decade

dipeca — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:37:11 GMT

temjin why do you say that it is a FCPorto Propaganda? Do you discord on any of those choices? What player from this squad do you remove and by who?

In my opinion Liedson or Quaresma should be on the bench and Derlei on the team!

re: The Portuguese Liga team of the decade

temjin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:42:52 GMT

"Vítor Baía was arguably the best Portuguese goalkeeper ever." That's rubbish. Grade-A rubbish. Glad "arguably" was there. Naming V.B. "the best ever is like calling Harald Shumacher "Germany's finest GK".

Pure FC Porto propaganda.Period.

re: The Portuguese Liga team of the decade

ei02028 — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 13:03:27 GMT

I don't agree in any way with the choice for the left-back. The natural choice would be Nuno Valente. He won everything with Oporto and had good performances during Euro 2004. I understand that this team has to have a Benfica's player and that was the best that Benfica could give to best team in the decade. This represents Benfica's shape during the first decade of XXI's century...

I can remember a few that could be here and are now excellent players. Could you tell that the likes of Diego, Luis Fabiano and Anderson arrived first in Portuguese League? "Ninja" Derlei, Joao Pinto and others deserved a spot in the bench too...

re: The Portuguese Liga team of the decade

tiago — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:54:55 GMT

I would play Jorge Costa instead of Pepe, Jardel instead of Quaresma (for his 01/02 season) and hence play in 4-3-3, and I would save a spot on the bench for Derlei as well.

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

websmsmessages — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:13:08 GMT

its really very nice posting thanks for sharing this with us.

<a href="www.websmsmessages.com/.../Funny-Sms.php">Funny sms</a>

re: Why Everton are a better bet than Arsenal

Yorugua — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:10:49 GMT

Portugeezer... I saw the Benfica/Porto clash on Sunday, what a horrible game --- Lots of longball passes, And on Saturday I saw Naval/Sporting, even worse.

re: Benfica: Where does the money come from?

Karl13Contra3 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:08:44 GMT

Good article. Just as well Sporting are having a shocker this season. Happy Christmas Sergio.

snowballjoyrider.wordpress.com/.../querido-pai-natal

re: Benfica: Where does the money come from?

temjin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:54:16 GMT

It's useless to compare Benfica with Leeds. Why? Because the level of lobbying that they command in Portugal is such that Dynamo Berlin look like saints in comparison.

re: Dragons emerge as title fight tightens

Karl13Contra3 — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:42:57 GMT

Moises made the mistake not Eduardo. He said as much himself after the game and reiterated it aqfter yesterdays game. It's the Portuguese media putting pressure to put in another goalkeeper. He's let in 6 goals in 13 league games and none in both Portuguese cup games. By far the best keeper in the country..

re: Group G is for Gruelling, not death

Fabrecass — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:56:09 GMT

haha, unbelievably biased and stupid blog there sir, brazil beat portugal LAST YEAR, as you've said yourself, so what does the fact that the brazilian team has drastically changed since 2002 and 2006 have to do with anything?

re: Why Portugal would benefit from Group of Death draw

Yorugua — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:25:48 GMT

I know this is after the fact considering that the Draw already happened, but I don't know whether Portugal is really in the Group of Death, Group D to me feels like the real Group of Death. Australia, Germany, Serbia & Ghana... lot of good matches from that group.

Portugal/Brazil is ok, and also the Ivory Coast matches but North Korea will be a pushover.

re: Why Portugal would benefit from Group of Death draw

Codorniu — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:59:14 GMT

Ofcourse France shouldn't be seeded! Ever since Zidane hang up his boots they have been horrible! They didn't move past the group stages at euro 2008, they qualifying campaign was horrific and as smeg said they might have as well not been there!

re: Why Portugal would benefit from Group of Death draw

Smeghead — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:53:57 GMT

4 years is a long time, what a team was like 4 years ago has no bearing as to their seed now. SO yes France shouldnt even BE THERE let alone seeded

re: Derby and moan as Lisbon lacks fizzle

Quiggle — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:12:49 GMT

anyone else think that goal was magnificent?

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

Cesare — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:09:02 GMT

What is odd about being the same height after six years? Same thing happened to Leo Messi ( that's one of the reasons he stayed with no playing time in barcelona) , Maradona was always short and so too many other people .I was 5''11" at 15. Years later I am still 5' 11". I think that Adu's has been a case of missmanagement and missunderstanding.Specially in the USA where they could not think like him and managers think he still should be sucking his thumb . Also, it has never been a "supertar" in american soccer and he has a star mentality ; What's wrong with that?. He has not been given the chance in the MNT for the same reason that you mentioned ( not enough playing time) Well maybe not enough minutes with a club ,but that does not matter when it comes to represent the national team .All those rumors about his age is just that and garbage .He is a great talent and he still has the chance to shine like the star he is. They don't understand him and "not enough minutes is just an excuse" .I don't think USA is ready for him . And maybe the fact that people mention about him not taking a good decision is a show of his real age.

re: The biggest derby of the weekend

Sergio Santos — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:07:16 GMT

@Quiggle

You'll be glad to hear that Braga won their match on Monday!

I agree with you, the Portuguese league is somewhat predictable but Braga are definitely defying the odds.

As for the question "Will they?", I think it will be very hard for them. Nevertheless, they don't have the Continental competitions to worry about and they have been consistent up to this point...so who knows?

re: The biggest derby of the weekend

Quiggle — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:05:34 GMT

nice to see another team threatening the big three in the way braga are currently.

the portuguese league is more predictable than the premier league with the big 4 at present.

thoughts sergio, on whether braga can maintain the momentum?

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

anderson22 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:55:05 GMT

My sons team played Freddies maryland team at the U-14 level for the Youth soccers regional championships in New York. We lost because the then 12 year old Freddie scored two goals against us. Bethesda went on to win the national championship. I remember sitting at a picnic bench with Freddie before the game and thinking there is no way this kid is 12. It was a sin back then to even question this matter. My sons entire team though he was around 17 back then also the people who didn't benifit from him winning games said the same thing. I guess it doesn't matter much now.

re: Who's next for this Sporting life?

Sergio Santos — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:53:18 GMT

@Colorado

Thanks for the comment. You may have received the news that Carlos Carvalhal will be Sporting's new manager.

Carlos Brito is a good manager, but unfortunately has the "only does well at Rio Ave" tag, which makes it difficult for him to move to one of the top 3 clubs in Portugal at the moment. Rio Ave won't complain though, as they have been performing above expectations!

re: Who's next for this Sporting life?

Colorado — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:48:32 GMT

Interesting blog! Any mention of Rio Ave's Carlos Britto being linked to the Sporting job?

re: Braga get bragging rights, Sporting's Bento gets bent

redcamelia — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:34:41 GMT

Britney fans Loosho, Jessica and Jonatan were so inspired by the '3' music video,

that they started creating wallpapers and fan art from the video's images.

Flip through their work below, and if you've created something with the images from '3

regards

<a href="www.centralairconditioningunits.net/window-air-conditioning-units.html">Window Air Conditioner systems</a>

re: The Big Braga-Benfica Bunfight Weekend Preview

Sergio Santos — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:23:28 GMT

Thanks mate, I appreciate that. Keep in touch and feel free to comment.

re: The Big Braga-Benfica Bunfight Weekend Preview

sean_diesel — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:53:30 GMT

I'm happy to see a blog on the Portuguese league. I'll be sure to check in and read it every chance I get.

Benfica has been so strong this season that I've been worried an end to the good times might be around the corner. I hope not.

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

geremi — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:20:25 GMT

Adu is definitely older than he claims to be. He is at least 5 years older. If this is the case, this means that he was ineligible to play in the U-17 and U-20 World Cups in which he participated. At the end, it doesn't matter. He is a mediocre player.

re: Working out the play-off contenders

Sergio Santos — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:26:36 GMT

@Yorugua

I agree with you. Figo was a class act, on and off the field. He was respected as a captain and he could make the difference. We definitely need to find someone who can lead our current squad. As I've said before, I don't think Ronaldo should be that person (his personality is different), but there aren't many with that profile. Maybe Simão, maybe Ricardo Carvalho or even Bruno Alves...

@Karl

Though we export a lot of players (Pauleta, Duda, Eliseu, Danny...), it is certainly a fact we will suffer because we're importing more and more instead of nurturing youngsters. We still have some window to create those players as Ronaldo, Nani and Pepe are quite young, but something will have to change in the way clubs are managed.

As for the playoffs, I'll tell you one thing. Slovenia would be my choice. Ireland is always tough at home and both Ukraine and Bosnia are unpredictable (and I'd like Bosnia to qualify because they had a great run in their group). Slovenia MIGHT be the weaker side, but then again, Portugal need to be fully focused to overcome the play-off round. It shall be interesting...

re: Working out the play-off contenders

Karl13Contra3 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:26:04 GMT

I think its more to do with Queiroz's mismanagement but also due to the fact that there are very few players to choose from. In last weeks 8 games in the Portuguese top flight only 83 of the starting 176 were Portuguese. The league is winning with the improved quality but the National team is losing because there aren't enough players to choose from.

P.S. I just hope Ireland don't get Portugal. It'll just put me in a situation I don't want to be in. On the other hand it would guarantee a place in the finals. Ireland's manager Trapattoni has created miracles with probably the weakest squad Ireland have had in years.

Nice article Sergio.

snowballjoyrider.wordpress.com/.../when-it-rains-it-pours

re: Working out the play-off contenders

Yorugua — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:41:01 GMT

I haven't really followed Portugal at all but don't you think that not having someone like FIGO on their squad is probably the main reason why they've had such a rough time at qualification? Players like FIGO come every once every twenty years... irreplaceable & a true warrior in every sense of the word.

re: Breaking through the glass ceiling

Rodrigues — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:33:51 GMT

I'm half portuguese and currently I reside in Norway. Naturally, the Norwegian newspapers doesn't cover Portuguese football and since I don't speak Portuguese (yeah, it's a shame. I know.) myself, these posts are really helpfull!

Keep up the good work!

re: Breaking through the glass ceiling

Karl13Contra3 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:21:49 GMT

I didn't mean it for to sond like a personal attack. After I had reread it. I realised it was way over the top. I have read all your articles and will post after each one. By the ay Freddy Adu played at the weekend and is way overweight. On his twitter(If it really his him) he's always talking about his mother. Maybe he's just never matured enough to become the professional football that everybody had hoped for him.

Could you send me a Private message. I have a few questions I'd like to sk.

re: Breaking through the glass ceiling

Sergio Santos — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:01:09 GMT

@Karl13Contra3

Thank you for your input even though there are some things you got wrong.

First of all, nobody calls Braga "Guerreiros do Minho" as that monicker was created for marketing reasons. The fact that "Arsenalistas" is a media-invented nickname pretty much makes it a proper nickname.

Now, I have not given any special attention or praise to Benfica. As for the Cristiano Ronaldo / Domingos deal, you got it wrong again. I really like Ronaldo back on his early days at both Sporting and Manchester United. The reason I am not he's biggest fan is because I feel he's too full of himself and often plays for the cameras and not for the team. As for Domingos, have I said anything similar about Jorge Costa? So, no, I am afraid to say I have not a hidden agenda against FC Porto or Sporting (even though as a Benfica supporter I want my team to win...of course).

I get it, you like Braga. That is good and more people should support Braga, Guimarães and other clubs. But no, Braga hasn't crossed the chasm. Are you actually saying that Braga are genuine title contenders by any chance? They are above Guimaraes and Nacional at the moment in players and conditions, but they are some distance away from the front trio.

"The season has just begun and Sporting have already played Braga and Porto." Braga played against Sporting and Porto. So? I am saying that on paper, I rate Braga's defenders higher than Sporting's.

You're right about Linz though. He was loaned out last season and went to Turkey. Though he had a few problems with managers in Portugal, I think he was a very good striker.

Anyway, I hope you continue to follow this blog, because you seem very knowledgeable and that way I am sure I can improve as well.

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

dojodan — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 09:36:57 GMT

"Think about it, if he was a 22 years old of average skill in MLS why would he be a star in Europe?"

He's like a reverse Darren Huckerby - a 33 year old of average skill in England who became a star in the US.

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

MLS99 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:08:54 GMT

Freddy Adu claimed he was 14 when he signed at DCU but he was 19, I have it on inside info, the fact he did not grow from 12 to 20 years old supports my statement but I can not disclose my source, sorry.

He played in MLS for about 3 years and was a average player.

Think about it, if he was a 22 years old of average skill in MLS why would he be a star in Europe?

re: Breaking through the glass ceiling

Karl13Contra3 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:02:03 GMT

Congratulations. On the weekend of the 8th week of the season(7 games played) you finally pay some repect to Braga. Recently you have called Braga the "Archbishops" which has never beena nickname of the club and twice the "Arsenalistas" which is a media created nickname. The correct nickname had you done the proper research is "Guerrieros do Minho" which translates as "Warriors of/from Minho".

Braga's high expectations were put off course by Benfica's alleged tapping of their then manager Jorge Jesus. Benfica paid Braga 700,000€ and Jorge Jesus lost a 300,000€ bonus from Braga. This situation went on for a month until the end of June(It first appeared in the newspaper 6 days before Braga were due to play Benfica in the penultimate game which Braga lost 3-0 at home. This put Braga's pre season into disarray as few matches could be arranged at such a late date.

Your constant underhand attempts at insulting both Sporting and Porto may not be noticed by an unseasoned supporter but are easily noticed by a regular season ticketholder. The Portugeezer "is ot a great fan of Cristiano Ronaldo nor Domingos Pacienca". Why, you may ask? CR played for Sporting which re the Portugeezers main rivals and Domingos Pacienca was an outstanding player for Porto... Makes sense?

And that titanic chasm you spoke about in one of your earlier pieces. The chasm that would never be crossed. Braga have crossed it... But will they stay. You fail to mention that Sporting, Benfica and Porto have all had dubious decisions go in their favour this year, not to mention the on the 5 penalties in 6 games in favour of Benfica.

You said Braga have a better defence than Sporting. Over the past 4 years Sporting have consistently had a better defence than both Braga and Benfica. The season has just begun and Sporting have already played Braga and Porto. It's ridiculous to say these things so early in the season.

Eduardo is the national goalkeeper because he went nearly 700 minutes in europe without conceeding a goal. He also was the keeper with the most clean sheets last season.

J Pereira did not leave Benfica a couple of seasons ago. He left in 2005! he went to Gil Vicente on loan and they bought him 6 months later and then sold him to Braga a year later.

Braga do not play 3 in midfield.. they play four. Vandinho as a defensive midfielder. Mossoro on the left. Alan on the right and Hugo Viana as the number 10. They have played tis formation in all six games this season but Mossoro has only come into the team regularly, starting the last few games.

Roland Linz has not been loaned by Braga. The contract was terminated by agreement of both club and player.

Renteria wanted to stay in Braga but unfortunately Porto were looking for too much money.

Braga are not a surprise package. They were well in the hunt last season until they went to Estadio da Luz and the referee failed to give two clear penalties in favour of Braga and allowed an offside goal for Benfica to win 1-0. Surprise? I think its just your warped image and the treat of another club taking money out of the pockets so called 'big 3' by winning the league and denying them of Champions league places as Guimaraes did to Benfica 2 seasons ago.

You can contact me at karlbragaceltic@homtail.com

Thanks... and here's hoping to a more parcial blog for the future.

re: Breaking through the glass ceiling

don_cule — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:52:43 GMT

I thought Leixoes would do it last year...but just like the SPL here in Scotland, the big teams just accummulate more points inevitably.

I wouldnt mind going to Braga's stadium though, carved into the mountains...very cool.

re: The breakdown of Atlético’s breakdown

Yorugua — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:50:09 GMT

Atletico Madrid can't win with Argüero & Forlan, two of the most useless players ever, Forlan can't even lead Uruguay to a World Cup (This is his second go-around for Uruguay) while Argüero's only claim to fame is nailing Maradona's daughter... so he can score goal in a mediocre league, so what? No defense and deferring to Argüero & Forlan is a recipe for disaster.

Things will get worse before they get better, didn't they just sign Forlan till 2013?

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

Andre_Almeida — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:02:54 GMT

In my humble opinion Benfica is the one to blame, and it's no news that there's (or was) a lack of player judgement. i.e. Deco, Maniche, Christian Rodriguez, now imagine Addu in a club like Sporting Lisbon. I'm sure that if that was the case we would have heard from him alot more.

More than Addu's talent or lack of it, it's Benfica's lack of judging players potential.

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

Moreno_130 — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:45:53 GMT

As a DC United supporter, it's been easy for me to track Adu's professional career from the outset (OK, for the last three years, it's been easy for everyone, sort of like watching paint dry).

Freddy has sabotaged every opportunity he has been given. He is a nightmare for coaches and teammates, because he thinks the soccer universe revolves around what is best for him. Every development, large or small, he interprets according to how it affects him individually.

The hype surrounding his first professional contract only partially explains his refusal to adopt a genuinely professional attitude, or his stubborn insistence that anyone, anywhere cares what he thinks or how he feels. Some prodigies grow up fast, others not at all.

Finally, leaving MLS was a huge mistake. His game developed by leaps and bounds while he was in DC, in spite of his own best efforts -- if there were a Nobel Prize for football, Petr Nowak would have won it hands down. But all Freddy did was complain and run down his own team. He should suck it up, be a man, and return to the States, where he will actually help a cub and himself. Otherwise, yes, his career is over.

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

Norman — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:05:44 GMT

I saw Adu score his (spectacularly unimpressive) debut goal at Giants Stadium against the then-Metrostars. The MLS was in its infancy then and needed an icon - ideally a young(!) icon - to draw in fans and, crucially, viewers for the televised games. They backed the wrong horse here and I'm as sceptical about his age as the other posters above. Plus, although he was speedy his standard of play and ball control were appalling for a teenager at any level and would've had a manager worth his salt kick him up the hole and send him to the reserves for a season or two.

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

Bobotonto — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:54:29 GMT

It seems Freddy told Pauly McGuinness that 'tracking back' and playing on the wing were not part of his game during his very short trial at Manchester United. Wasn't Peter Novak, the D.C. United coach, quoted as saying he might say he was seventeen, and train like he was 34, but he had the Mama's Boy mentality of a 12-year-old! Good job, Sergio!

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

Sergio Santos — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:31:03 GMT

@daitanaka

I was referring to CONCACAF in terms of international games and to "America" in terms of youth teams in the United States league. Naturally, Adu didn't play against CONMEBOL teams on a regular basis (unless, there is a youth world cup or another international tournament). The point I was making was that maybe Adu didn't face strong oppositors back when he used to dribble defenders for fun.

@worm

Belenenses didn't get relegated, because another club's finances(Estrela da Amadora) were in dire condition. One would expect that Adu would quickly claim a place in the starting XI. Also, he is yet to play for Belenenses, though there are talks he may feature on Monday (the team's next match).

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

daitanaka — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:50:41 GMT

"Are youth squads in America and CONCACAF any good when compared to their European counterparts?"

I wonder how familiar you might be with soccer in America, you know there are only COMEBOL and CONCACAF!!!

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

worm — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:07:53 GMT

"five games into the season, Adu still hasn't played for the the team."

Give me a break! He wasn't even traded to the team until the fourth game. And he did play today, in the third game he was with the team.

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

Sergio Santos — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:30:57 GMT

@xxx1xxx

I think that is an overstatement. His trial at Man Utd may have ended earlier than what was supposed, but I doubt that at 16 he would be deemed "not good enough". Especially a youngster as coveted as Adu, unless there are special circumstances. And looking at other examples, Yaya Touré also failed to seal a move to Arsenal, having spent a period on trial in London. Wouldn't he play week in week out for Arséne now?

@Yorugua

A couple of weeks ago, 15 players of the U-17 Nigerian team were dropped after failing age-tests. Some people within the game say the problem is quite serious in the African continent, but it is one that may be difficult to tackle. Because unless we're witnessing a blatant fraud, such move will be regarded as offensive.

Again, I am not saying that Adu cheated, but the case is similar to others in the past. Nevertheless, if FIFA is serious in introducing MRI bone scans, I think they should do it on a global scale and not just on the most affected regions.

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

Yorugua — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:44:59 GMT

He's originally from Ghana... a country known for rampant documentation fraud, there is some smoke in the fire regarding his real age, it wouldn't surprise me one bit that his family tried to pull one on the MLS and were able to fool that league into thinking Adu was really 14... It could only happen in the MLS though as other teams like Inter or Man U. would have probably done some age verifications...

re: The Curious Case of Freddy Adu

xxx1xxx — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:47:51 GMT

If you'd done a little bit more research you could have mentioned that Freddy Adu was given a trial at Manchester United in 2006 and deemed not good enough

re: Portuguese League: State of the Nation

Supamedia — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:05:01 GMT

Hi Sergio

Muito Bom Dia

thanks for emailing me.

i shall stick you in MY FAVES and check you out as i am always interested in whats going on in PT Football

take care speak soon

just had 4 days down in Peniche and a great break

Bye

Paul

re: Portuguese League: State of the Nation

Sergio Santos — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:40:57 GMT

@black country bloke

Thanks mate, I appreciate that. You may happy to know that SC Braga defeated Porto at home. 1:0 was the result and they now have 15 points!

re: Portuguese League: State of the Nation

black country bloke — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:53:16 GMT

Enjoyed reading your Blog, I tend to look out for the "OTHER LEAGUES" rather than the usual glorified ones. By the way my fav team in Portugal are Braga how interested to see them doing so well at the moment hope they can surprise a few and continue.

re: The Usual Suspects part three: Benfica

Lysander — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:49:39 GMT

To all the fellows who read this article I just wanted to point out that the person who wrote this article is clearly a fan of a rival in Portugal. Everyone and their donkey know that Benfica is, by very, very far, the biggest Club in Portugal in every way and one of the most well known Clubs in the World and this Portuguese guy goes ahead and writes:"(...)perhaps the biggest club in Portugal(...)"; the rest of the article also gives him away. It is well known how FC Porto managed to get to the top of Portuguese Football and sports had nothing to do with it; in Italy they would have been banned to the regionals. Benfica is a sleeping Giant; recognized by FIFA and recently by the IFFHS as one of the top 10 clubs of the XX century. Rivals in Portugal all hate Benfica, more than they love their own club, but jealousy is what moves them and that is not a respectful motive.

re: Five reasons why Portugal will fail to qualify

Yorugua — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:53:37 GMT

The number one reason should be the retirement of Luis Figo... Cristianoo Ronaldo is not a leader, he's a prima donna, which is why Sir Alex dumped him faster than he did Beckham.

Figo was the man at nearly every team he played for, even playing for Inter, he showed class while putting up with the horrible Roberto Mancini... Cristiano Ronaldo should do less partying and should learn to bow his head more like Figo; a true gentleman in this sport we call football.

re: Five reasons why Portugal will fail to qualify

Sergio Santos — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:56:21 GMT

@Isaidso

I don't think he's the best crosser we have to be honest. Both Simão and Quaresma (even though he was not called up due to his indifferent form at club level) are at least as good at crossing. However, Nani has lots of explosion and should have played in addition to Ronaldo and Simão. I am not a big fan of the diamond formation (for Portugal that is) and I think Queiroz should have played Nani or at least another offensive player.

@Santos6

Pedro Mendes should have been called up long, long ago. It's really a shame that Scolari and Queiroz continue to overlook him. As for Pepe, he hasn't played regularly at DM since he was at Maritimo. Even though he has bags of stamina and speed, he's not the best passer and I think he would be better suited at left-back. As for the holding midfielder role, maybe we lack a proper tough-tackling no-nonsense midfielder, but there's a couple of players that can play in the center and share the load with someone else: Meireles, Moutinho, Veloso, Manuel Fernandes, Pedro Mendes, Ruben Amorim (this one in the future)...

re: Five reasons why Portugal will fail to qualify

Santos6 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:37:28 GMT

Well said, I agree with everything you said minus the part about Pepe as a DM, yes it is less then ideal but it is the best option we have at the moment. Meirelles doesn't do the job well, he is better at being the runner in midfield. Moutinho is too small (he's a real case of does everything well but nothing GREAT). Veloso best option but can not be trusted, so Pepe it is. I always thought Pedro Mendes could have played there but none of our NT coaches has ever had faith in him.

That being said, if we don't make the World Cup it may be good for us as their is definite flaws in our set up, it could be the wake up call we needed.

re: Five reasons why Portugal will fail to qualify

footblog — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:24:55 GMT

The World Cup will be nothing without the game's greatest star.

re: Five reasons why Portugal will fail to qualify

Isaidso — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:17:00 GMT

I watched you game against Denmark, and truthfully your biggest mistake was to bring Nani on too late. Nani is the best crosser into the box that you have, and is your only winger really that can find your players in the box. To play the others before him, well it cost you, because they failed to get decent balls in. Nani is making goals for Man United strikers, and Portugal should start him in your game against Hungary!

re: The Usual Suspects part three: Benfica

Sergio Santos — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:10:43 GMT

@Gorayfe

Yes, Patric was loaned out to Cruzeiro. Shame Jesus didn't fancy him, because Benfica could really use another right-back.

@Long Live Zola

Two things about your post:

1) Keirrison is not a starter at the moment and unless he really impresses in the domestic cups or some non-critical games, he'll have a tough time breaking into the starting XI. Why? Oscar Cardozo's goalscoring record and Javier Saviola's link-up with the Paraguayan. I'd like to see him more though.

2)FC Porto lost Lisandro Lopez and Lucho Gonzalez (not Cristian Rodriguez). The forward's replacement, Radamel Falcao, already scored 3 goals and Belluschi seems to be a talented lad. More than that, it's the ability to incorporate new players and inject them a winning mentality that makes Porto a special club.

So, even though Benfica have a good chance to clinch the title, I'd say FC Porto are still the favourites.

re: The Usual Suspects part three: Benfica

Long Live Zola — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:19:42 GMT

this to be benfica's year? maybe?

ramires is a quality addition - watched him in confederations cup and he held brazil together in the middle.

keirrison should hit twenty goals no problem, but its not so much about who benfica have bought as much as who Porto have lost;

without lopez or rodriguez, they look decidedly less threatening. falcao is unproven at this level.

sporting? saw them against fiorentina, they dont look like champions to me.

benfica for the title i reckons..

re: The Usual Suspects part three: Benfica

Gorayfe — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 02:28:46 GMT

"He’s even more important considering Benfica lack a second right-back."

What about Patric? Did Benfica loan him out?

re: The usual suspects part two: Sporting

Sergio Santos — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:39:12 GMT

@Santos6

Benfica fan there? Dani was a talented lad...shame he didn't have the passion to convert that potential into something great.

@don_cule

I don't think this will be the final season for Patricio. He still hasn't proved he is an integral member of Sporting, let alone playing at a top-tier team! He's still young though - just 21! - and more competition will only make him a better keeper.

I'd like to see Beto play at FC Porto (had a good season with Leixões last year), but will probably be Helton's understudy.

re: The usual suspects part two: Sporting

fcplink — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:20:43 GMT

Paulo Bento is being healvilly criticized and the recent team results have been a dark spot regarding the managers carrer in the team tactical leadership.

There is even a fan group that subscrived his resignation petition.

re: The usual suspects part two: Sporting

don_cule — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:23 GMT

Despite not seeing much of the Liga Sagres...I am interested in the progress of Rui PAtricio...is this likely to be he is final season before heading off to the top tier leagues in Europe? Or is he just not good enough yet?

re: The usual suspects part two: Sporting

Santos6 — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:47:55 GMT

I see you are saving the best for last.

I hope you are right on the Veloso bit, its a shame to see such talent go to waste, reminds me of another pretty boy rich kid Dani.

re: The usual suspects part one: Porto

Sergio Santos — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 10:46:24 GMT

@Knudster

First of all, let me congratulate you on your kick-ass website. That's some detailed info on Portuguese football and I am glad to see it.

About your question regarding Porto vs Benfica/Sporting, well...their structures are quite different. FC Porto is used to winning, they've been in the Champions league almost every year and the club is very organised. They can offer South Americans a very effective route to Europe's biggest clubs because language is similar (Portuguese/Spanish in South America), because they usually reach the quarterfinals in the Champions League and because the Portuguese League is a good warm-up for the top tier leagues.

Benfica and Sporting have to play catch-up, but are still some way behind them. Why?

Benfica carries the hopes of millions of nostalgic supports who want the club to get back to its old ways asap. That's part of the reason why every summer sees lots of changes. They lack a real identity and need to focus on long-term stability.

Sporting has relied on its academy, which has produced HUGE players. However, because they cannot offer regular CL competition, players tend to leave way before they reach their peak, being sold for smaller fees.

Because Cristiano Ronaldos don't appear year in year out, they are a bit dependent of the quality of their academy products to ensure their finances are not out of order.

Hope to have answered to your question, though feel free to contact me.

Cheers mate!

re: The usual suspects part one: Porto

don_cule — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:41:14 GMT

Much appreciated Sergio

re: The usual suspects part one: Porto

Knudster — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:01:44 GMT

Hi Sergio,

I second all the comments so far on your blogs congratulating you on it. Great to see good informed writing on Portuguese footy.

As for Porto constantly picking up great South American talent, any thoughts on why Benfica and Sporting are way behind in this department?

I'm doing my bit to promote Portuguese football through my site www.portugoal.net.

Could you drop us a line (portugoal @ portugoal.net). I'd like to plug this blog and have a chat.

Cheers

re: The usual suspects part one: Porto

fcplink — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:28:01 GMT

@sergio santos

Thanks Sergio :)

I would like to have your e-mail or another way of contact if you may provide me. I would like to propose you something. dragoes@fcplink.com

re: The usual suspects part one: Porto

Sergio Santos — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:27:32 GMT

@fcplink

That's some nice website you have! However, I am afraid to tell you that I'm a Benfica supporter. Nevertheless, I am here to share interesting stuff about Portuguese football and I'll try to be as objective as possible!

Cheers!

@don_cule

That's a very interesting question and I could write a lot about it. There are several factors that prevent FC Porto from snatching top Primera liga players:

1) Wages - in Portugal wages are much lows

2) Loan deals - FC Porto doesn't go for loan deals without the option of making it permanent. It just doesn't suit their long-term strategy.

3) Visibility - this one is tricky. The Portuguese league may lack visibility, but Porto is year in year out in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Wouldn't that help Negredo stake his claim in the National team?

4) Price - Negredo would cost €15M, a very big figure for Portugal. The club prefers to attract top talent from South America or even in Portugal; players with hunger and that one day may be sold for a huge profit.

Hope that helps, though I may come up at a later stage with a more thorough explanation of the Dragons' transfer policy

re: The usual suspects part one: Porto

fcplink — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:38:33 GMT

Hulk as already being punished dut to his offensive and energetic profile. He will be even more in the future!

re: The usual suspects part one: Porto

don_cule — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:27:41 GMT

Would it be out of the question for Porto to sign some of the Primera Liga 'big teams' players?...I see Negredo is still looking for a team.

re: The usual suspects part one: Porto

fcplink — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:56:45 GMT

I would like to congratulate you for such an article. It is always interesting to see the outside picture on FC Porto team.

I would like to give you all the chance to visit fcplink.com because it is a really interesting and innovative project around football. Sorry it is in Portuguese only :)

By the way, Sergio. Can i have your e-mail?

www.fcplink.com

the dragons social network

re: Portuguese 101

Sergio Santos — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:30:35 GMT

@Colorado

I guess Keirrison is still adapting to the league and to the team. He was one of the last players to arrive and he has time to shine. Though maybe the manager is ruing that decision!

@DC Exile

It is true that Belenenses finished 15th, but they didn't get relegated because Estrela da Amadora had big financial problems. They hadn't pay the players for several months and couldn't come up with the money before the deadline set.

@Santos6

If you check Wikipedia, Braga had the 5th largest average attendance in the league. But let's not forget one important detail: Braga did quite well in both the UEFA Cup and the championship while Guimarães endured a disappointing season. Let's see in an average season what the Braga faithful does!

re: Portuguese 101

Santos6 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:05:48 GMT

I always was under the impression that Braga had a strong following as well.

re: Portuguese 101

DC Exile — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:36:22 GMT

Looking forward to reading along.

Normally I pay passing attention to the Portuguese League, but I paid enough last season to know Belenenses finished 15th and got relegated. So how come they're still there? Something strange happen to a team that should have come up?

re: Portuguese 101

Colorado — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:46:54 GMT

An interesting start to the opening round with the big three all drawing. ESPN UK are showing live coverage this year and showed the Benfica - Maritimo match last night.

Why wasn't Keirrison named on the bench?

re: Bloga Bonito

yesdeleon — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:47:28 GMT

Very neat. Through an odd series of events I became a Sporting season ticket holder last season, so I guess Sporting is now my team to follow!

re: Bloga Bonito

Gorayfe — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:56:42 GMT

Nice finally a blog on Portuguese football. I usually listen to a podcast. This will be my first season actually watching games and I decided to follow SC Olhanense. How do you think they will do this season? All those loanees from Porto should have a good impact. Also is Zequinha still a rising talent?

re: Bloga Bonito

Santos6 — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:52:30 GMT

Nice, a portuguese blog! I will be sure to follow this, hopefully I will catch more of the chupaliga this year than usual.

re: Bloga Bonito

Sergio Santos — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:48:40 GMT

@Fabrecass

About Chumbinho...well, you see, lead (the material) in Portuguese is called "chumbo". That nickname was given to him after he was born; apparently his mother used to say he was "as heavy as lead" (common expression used here to say something is very heavy). "Chumbinho" is a diminutive of "chumbo" and hence how he got that strange nickname. He is not expected to feature for Leixões this coming season though due to some conflicts with the club and coach.

@Colorado

Nice to see a Rio Ave fan around here and I will try not to forget the "smaller clubs"!

As for Rio Ave, they are usually on my favourite list of teams expected to go down, but this year however they did some good signings; Ricardo Chaves, Valdir, Bruno Gama and João Tomás are quite good additions to the side and base on that I think they can do better than last year. We'll see how things start!

re: Bloga Bonito

Colorado — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:43:59 GMT

Hi, great to see this new blog here.

I hope you will feature on other clubs as well as the the 'Três Grandes' of Benfica, Porto and Sporting (which is how I envisage the table finishing this year).

I have a slight (odd?!) soft spot for Rio Ave and try to follow their scores each week. How do you think they'll fare this year?

re: Bloga Bonito

Fabrecass — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:45:48 GMT

I wouldn't boast about Sporting nurturing the talent of Quaresma!

And I'd like to hear more about Marinaldo Cícero da Silva of Leixões, more commonly known as Chumbinho, why the frick is he called chumbinho? And what does it mean?!