Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Scolari's Heroĩs
Portuguese midfielder Raul Meireles (2ndL) scores during their Euro 2008 Championships Group A football match at Geneva stadium in Geneva, Switzerland. Portugal won 2-0. (AFP/Pierre-Philippe Marcou)
Portugal won their group HANDILY - posting 2-0 and 3-1 victories in their first two games. On their third game, having already qualified for the quarter-finals, Portugal's perennial coach (Luis Felipe Scolari) decided to rest ALL of his BEST elements - and so, it was "team B" that took the field against one of the two host countries: Switzerland. Portugal basically let the host get at least ONE win in the tournament - saving face a bit because, to see a host who is completely shut-out in his own backyard, well, there's nothing quite as humiliating, eh?
What a kind, generous and well-mannered gracious guest Portugal is!
I remember though, upon hearing of this and seeing the final result (a 2-0 loss) I could not hold back a luminous sigh and complaint combo that was phrased like this:
"what will be Portugal's reward for being so gracious? They let the host win - and now, from that point onward, who will bow out of their way so that they can fulfill their destiny as Futebol's Number One Nation?"
I suspected the answer would be "nobody" - and indeed it was.
The very next game, led by their youthful captain Cristiano Ronaldo (the renowned best player in the game today) and all of their elite squad, Portugal fell just short of the goal - dropping a 3-2 decision to Germany in what was not to be the most stunning upset of all this time around (it was dwarfed in comparison by the Netherlands' loss to upstart Russia - but still isn't as mind-boggling as the 2004 huge upset when Greece stole one from Portugal!)
And, just like that, Portugal's march towards a championship and international confirmation of what they truly are (the world's foremost experts and leaders in Futebol) was halted - yet again.
Turkey, a country Portugal handled with ease, made it to the semi-finals instead (no surprise there; Portugal had easily defeated Greece in their first match in 2004 too - and then were still upset in the Final.)
Verily, once again, I'm the ideaman with the best solutions to all of these injustices: and the way to circumvent at least part of these revolting turns of events would be to make the quarter-finals a true TOURNAMENT too, just like the qualifying rounds - there's an elite eight left? Split them into two groups of four then - everybody plays three games, not just a do-or-die game, and the best two from each side form the FINAL FOUR. Even there, you could have the SAME FORMAT - three more games, and the BEST TWO ARE IN THE FINAL. And THEN, AND ONLY THEN, is the Final a "do-or-die game" - with the loser getting the equivalent of a silver medal, at least! Follow the Olympic model all the way or NOT AT ALL, dammit!
I am sure that, this way, Portugal would win it all more often than not!
The pressure of a "do-or-die game" is not good for a nation that has so much riding in these games and types of events.
And as for Cristiano, Açoreano as he is - I'm convinced that he suffers from the exact same thing that Luciano has suffered from, intermittently, over all these years - something that prevents him from getting over the hump and lead his nation to victory, like a Diego Maradona did for his beloved Argentina, for example...
Labels: Força Portugal, Futebol, Portugal
Comments:
I could swap Portugal for Chelsea, insists Scolari
Tue Jun 10, 12:37 PM ET
NEUCHATEL, Switzerland (AFP) - Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said Tuesday he would have no problems swapping Lisbon for London if Premier League side Chelsea secure his services after Euro 2008.
Portugal coach Scolari is out of contract after the European Championships, which finish on June 29, and Chelsea are reported to have approached his current employers to acquire about his services.
The London club parted company with Avram Grant last month, despite the Israeli taking his team to the Champions League final and Scolari has been targetted to take his place.
"I have a contract with the Portuguese Football Federation which I will fulfill and we will see what happens at the end of that," said Scolari at Portugal's Euro 2008 base here.
"I will see what happens, it would be difficult to leave Portugal, if I have to do it, but I am professional and I could live in another country."
Sacked Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini, ex-Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard and Russia coach Guus Hiddink have all also been linked to the job.
But the Portuguese Football Federation have confirmed Scolari is high on Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's short-list.
And note also that this blunt "insisting" statement came AHEAD of all the events at EURO 2008...
Verily, at the light of all this (and especially with the lukewarm attitude mirroring themselves in the results that were obtained) - I say GOOD RIDDANCE, SCOLARI!
Thy name only evoked scholarity - thy deeds never did WISDOM!
Bring on Mourinho, the "next coach" of choice, that I've heard of anyway...!
Heck - have former captain Luis Figo fire up the troops, from the sidelines!
ANYBODY is better than SCOLARI!
Go ahead and go flounder in Chelsea - this time, Luiz!
(Luis? Luiz? Make it Luizzzzzzz!)
Luminous Has Spoken!
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Luiz... Luis...
A traitor by any other name!
Read the short tiny article that follows - and marvel at the detachment displayed by the renowned coach, who treats the whole quest for a title so matter-of-factly, so business-like, without any hint of patriotic fervor really... (As if the mere fact that Portugal is the only one of the top ten countries with most victories in these affairs - without a championship to show for it. Most final and semi-final appearances - without getting over the hump. Hmmpff!)
And marvel also at the confusion displayed by the journalist who typed in "acquire" instead of "inquire"...!
But that is another story!
A traitor by any other name!
Read the short tiny article that follows - and marvel at the detachment displayed by the renowned coach, who treats the whole quest for a title so matter-of-factly, so business-like, without any hint of patriotic fervor really... (As if the mere fact that Portugal is the only one of the top ten countries with most victories in these affairs - without a championship to show for it. Most final and semi-final appearances - without getting over the hump. Hmmpff!)
And marvel also at the confusion displayed by the journalist who typed in "acquire" instead of "inquire"...!
But that is another story!
I could swap Portugal for Chelsea, insists Scolari
Tue Jun 10, 12:37 PM ET
NEUCHATEL, Switzerland (AFP) - Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said Tuesday he would have no problems swapping Lisbon for London if Premier League side Chelsea secure his services after Euro 2008.
Portugal coach Scolari is out of contract after the European Championships, which finish on June 29, and Chelsea are reported to have approached his current employers to acquire about his services.
The London club parted company with Avram Grant last month, despite the Israeli taking his team to the Champions League final and Scolari has been targetted to take his place.
"I have a contract with the Portuguese Football Federation which I will fulfill and we will see what happens at the end of that," said Scolari at Portugal's Euro 2008 base here.
"I will see what happens, it would be difficult to leave Portugal, if I have to do it, but I am professional and I could live in another country."
Sacked Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini, ex-Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard and Russia coach Guus Hiddink have all also been linked to the job.
But the Portuguese Football Federation have confirmed Scolari is high on Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's short-list.
And note also that this blunt "insisting" statement came AHEAD of all the events at EURO 2008...
Verily, at the light of all this (and especially with the lukewarm attitude mirroring themselves in the results that were obtained) - I say GOOD RIDDANCE, SCOLARI!
Thy name only evoked scholarity - thy deeds never did WISDOM!
Bring on Mourinho, the "next coach" of choice, that I've heard of anyway...!
Heck - have former captain Luis Figo fire up the troops, from the sidelines!
ANYBODY is better than SCOLARI!
Go ahead and go flounder in Chelsea - this time, Luiz!
(Luis? Luiz? Make it Luizzzzzzz!)
Luminous Has Spoken!
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