FIFA U-20 World Cup: Gloriously Rooting for Laundry

Whoever said kids should be seen and not heard has not been watching the U-20 World Cup. Stand up and shout boys, this has been one hell of a tournament. Watching the semifinals this weekend was euphoric and anxiety-inducing, just like good football should be.

Where to begin? With Portugal's one-for-the-ages penalties win over Argentina? Or how about with France gagging away a 1-0 lead with 7 seconds left in added time, and almost doing it again in extra time? And what about Brazil and Spain in extra time?

I wish I knew more about the players; I felt like I was rooting for laundry at times. I was. I was also rooting for good and dramatic football, which was hard not to do.The skill level is pretty high, in fact about the only distinguishing factor here from "senior" football is the size of the players. Most of them are tall and skinny and haven't really hit the weight room much yet as their older counterparts -- just a guess on my part.

Tactically however, the games are fun and fascinating to watch. They're playing for so much and for a lot of them, this may be their only shot at international glory. Imagine, all four quarterfinal matches went to extra time and two of them to penalty kicks. The games were tight, but you couldn't help get caught up in the drama. I can't advocate more than for you to watch tomorrow's semifinals. Brazil-Mexico and France-Portugal should be epic. A Brazil-Portugal World Cup final is epic at any level; Mexico, should it make the final, continues to make its case as a huge threat for the 2014 and 2018 World Cup (remember, Mexico won the U17 World Cup a few weeks back). France? Well, yeah, OK. Anyway.

FC Porto Looks in Mirror, Sees Benfica in Reflection

Hey F.C. Porto, look at your Classico rivals Benfica. That could be you a year from now.

Remember Benfica's wondrous championship season last year? Remember how they used to score goals by the bushel, 4, 5, 6 at a time? Remember how they'd run teams into the ground, literally and figuratively? Looks a little familiar no?

There are a couple of stone-cold facts Porto--a team some are calling perhaps the second-best squad in Europe right now--cannot escape: You play in Portugal. Portuguese teams are a horrid combination of poor and greedy. This year's Falcao and Hulk are last year's Di Maria and David Luiz. They and you will be tempted by shiny new uniforms, big money and a bright spotlight. And you won't turn down the money. It's in your DNA to sell off your best players and reload the hard way--just ask Sporting and Benfica.

Sad, really if you give a damn about the Portuguese league, or any smaller league in Europe. The pattern is the same and the cycles of winning are few and far between.

Benfica was dumped out of the Europa League by SC Braga yesterday. Benfica should have, and would have, cruised to the title game under different circumstances. Economics, greed and those bad genes all conspired to doom Benfica. And it's a safe bet Porto will be in a similar boat next year. Dominant domestically, Porto is going to hoist another continental cup in a couple of weeks and then the fire sale begins. Too bad, because this is a league that desperately needs some consistency. Imagine a three out of four Champions League semifinals, instead of the very NIT-like Europa League? Imagine the spotlight on Portuguese football in that case? All it would take is a little consistency, because apparently, Portuguese clubs are pretty good at developing and nurturing players. They just haven't figured out how to keep them!


And then you have Braga, a true anomaly. A collection of relative unknowns headed by a lame-duck coach who spoiled the party by hanging on by the thinnest of threads yesterday to beat Benfica. It's a great story; everyone loves a Cinderella. And if Braga wins in Dublin, that only further flames the impending Porto fire sale. It's going to be a bittersweet game either way for Porto. Win and the Falcaos and Hulks are gone; lose and guess what? They're gone too.

Yes Porto, take a hard look at Benfica. You too could win just the BWin Cup next year and come ohsoclose to winning more important silverware--if you only had the players.

6 Things We Learned from Yesterday's Friendlies

As we wrote yesterday, some international friendlies do matter. I highlighted three matches, and I think I scored better than Portugal did against Spain.

So in that vein, here are six things we learned from yesterday's friendlies:

1. Let's chill on Portugal's 4-0 curbstomp of Spain. Great win over the world champions, but it was a friendly. five months ago, Portugal had no answer for Spain's possession game, nor for the Spanish defense. If this one meant something and Spain sent a full complement to Lisbon, methinks this might have been a tad tighter. The big winner here was Paulo Bento. The new Portugal manager is the only thing that's new and shiny and different since South Africa. This is a big notch on his belt and lots of brownie points with his players, many of whom are close to his contemporaries.
2. Boy did Nani screw Cristiano Ronaldo out of a legendary goal. Ronaldo put a litany of moves out of his playbook down the left side of the Spain defense; the last guy to get burned was Gerard Pique (pick up your jock at lost and found Senor Pique). Ronaldo made himself some space and lifted a gorgeous ball over Pique and Casillas into a wide open goal. Nani, who was in an offside position but not active on the play, dashed in and headed the ball. Some claim the ball was in already--maybe it was. But either way, Nani's action was enough to prompt the referee blow the whistle and nullify the goal. Too bad. Ronaldo was pissed. Nani apologized. End of the day, no biggie.  That said, the cuffs are off Ronaldo with the national team and it's crazy how fluid the Portugal offense is. And Nani is a giant in the making; he deserved a goal on his first shot of the game.
3. As for Spain, again, chill. They're still the best. They'll be in the 2012 Euro final. 
4. England loses 2-1 to France, horrors. But the worse horror is the fact that Steven Gerrard was still in a meaningless game more than 80 minutes in, and naturally, he gets hurt and Liverpool is without their best player for at least four weeks. This kind of irresponsibility is what gives friendlies a bad name. People are already sour on the international game, and when Fabio Capello allows his ego to supercede the availability and health of his best players--who are paid by clubs--these are more black marks. Liverpool is pissed, and they should be. This is a meaningless game and managers must be responsible enough to give the biggest stars a token run and turn the stage over to emerging players. What better way to evaluate them? Huh Fabio? Fabio? Any time now?
5. Speaking of emerging players, how about the U.S.'s Juan Agudelo? The look on the kid's face--he's 17--was worth a million bucks after he scored to beat South Africa yesterday, 1-0, in RSA. He made a pretty mature run to score; he followed the play, picked his spot to pounce on a loose ball in the box before he buried high into the goal. Emotional, fantastic and just what these friendlies are supposed to be about. Play young players, see how they deal with the environment and whether they can do something positive. A-pluses all around for Agudelo and coach Bob Bradley. 
6. In case you've forgotten, Lionel Messi is the best player in the world. Now Argentina's tiny wonder played the whole way against Brazil, totally shattering my thoughts above in the Gerrard section but what the hell. His goal to beat Brazil in injury time just reinforces his brilliance and stature as the game's best player. He's got the best first step in sports--yes better than NBA guys--and the best balance. He slaloms between players, always stays on his feet--unless he's ravaged by an opponent--and usually scores when he creates his own space. His goal yesterday was genius because he doesn't have to hit a bomb of a shot with tons of effect on it to be great. He runs to space that isn't there, finds his own space and within a fraction of a second, unleashes whatever kind of shot necessary to score. Yesterday's grass-hugging roller was agonizingly slow, but equally unstoppable. He's the best. Enough said. 

Starting Eleven: Portugal v Spain friendly

Portugal:  

Eduardo; 

J. Pereira, 

R. Carvalho, 

B. Alves, 

Bosingwa; 

R. Meireles, 

J. Moutinho, 

C. Martins; 

C. Ronaldo, 

Postiga, 

Nani

Spain: 

Casillas; 

Ramos,

Piqué, 

Puyol, 

Capdevila; 

Busquets, 

Alonso, 

Xavi; 

Silva, 

Villa, 

Iniesta

Portugal v Spain Starting 11

PORTUGAL

GK: Eduardo

D: Bruno Alves, Ricardo Carvalho, Fabio Coentrao, Ricardo Costa

MF: Pepe, Raul Meireles, Tiago, Simao

F: Ronaldo, Hugo Almeida

SPAIN

GK: Casillas

D: Puyol, Pique, Capdevila, Ramos

MF: Busquets, Xabi, Xavi

F: Villa, Torres, Iniesta

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Should Portugal Rest Stars against Brazil?

June 15, 2008, a little more than two years ago to the day, Switzerland hammered Portugal 2-0 in the final day of the group stage of Euro 2008. Portugal won its group on goal differential after beating Turkey and the Czech Republic in its first two matches, but it left a good, talented and expensive hunk of its lineup on the sidelines for the Swiss game. Cristiano Ronaldo did not play, neither did Simao Sabrosa, Deco, Nuno Gomes or Ricardo Carvalho among the regulars.

Former boss Big Phil Scolari decided to rest his stud horses, preparing them for the quarterfinals and a date with Germany. And we all remember how that one ended, a 3-2 German win in a game that was not as close as the final score would indicate.

I contend to this day had Scolari played his regulars at least a half, Portugal would have beaten Germany, hammered Turkey in the semis and maybe, just maybe, beaten Spain in the final.

You see, my theory is this: It may take you two years to qualify for the World Cup, but at the end of the day, the World Cup is a short tournament. By the time the managers select their final 23 players, there's scant more than a month to build some sort of final cohesion and continuity. To rest players during the tournament, players who aren't injured or aren't in yellow card hell, is irresponsible and risky.

Just ask Portugal.

So in that respect, it will be very interesting to see what manager Carlos Queiroz does later this week when Portugal meets Brazil. Brazil is through to the knockout stage, and after today's 7-0 dismantling of North Korea, Portugal would need a disastrous collapse and an equally heroic goal onslaught by Ivory Coast over North Korea not to join Brazil in the next round. To quote the Mythbusters, plausible, but I'd rather call it busted.

So what does Queiroz do? Does he play his regular Portugal Starting Eleven 45 minutes? 75 minutes? Not at all. Is there any validity to my theory.

I sure think there is. Portugal did not play well against Ivory Coast and today was an aberration. North Korea surrendered once the second-third-and-fourth goals found their way into the back of the net. The 7-spot was insurance against an Ivory Coast shellacking of the North Koreans. Portugal needs more quality minutes in this tournament. Hopefully they get them against Brazil, which has been dominant in the first two matches.

Brazil has physically overpowered both Ivory Coast and North Korea, imposing its will and flair on both opponents. It doesn't need to win against Portugal, nor does it need to tie. Hell, my theory may not even apply to Brazil in this case.

But it sure does to Portugal. The Selecao das Quinas needs to button up its unity on the field. They need to shore up defensively and figure out whether Tiago or Deco is the guy in the middle of the field. Another game of lineup shuffleboard won't do it for Queiroz.

Do the right thing Carlos. Go for the jugular against Brazil, try to win and infuse some confidence in your team--even if it's phony confidence against a Brazil team that does not need to win. You have seen the failure of Scolari in Euro 2008. History is doomed to repeat itself; let's hope not this time.

Quim, Rui Patricio, Bosingwa, Ronaldo, Petit, Simao, Carvalho, Deco, Nuno Gomes

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Portugal, Ivory Coast Fail to Impress at World Cup 2010 Opener

What if Cristiano Ronaldo had scored instead of hitting the post today against Ivory Coast in the Group of Death opener at World Cup 2010?

Would we have had the dreadful snoozer we were left with?

We certainly would have had Didier Drogba enter the game sooner (at the half?) than we did. We certainly would have had the Ivory Coast attack Portugal with some vigor much sooner than in the 91st minute. And we certainly would have had Simao Sabrosa in the game much sooner than he appeared.

One thing's certain, however: Portugal and Ivory Coast owe us an apology for producing a goalless draw that wasn't even up to the depths of a kiss-your-sister tie. Neither team was interested in playing attacking, interesting or imaginative soccer. And as soon as the raindrops started falling, we were more than destined for goose eggs.

So much for the Group of Death producing exciting football. It's going to be tight, but it's not going to be great. Thank goodness Brazil and North Korea played a competitive game. Kudos to the North Koreans for solid tactical defense and for not being intimidated by Brazil's imposing size and patient passing. Say what you will for Brazil's style and flash, it's their patience that will kill you. It's the 10th, 12th pass in a sequence that you need to be alert for. Brazil wore North Korea down with its persistence, its ability to lean on the North Koreans and wear them down physically.

Hopefully Portugal and Ivory Coast were watching because they will need to do the same or they may be doomed to take but just one point from the mysterious Asian team. I'm thinking there was a similar approach from both nations today that they would be happy to take a point out of this game, have their way with North Korea and then let fate roll against Brazil.

Well, Portugal gets first crack at North Korea and assuming it gets a result and Brazil beats Ivory Coast, the Portuguese could be in the driver's seat needing just a tie against Brazil to advance. Then again, Ivory Coast closes against North Korea, and one would have to think that it would jump ugly all over North Korea if it needed three points. That would leave Portugal having to beat Brazil in the group finale. Nothing I saw today told me that could happen.

Hmm, maybe this will be a Group of Death after all.

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Breaking News: Drogba on Bench, Not on Ivory Coast Starting Eleven

ESPN is reporting that Didier Drogba will not start for the Ivory Coast today against Portugal in the Group of Death Opener at World Cup 2010.

Live blogging to come later.

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South America World Cup qualifiers Carry Most Intrigue

Looks like the most interesting World Cup qualifiers this weekend may be in South America.

To refresh, Paraguay leads the group with 24 points, three points up on Brazil. Chile has 20 points in third, Argentina in fourth with 19, Uruguay fifth with 17. The top four qualify for South Africa.

Uruguay, behind Diego Forlan, can make a big leap toward the 2010 finals tomorrow when it hosts Brazil. For what it's worth, Brazil has never won in Uruguay. Brazil coach Dunga has walked a tightrope for his job during qualifying and has to deal not only with the pressure of qualifying, but Kaka's reported transfer from Milan to Madrid. Uruguay has scored 21 goals in 12 qualifying matches and has conceded the fewest number of goals.

Paraguay, meanwhile, hosts Chile in a battle between first and third place. The leaders are without four regulars, including Roque Santa Cruz and Jonatan Santana, but nonetheless, a win essentially puts Paraguay into the finals.

Speaking of coaches on the edge, Portugal boss Carlos Queiros should get the boot if the 2006 World Cup semifinalists do anything but bash Albania. Portugal has not won in four matches, and has not scored in three, and trails Denmark and Hungary by seven points. Portugal needs some help from Sweden which hosts Denmark. Portugal, Sweden and Albania have six points in Group 1.

England, meanwhile, can wrap up its group for all intents and purposes, with a win over Kazakhstan.

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European Soccer Tables Turned Upside-Down

As intriguing as the current edition of the Champions League may be, there's a chance the 2009-2010 tournament could be one of the strangest, parity-rich events in football history. Seems someone has taken the snow globe that is European football, given it a good shake and the flakes aren't landing where people expect.

The tables in Germany, Holland, Portugal and even Italy don't resemble what we've come to expect as status quo, and as a result, the trickle-down to next year's Champions League could be fascinating. Not only could you have some very fresh names, faces and kits in the fray, but they'll be usurping some very established entities, including a couple of past champions.

Starting in Italy, where Inter Milan is in the lead with 24 points, you've got a gaggle of teams behind Mourinho's men that includes Napoli, Udinese and Genoa, all within four points of the top, and all within at least a shot of getting into the qualifying rounds. And standing on the outside looking in would be Juventus, Roma and Fiorentina, three teams that are in the hunt in this year's Champions League.

Not even England is immune to this phenomenon. Despite the Big Four of Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United being entrenched as the top four, Hull City had a prominent spot near the top of the table for much of the opening weeks, and they're still within reach in sixth position with 20 points, only one shy of the top four.

The best story might be in Germany, where Hoffenheim has been at the tippity-top of the Bundesliga alone until this weekend. Hoffenheim may be in there for the duration; it's won five in a row and now shares the lead with Bayer Leverkeusen. Bayern Munich is charging hard and it will be tremendous to watch if Hoffenheim can find a way to hang on.

Az Alkmaar, meanwhile, took over the lead in the Dutch Eredivisie and has the lone automatic Champions League group stage spot right now. Behind AZ? Well, sure, Ajax is there, but so is NAC Breda and Groningen. Breda and Ajax are tied on points with Az, and Groningen two points out.

In Portugal, if things ended today, F.C. Porto and Sporting would be OUT altogether. OUT. Sporting, which has already earned a spot in the knockout round, is five points out, and Porto's miserable start has it even further back. Leixoes is in the lead. Who? Leixoes. Nacional da Madeira is three out and Maritimo five back. Benfica is the lone giant in the top three. And Benfica is somewhat woeful as far as big clubs go.

It's early, but it's fun to look ahead and acknowledge what these minnows are doing. The longer it goes like this, the more fun it becomes. And perhaps next August, you just might seeing a Champions League draw with clubs such as Hoffenheim, Az Alkamaar and Leixoes joining Inter, Chelsea and Barcelona in Pot 1. Now how much fun would that be?

This post originally appeared at ChampionsLeagueTalk.

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Carlos Queiroz Under Fire for Portugal's Humiliating Draw v. Albania

No chance Big Phil Scolari would back out of that Chelsea deal and retake his place on the Portugal bench?

That's the question fans and media are asking today, 24 hours after Portugal's humiliating scoreless draw at home in a World Cup qualifier against 10-man Albania. Yes, Albania!!

Carlos Queiroz is closing in on Public Enemy No. 1 status in Portugal--and it's well deserved. In the span of less than four months, he's dragged the Euro '08 quarterfinalists and World Cup '06 semifinalists down to also-rans in a very winnable World Cup qualifying group.

Portugal has one win in four matches and hasn't scored since its 3-2 loss to Denmark Sept. 10. The Sept. 6 4-0 win over Malta seems like a lifetime ago. Probably worse for Queiroz who was somehow the natural successor to Luis Filipe Scolari, by far the most successful manager in Portugal history. Scolari took this team to the '04 Euro final in his first major tournament, shook up the Golden Generation of Figo, Baia, Rui Costa et al and brought forth the best of the current Golden Children of Ronaldo, Nani, Moutinho, Maniche etc.

And in a flash -- it's gone.

Yesterday's dreadful performance is being damned as one of the worst in the country's football history. Maisfutebol writes:

“It hurts to write it but it has to be done. Portugal drew nil-nil against Albania… I’d like to end this piece with the reaction of the Portuguese Football Federation head, but he left the stands well before the end of the game. Indeed, after watching this display one felt like running away.”

Is it too early to make the move on Queiroz?

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Is Queiroz the Best Portugal Can Do?

With the departure of Luis Filipe Scolari, the Portugal job is probably the most attractive opening in the world. So why is Carlos Queiroz the only option bandied about? Queiroz is Sir Alex Ferguson's second in command, and has been in that seat off and on since the '02 season.

Prior to that, his glory came as a youth manager in Portugal, winning two world youth cups, a European youth cup and two second-place Euro youth finishes. He had a shot with the senior team in Portugal in the early '90s where he managed 31 games, winning 14--hardly setting the world on fire.

On the club level, he coach the MetroStars in MLS, Sporting Lisbon and Real Madrid before settling in at the right hand of the Man U. Man.

So now Portugal wants him back?

Not sure I get it. Where is his senior-level track record that makes him the perfect guy to lead this team into the 2010 World Cup? Seems to me his greatest value/contribution of late has been on the administrative level and securing talent from his former club Sporting. Ronaldo, Nani, and maybe soon Miguel Veloso--all wore Lisbon green and white--and Queiroz is in the center of that mix.

Is that it? Is that why he's the chosen one for the national team job? Hmm.

In recent days, he's gotten the backing of former Portugal manager Oliveira, and is generally considered a fan favorite at Old Trafford. Some guys, however, are born to be assistants, and when given the chance to lead the ship, don't exactly flourish. I get the sense Queiroz is one of those guys, his youth-level success notwithstanding. Let's not forget what a bust Queiroz's golden generation was in the 1994, '98 and 2002 World Cups--failing to qualify for the '94 and '98 tournaments and were bounced out of the '02 Cup in the group stage.

To me, Queiroz is Ferguson's natural successor at Old Trafford--granted, he may be starting to think the old man is never going to give it up, and who could blame him. I'd hate to see Queiroz come in too, in a caretaker role. The thinking may be that Portugal is solid enough to get through World Cup qualifying no matter who is on the bench, and that perhaps the federation could coax Jose Mourinho away from Inter Milan at the end of next season to take on the Portugal job.

Pipe dream? Probably. I'm just not buying the Queiroz love fest going on.

Euro 2008 running commentary

Running commentary, observations and analysis on today's Portugal-Czech Republic Euro 2008 match.

• Portugal in white; Platini in attendance, Nuno Gomes belting out the anthem with plenty of crowd support. Lots of Portuguese ex-pats in Switzerland.
• How hard will these teams push for a goal/win. Portugal says it wants to play with class, and play for the victory.
  
• GOAL Portugal! What a cluster-fuck the Czech Republic is on that one. Ronaldo spins them around with a gorgeous give and go, the ball deflects off a fullback and Cech leg-whips the ball onto Deco who bumbles his way to the goal. Portugal sets the early tone.
• GOAL Czech Republic! Wow, this one is on! Another defensive disaster, this time from the Portuguese who allow Sionko the space to get a boot on the corner kick. Again, Ricardo is a fright, hesitating whether to attack the cross or sit back and watch it sail past him. He is the lone question mark on this team.
• Ronaldo a bit selfish at 25, still getting off a quality shot at Cech. Cech continues to give up rebounds on anything at his hands.
  
• Cech makes a huge save on Ronaldo at 42
• Portugal much better in this half attacking from the back. Boswinga and Pepe are difficult to contend with and Ronaldo has had legitimate opportunities up front. Cech has been the difference so far.

Halftime:

Bless Andy Gray. What is Julie Foudy's purpose, beyond her pronunciation of Milan Baros (Barosh). ESPN has done well pairing Healy and Gray. Foudy is a mystery. Is she there to gain the 14-year-old female audience? Didn't they stop caring once Mia Hamm retired? Foudy isn't very good, 'nuff said.

Second half:

• Reality intervened in regular updates in the second half. My apologies.
• Goals from Ronaldo and Quaresma seal it, Portugal is the first team into the final eight with six points and a +4 goal differential. The team set out to win and get through playing with class. Mission accomplished on all fronts. This win certainly raised the eyebrows in the German and Spanish camps. Oh to get that Portugal-Spain final.
  

Portugal, Czech Republic Start Strong at Euro 2008

Euro 2008 is off and Portugal, Starting Eleven's pre-tournament pick to win, Portugal, looked every bit a champion, beating Turkey 2-0 on goals by Pepe and Meireles. Despite a few anxious moments from keeper Ricardo, the selecao das quinas had no problem with its Group A opener
and heads into June 11 match with the Czech Republic, a 1-0 winner over hosts Switzerland, in control of the group.

Portugal won this match in the back, solid matches from veterans Carvalho and Ferreira and impressive outings from goal-scorer Pepe and Chelsea-bound Boswinga giving Turkey little hope.

The 2-0 final could have been much worse for the Turks as the Portuguese hit woodwork three times and were solid and mistake-free in midfield, despite some struggles from Deco.

Fantastic opener.

Sunday's Group B matches:

Austria-Croatia
Germany-Poland

Another Euro Export Headed for MLS

If you can read Portuguese, A Bola, the national sports daily newspaper, reports that former Portuguese national and Benfica and Sporting star Joao Pinto, 36, may be headed to MLS. The paper says Toronto FC is likely where he’ll land, considering Toronto’s large Portuguese community.

If you recall, Joao Pinto’s national team career ended at the 2002 World Cup when he took a punch at Argentine referee Ángel Sánchez. Portugal was on its way out of the tournament, losing to hosts South Korea. Joao Pinto was suspended six months and his national team career was done.

Prior to that, he, along with Mario Jardel, has led Sporting to a pair of national titles and he was close to top form. He was also pivotal in a legendary derby win for Benfica, scoring three times in a 6-3 win over Sporting in the early 90s. Three times he was named Portuguese football of the year: 1992-93-94.

Is Jose Mourinho Waiting on a Bigger Prize?

Jose Mourinho reportedly took himself out of contention for the England job this week. With A.C. Milan’s shoddy form in Serie A, in particular at home, it seems inevitable Italian will be prominent on Jose’s menu for the next few years; possibly as early as the January break?

Mourinho, through his agent Jorge Mendes, said on Monday that his representatives met with the FA about the job, but ultimately decided against it, though he did call it a “wonderful job.”

It’s a classic negotiating ploy and it looks like Mourinho played it perfectly by feigning interest in the England job while driving up the price with the real apples of his eye: monster clubs like Milan or even Barcelona. I’ve written it before that Mourinho considers coaching on the national level and old man’s gig and that it was unlikely he was ever sincere in his interest in coaching England. Mourinho, in the end, is probably a better candidate than Fabio Capello or Marcello Lippi, if for no other reason, his command of the language and his intimate knowledge of English football.

That said, if Mourinho is some day destined for managing on the international level, it will be with Portugal. Luis Filipe Scolari will be at the helm of Portugal through next summer’s Euro and that will likely be it for the Brazilian. Expect Mourinho to whet his appetite enough on the domestic level until then, before settling in for the stretch run toward the 2010 World Cup.

By then, Portugal will be loaded for a world title and he might be enough to push it over the top. Consider, in 2010, Ronaldo will be dead-smack in his prime at 25 years old; Ricardo Quaresma will be 26; Nani, Miguel Veloso and Joao Moutinho, 24; Deco and Maniche could assume the veteran Luis Figo-type roles at 32. Other veterans will include Ricardo in goal, Paolo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho on defense, and Simao Sabrosa up front.

That’s the real golden generation, and with Mourinho at the rudder, a world title might be in the wings.

Check out josemourinhoblogspot.

101greatgoals has more as well.

Euro 2008 Draw Analysis: Group A

So I'll refrain from more talk about how this draw was rigged [yeah, yeah, putting Italy, France and Holland in the same group sends one of the big boys home early, but with 16 teams, something like this was inevitable; the tournament starts with the knockout round and it's there the top eight are guaranteed a spot]. I'll dive into Group A where Portugal, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Switzerland are nested.

Portugal was less than enthralling as it slogged through its group in qualifying for another continental championship. I still shake my head how '04 Greece beat this team twice--how on earth did they win the final in Lisbon against that team of studs? Finishing second to Poland and edging out Finland--which still had a chance to sneak in if enough cards fell in their direction!

Portugal has been gigantic in the last two major championships, reaching the '04 Euro final and the '06 World Cup semis--which I still say it should have won. Italy may still have won the final, but Portugal was the better team.

It should win this group with ease, but can Portugal turn it on at will. They have a year to fine-tune things and this figures to be Scolari's swan song with the team. Do they win the whole thing for him on the way out? You gotta figure Jose Mourinho is in for the 2010 World Cup, that Scolari's would have had enough by then, especially if they don't win next summer, that he'd be excused from his duties?

The Czechs, meanwhile, are always in the hunt--they were semifinalists in 2004 and are always one of those teams to avoid. They won their qualifying group--edging out Germany--and are solid front to back. They'll be a year older next summer, and that's not good news for a veteran team. Jan Koller can still score goals and Tomas Rosicky bears watching in the midfield. And don't forget a healthy Petr Cech.

If these two take care of Turkey and Switzerland, then the Portugal-Czech game on June 11 is irrelevant.

Turkey, though, is the wild card in this group. This ain't the same team that finished third in the World Cup of '02. Heck, they're probably through in this tournament because of having the good fortune of being seeded in a group with Norway, Moldova and Malta. Someone had to get through!

The Swiss, well, the Swiss are in because they're the hosts. Same goes for Austria. Let's have the joint-bid discussion another day.

Portugal-Finland, Euro 2008: Another Elimination Game

Is Portugal primed for a major upset and an exit visa right out of Euro 2008? The team hosts Finland today. A tie gets them in behind Poland. A loss and a Serbia loss by a bunch to Poland and Finland has a puncher's chance of getting in.
Finland, however, cannot score goals despite Jari Litmanen and Sami Hyypiä prominent on the field for the Finns. Finland tied Portugal 1-1 in their first meeting during qualification. Most recently, the Finns beat Azerbaijan 2-1 after three straight 0-0 ties.
Portugal, meanwhile, has won three straight after a rough patch of draws, a loss to Poland and the suspension of coach Luis Filipe Scolari after taking a punch at a Serbian player during a 1-1 tie in July.
Portugal's success has been in spite of a rash of injuries, especially on the back line, to Ricardo Carvalho, Miguel and Paolo Ferreira.
Finland coach Roy Hodgson told Goal.com:

"We will try to defend well and score when we have a chance. I know this sounds dull but that's the best answer I have. I am very confident that we are capable of fighting for a win and will not be nervous. The task is tough but I believe in my team. They are up to it."

Illustration: http://www.sergeicartoons.com/