[GOrevsOI!]

It was announced yesterday that Benfica will be playing Parma on May 20th in a doubleheader with the NY/NJ Metrostars. (details on www.mlsnet.com)

The next item is a rumor, that could be confirmed today, that the same two teams will hook up on the 24th at Foxboro in a doubleheader with the New England Revolution. (watch www.nerevolution.com for details) None of us speculators are exactly how this works into the revs season tix package, but a friendly between Sporting and the Revolution could still be on the table.

 

[Razor]

Hey GOrevsO!-

Thanks for the information. Benfica was supposed to play in that same tournament last season, but when Heynckes took over as coach, he immediately canceled the trip (I think they were supposed to play versus Fiorentina). Two reasons I don't think this would happen:

1) If Heynckes is still coach, he probably wouldn't go over again

2) If Benfica has a new coach, he probably would want to spend the summer getting ready for the next season with his new team - not going to the US for an exhibition.

I hope I'm wrong! Benfica played in Foxboro 3 years ago and the place was rocking! I HAVE heard that Sporting is supposed to come here this summer. Who is your source? Do you know someone at the Revs office?

Please let us know!

Forca Benfica!!!

 

[GOrevsOI!]

A season ticket manager for the revs had been telling me off and on that a deal with sporting was getting very close and that it would be the 2nd international game of our season ticket package. However, nothing is ever for sure, and while others teams names kept coming and going from the list of friendly candidates sporting's name remained. i for one hope they are still being considered if we manage to get the benfica v. parma game. can you imagine italians and portuguese locking horns in n.j. and boston twice over a 4 day span? even though it is a friendly i'm sure the atmosphere will be intense. if i see confirmation of the boston game i will post it.

 

[Razor]

I just got off the phone with a woman at the Revs' office. She tried to give me the official line that nothing has been scheduled, but she was no match for the Razor charm! After some shameless flirting, she confirmed that "if such a match were to be had, you would want to buy tickets to the Revs/Galaxy match for May 24th, and that the Benfica-Parma game would be held as the 2nd match of the doubleheader". The poor girl never stood a chance (hee-hee!).

She also said she had been getting a bunch of calls, because the Boston Herald apparently ran a story saying that the match was official.

Who knows? Maybe Paulo Sousa can kiss and make up with Benfica right here in the hub of the universe?!

FORCA BENFICA!

 

[RedEagle]

Well I will be purchasing tickets for the MetroStars game to see the greatLothar Mathaus kick ass and to see my beloved Benfica with Sabry kick Parma butt, I hope
But everytime I go to these games I come back disillusioned!

 

[GOrevsOI!]

Good work Razor! I actually ran into Fabio Zuniga, Mauricio Ramos, and someone from the media dept. of the revs at an East Boston soccer function today. Media man confirmed what you already suspect(know). Benfica v. Parma will be on May 24th following the revs game. Revs v. LA are moved to 7pm and Benfica v. Parma will go at 9:00. Info can be found at www.nerevolution.com and the ticket phone number is 1.877.GETREVS. The game is a bonus to any season ticket holder at no extra cost. I do not know about getting the tix starting know.

You will find me in one of the lots at about 5:30. Just follow the scent of grilling sardines. However, one sad note for me. Media man did not think that the sporting v. revs match is going to happen. Oh well, we'll see!

[This message has been edited by GOrevsOI! (edited 29-04-2000).]

 

[Louletano]

I guess I'll see you guys there.
I'll be the one with the 50 x 50 Portuguese flag.
And as much as I hate Benfica, I will have to cheer for them, because, afterall, they are the Portuguese representatives.
And as big of a Sporting fan that I am, I'm an even bigger Portuguese fan. So See you then.
I already got my tickets.

 

[Penguin]

As much as the facility sucks, Foxboro is always a great place to watch a soccer game.
I was there 2 years ago when Benfica came, and I remember buses of people came from as far as Toronto for the game!

I, too, will go see Benfica-Parma if it happens. You can point me out because I will be the lone guy in the Sporting Shirt surrounded by a sea of red!!!!!!

 

[Razor]

As the game gets closer, we should coordinate where we'll all be a little better. I'll take some pictures of the group and post them on www.benficacentral.com

The only downer on this match is that because of Euro2000, most of the good players for both squads might not make the trip. Why risk injury for the tournament in June because of a couple of exhibitions?

That could mean no Nuno Gomes, Joao Pinto, Enke, or Paulo Sousa. On the other hand, I don't know what Egypt's international calendar looks like, which means Sabry could play! I'm there!

 

[GOrevsOI!]

I would say that most (more than 50%) of the people going to this double header are going because of Benfica v. Parma. Just out of curiosity, do you all think this means that a lot of people are going to not show up for the beginning of the revs game and will just filter in throughout the later half of their game?

By the way, the ticket office at foxboro thinks that 40,000 is not out of the question for this weekday game and tickets are "selling fast"(corporate propaganda perhaps). Hard to get the word out they said with only 3+ weeks notice.

Lastly...Since I am a Sporting fan I would like to root for Benfica [Portuguese side]. However, since I am a Sporting fan I would like to root against Benfica [hated league rival ]. Please post suggestions for this dilema here and I will wiegh all ideas equally (death threats will be automatically disregarded from this scientific poll)

Perhaps I should just take my Sporting scarf and find out where "Louletano" is seated. Oh yeah, I'll just have to look for the 50'x50' flag. Should be easy enough.

[This message has been edited by GOrevsOI! (edited 05-05-2000).]

 

[GOrevsOI!]

AC MILAN TO REPLACE PARMA FOR BENFICA MATCH IN N.J.

It was just announced yesterday on the NY/NJ Metrostars website that AC Milan will replace Parma as Benfica's competition in New Jersey on Saturday May 20th. Apparently, Parma has some league commitments. It is not clear yet if this will affect the Benfica v. Parma game at Foxboro on Wednesday May 24th. One would think an announcement would come very soon from the Revolution front office.

[This message has been edited by GOrevsOI! (edited 11-05-2000).]

 

[GOrevsOI!]

Why bother to wait for anything official when I can propagate 3rd hand information and make anyone who used to care about this, like myself, feel crappy.

Revolution message board contained a post that had a ticket manager in Revs office saying the following: AC Milan would probably not travel to Foxboro for the second Benfica match. They are working on the Columbian Nationals. Now, I don't know if the game is off all together or the Col. Nats are going to play Benfica. However, it wouldn't suprise me if the whole thing just fell through. Teams should never agree to anything unless they can follow through and organizations shouldn't promote anything unless its a lock.

"MLS..This stuff kicks"

 

[RedEagle]

Agreed...perhaps you should just come to NJ and watch the Metros play the Mutiny and then AC Milan and Benfica. But even on that day we're going to be short changed as Mathaus will not play due to National Team commitments as well as some other national team members.

 

[GOrevsOI!]

NOW ITS OFFICIAL

The Revolution website is now reporting that Benfica will face the National Team from Columbia as part of their May 24th double header.

I, for one, am quite disappointed. As a season ticket holder I was getting this game for free, so the organization kept telling me how lucky I was. True, I am paying half the price of anyone buying this ticket now. However, instead of getting 2 storied European Clubs facing off, I get a game that makes no sense to me. Even if the stars stayed home for Benfica v. Parma (or AC Milan) there are still players running around out there with the right unis on. If I tried I could still tell myself that I am seeing something from Champion's League. I could force myself to believe that the two teams hate each other and will stop at nothing for the W. Now, I am supposed to be grateful that I am seeing a game that would really only occur on my playstation. Well, I will be there, probably rooting for Benfica, but it won't be same.