[Dae]

So it is France like I figured. To me this is like playing Goliath. I think this team is awesome. However, we should match up pretty well. Both midfields are strong, although Portgal's is probably better balanced. Zidane is just freaking awesome, so I hope Costa and Figo are up for the challenge. Both teams have good but not great strikers. I hate Anelka, but he can play when he wants to. This could be a matter of who's defense can hold up under what should be some offensive power. If nothing else, the game should be pretty to watch since no one really plays more fluidly than these two teams.

I MUST SEE THE GAME!!!!!!

 

[Game Rod]

Yes, it was the strongest team. The Spanish can only complain of themselves.
But the Spanish only played in the center of the field. So I think that if Figo and Rui Costa give the ball from the midfield to the wingers well, France will be in trouble. But France is really strong, I'd rather have the Spanish...

 

[Dan]

Yeah Zidane for me just shades Figo although many of you will dissagree. Thuram and Lizarazu are possible weak points. They are dangerous going forward but defensively they are beatable. Therefore - Conceicao must play on the right and Figo should try and run down Thuram on the left because we won't get much luck going thru the centre with the likes of Desailly and Blanc.

I think Dessailly and Blanc will put Nuno Gomes in their pockets with their physical advantage, so our only hope of a goal will probably be from midfield, or in other words, Luis Figo.

Baia will have to be at his best and Costa and Couto lack pace, which Henry and Djorkaeff have plenty of.

We will need all the luck in the world, a dodgy referee (Hugh Dallas), and some Figo magic to win this game. But who knows?? Sorry if I don't sound very positive, but when u look at the facts, there looks like only one winner.

<HE SAYS TO HIMSELF "PLEASE BE WRONG, PLEASE BE WRONG!!" >

Lets hope half the French team don't show up on Wednesday nite. But hey - I like the open spaces of the Brussels stadium - could suit us - something to think about - so far France have played 3 games in the tight pitch of Bruges - and won all of them - but lost in the Amsterdam ArenA. We always play well on big pitches

 

[Marco]

yes...we have played very well and this looks to be the hardest match to date....if we beat France though....the tournament is ours for the taking...I mean the morale boost of beating the #1 team in the World (Ze will disagree with this) is huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge.


FORCA PORTUGAL

 

[SLB]

Great REVENGE for 1984!!!!!!!
How great would it be if Portugal scored in the 119th minute this time!!!
As for zidane shades figo he is good but not figo good, zidane is skillful and has a lot of the qualities of figo but figo scores more whilst still setting up the same and figo can play all over midfield and is a more versatile player.

 

[Dae]

Desailly gets pushed around more than he should. I just read a Wrold Soccer article that talked about the Chelsea defense (Desailly and I believe Lebeouf). The defense could be the key.

 

[Game Rod]

Well Taco, you sound realistic. As for Spain, I repeat they were very stubborn playing in the middle of the field, where the French outplayed them man-to-man.

I expect Portugal to be a hard opponent to France, I believe Sá Pinto, João Pinto or Pauleta have the experience to fight the French defenders. We can't forget that even Costinha was champion in France (don't know if he played much though) and most of our team is made of experienced players (many of them champs in their teams).

If Coelho gets them to play well as a team, they will be a serious opponent to France. And I think that Turkey and Romania were hard teams to beat. Portugal just played too much well, and turned those games aparently easy. The Italians only won the Turkish because of that phantom penalty kick, and they're the most dangerous team I saw playing till now.

What did the French show anyway? OK they played well against the Czech and the Danish. But Poborsky's team couldn't use their opportunities, and Denmark is a Schmeichel dependent team, which without the Laudrups can't do much more than complain with his defenders. The Spanish didn't show much of a team either, they failed too many goals.

If our team uses its opportunities - scoring - we can beat France, and that's for sure.

I think I'll pay them a visit now, in their section...

 

[Razor]

Paulo Sousa is the key

When he's on his game, there's no one I'd rather have at his position, but he's had a bad season at Inter/Parma. He also looked to be out of game-shape versus the first-half of the Germany match.

That being said - I think he had a solid game versus Turkey, and I think that he will be the key to beating France. If you take Zidane out of the equation, Portugal should be able to control the midfield...but that's a huge "if". If Paulo Sousa plays like he can, I think he might be able to neutralize Zidane. I also think they will have Conceicao in the starting lineup again, as Spain showed that the left side of the field is exploitable (Thuram's phenomenal at the center back, but shaky on the wing!). Cassitos (sp?) ate Thuram up for lunch the first half yesterday, and Figo is 100 times the player he is. I also think that Couto and Costa are solid enough in the middle to stop Henry; those two are much better than Spain's central defense, and they were able to eliminate Anelka and Henry.

Still - I think it all comes down to Zidane vs. Sousa.

What do you guys think?

 

[hala]

Sorry guys... but I don't see you beating France.

You have an amazing centre, but you are not so strong as the French both in defense and attack. The French are a more complete team than Portugal, they have players that fit and could give solutions almost to any situation. Also the French are more mature in their game, work superbly as a team (they have been playing together all these years now) and have that extra confidence of every team that holds the World Champion title.

 

[RedEagle]

I don't see how people keep respecting our midfield and disrespecting our attack and defense. May I remind you all that we are the leading scoring team in this tournament...Our Striker Nuno Gomes is among the scoring leaders as is Conceicao. May I also remind you all that we've only suffered 2 goals, the same as Italy, and that we've had 3 straight shutouts!

I will take our defense against anyone...Anelka and Henry are not better than OWen and Shearer! Costa will eat Anelka and Couto and Xavier should handle Henry!

The french defense is good, but I don't think they can cope with our wingers, FIGO and Conceicao. We'll see if their defense can pick pocket Nuno! So far no defense has.

Portugal can beat this team, if they play their game and don't squander their chances like they did against Turkey!

 

[hala]

The French team when playing with full defense (Thuram, Blanc, Desailly, Lizarazu) + Barthez have NEVER lost a game (friendly or official). This is a fact and should tell something.

And Henry and Anelka are WAY better than Shearer (for god's sake!)

Let's wait and see anyway. The only thing for sure is that it's gonna be a great game!

P.S. I never suggested that your attack and defense are no good. Quite the contrary. I just said that France's were better (and they are the World Champions - this sure is no insult)

[Edited by hala on 26-06-2000 at 19:26]

 

[RedEagle]

I know that France is a great team, undefeated with the A line-up. Personally I think we match up great against them and will be a heck of match one for the ages, just like the last time we met them in the semis in 84.

What I was referring to is the way the media makes this game out to be like our great midfield against the total package that is France! We also have a great total package as our defense in this tournament has not been inferior to France, and our attackers have been just as prolific in scoring than Anelka and Henry in this tournament.

Besides, streaks are meant to be broken and just don't be surprised if Portugal does this, because they have the team and the confidence to! Also our team has been together for 15 years so they know how to play with each other as well.

 

[dragaoazul77]

ok guys i know that when france won the game i was with most people in thinking we are doomed..but hey we are here and i think that we should have faith in our underdog status..i mean this is our portugal..and everyone says this is our time..if anything upset is what teh players are thinking and we should be thinking ..u know what we can beat this team..Spain had them on their heels for a good part of the game..it was a free kick and a counterattach that helped the french win..the spanish team could've ahd teh game ..if they wanted it but it just wasnt meant to be..but for us it will be meant to be.because we are still trying to gain respect..and our golden generation is up to it



VIVA PORTUGAL!!!!!

 

[Dae]

Good Point, Lady Eagle. The heart of the Portuguese has been around for the last ten years when they were winning WORLD CUP youth titles. That should say something for team work. The new additions like Gomes are doing quite nicely. Our problem has always been scoring goals, not creating them or defending against them. Our strikers are scoring and that is the last peice of the puzzle. France and then Holland (probably) is a huge task, but not an unreasonble one.

 

[RedEagle]

Uh...daeone hate to tell you but there's not "Lady" in Red Eagle!

 

[mfa]

My thought is: we´re gonna lose.
I wish i was wrong.I WISH I AM WRONG!!!!!!!!

 

[LadyEagle]

Once again I disagree, mfa.
I have a feeling we are going all the way.

But I am proud of them already....

FORCA PORTUGAL

 

[Dan]

French team are "drained"

The French team admitted on Monday that they felt drained after beating Spain 2-1 on Sunday. They admit that they were wrong to sit back on Spain, and nearly paid the price but for Raul's penalty blunder. This took its toll on the players but they are confident that they will be fresh for Wednesday's match.

Christoph Duggary is expected to start despite his broken nose, and Frank Lebouef said that his team can stop "the best player in the world" Figo because he beleives France have "the best defence in the world".

I am also proud of the team and I feel we have gone a lot further than we expected, but this is a great opportunity to make our primeiro final in a major tournament.

It has to be said that France have not been tested yet either. They played Denmark, Czech Republic and Spain, who have all struggled. The Dutch game was their B team and they lost anyway.

And another thing, the seedings for this tournament have been awful. Every Team in Group D apart from Denmark could of won Group C or Group B.

 

[mfa]

It´s just like this:I think we´ve been playing very well,my favourite match was against England,but well...i´m not old,i never saw Portugal go very far in such a competition and even though i feel we have a team that can go far,í don´t see us going all the way.I mean we played against England,Germany,ok great teams ,everybody always expect a lot from those teams,but this time they were not as good as us.But in this competition,France,Italy and Holland are the strongest teams i guess,we haven´t played against them,we´re gonna do it now against France and i´m not ready...i mean we´re good but they always score so "easily",i´m afraid we´re coming home again without a cup.
It depends on the capacity and power of the team at the moment in the game,we could lose today and beat them tomorrow and i really hope tomorrow is wednesday.
But i always think this way to do not feel so much pain when we really leave,i gotta be ready,we never win...

Anyway yeah i´m really proud of them,they made it alright ´til now,we´re one of the best 4 teams here,so they are good,even if they lose 6-0,they are still good to me.
And noone want them to win more than i do and noone jumps so high when they score.
I´ll remember Euro 2000 as the competition where we went farer and played good and made the whole Europe talk nicely about Portugal.
Does it seems the end?I hope not,i´m just waiting for the saddest thing to happen,i´m never ready...