Portugal 0 – 0 Cape Verde : nothing to worry about

After a brief moment of shear disbelief I shrugged my shoulders and decided to simply consider this a match to test the quality of the new jersey’s fabric. How well it absorbs sweat and stuff… “Lousy test then. They didn’t sweat!” I hear someone in the back say. Right then. It was all about showing off who had the flashiest boots…

At least Carlos Queiroz was happy with this game. After the match he announced the players had done everything he wanted.

“There was discipline and organization.” – commented Queiroz
Ahhhhh! How could I be so wrong!? My mistake.

“For those who don’t understand how to prepare a team it is easy to give out comments that are inadequate to this group’s reality.”
Excuse me? Come again? To prepare a team winning should not be part of the menu? Ahhhhh! I keep swimming in the cesspool of my ignorance master! But I’m taking notes!

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The plot thickens… or is it the injury list?

News just got out Ruben Micael – Porto player and possible candidate to make the final 23 – got his foot broken during this morning’s training session and will undergo surgery. Carlos Queiroz’s list just got cut a little shorter.

The injury tally just keeps getting check-marks. To many names got scratched from our solution pool. Should we clap our hands together and pray it stops here?

One of the world’s best right-backs wears our jersey but will unfortunately not make South Africa. Yes I’m talking about José Bosingwa. Knee injury… scratched.
Also on this wretched tally is one top-notch winger called Silvestre Varela. Perhaps not one for the starting eleven, seeing we have Nani and Ronaldo, but a great option to have on the bench. Broke his leg… scratched.
On loan from Roma to Leixões we have an excellent left-back, one of my favorites actually. I already thought highly of him when he was still playing at the youth levels. His move was a sure step to allow him to get caught in Queiroz’s eyes. Muscle injury… scratched.
Ruben Micael is a promising midfielder. A valid option if you need to balance it towards the attack. Great vision. Great passing skills and a powerful kick to go with the package. As I stated in my previous post I felt he lost ground to Carlos Martins but he was still a valid option for Carlos Queiroz to consider. Broke his foot… scratched.

The only positive note is Pepe’s timely recovery. Positive if you consider his recovery but the injury itself might have a negative influence on his performance levels. Let us hope not. Let us hope this plot thickens no more!

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50 to choose from. Shall we?

It has all been about lists in the last couple of months. The list of players who played the most during the qualifiers. The list of players who would have a chance to make the final list of players that actually go to SA, and of-course the wretched list of injured players.
Well Carlos Queiroz finally released today what list he’s looking at to pick the final 23 world champions… excuse me for being so bold.

I’m surprised to see Maniche in there. Surprised, but glad. Perhaps Manuel Fernandes should be on it but all in all I find it a solid enough list of 50 to come up with a top-notch 23 man squad.

Here you have it:

Atlético Madrid: Simão Sabrosa, Tiago
Benfica: Carlos Martins, César Peixoto, Fábio Coentrão, Nuno Gomes, Quim, Ruben Amorim
Chelsea: Deco, Hilário, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho
Inter: Ricardo Quaresma
Cologne: Maniche, Petit
FC Porto: Beto, Bruno Alves, Miguel Lopes, Raul Meireles, Rolando
FC Zenit: Danny, Fernando Meira
Iraklis FC: Daniel Fernandes
Kayserispor: Makukula
Lille: Ricardo Costa
Málaga: Duda
Manchester United: Nani
PAOK FC: Edinho, Vieirinha

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The plot thickens… or is it the injury list?

News just got out Ruben Micael – Porto player and possible candidate to make the final 23 – got his foot broken during this morning’s training session and will undergo surgery. Carlos Queiroz’s list just got cut a little shorter.

The injury tally just keeps getting check-marks. To many names got scratched from our solution pool. Should we clap our hands together and pray it stops here?

One of the world’s best right-backs wears our jersey but will unfortunately not make South Africa. Yes I’m talking about José Bosingwa. Knee injury… scratched.
Also on this wretched tally is one top-notch winger called Silvestre Varela. Perhaps not one for the starting eleven, seeing we have Nani and Ronaldo, but a great option to have on the bench. Broke his leg… scratched.

On loan from Roma to Leixões we have an excellent left-back, one of my favorites actually. I already thought highly of him when he was still playing at the youth levels. His move was a sure step to allow him to get caught in Queiroz’s eyes. Muscle injury… scratched.
Ruben Micael is a promising midfielder. A valid option if you need to balance it towards the attack. Great vision. Great passing skills and a powerful kick to go with the package. As I stated in my previous post I felt he lost ground to Carlos Martins but he was still a valid option for Carlos Queiroz to consider. Broke his foot… scratched.

The only positive note is Pepe’s timely recovery. Positive if you consider his recovery but the injury itself might have a negative influence on his performance levels. Let us hope not. Let us hope this plot thickens no more.

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what next for Portugal

Having qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Selecção das Quinas had its most successful decade to date, having qualified for all the editions of the World Cup and Euro Cup (Euro 2000, World Cup 2002, Euro 2004, World Cup 2006, Euro 2008, and World Cup 2010), along with Spain, Italy, Germany, and France, the only other four teams to have done so.

In the Final Draw, on 4th December 2009, Portugal was drawn in one of the toughest groups, the so called Group of Death where the Selecção das Quinas will be facing 5-time champions Brazil, Africa's top contenders Côte d'Ivoire and 1966 opponents North Korea. The Group of Death will be one of the most exciting groups to see in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Portugal will first face Côte d'Ivoire on 15 June 2010 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, followed by North Korea on 21 June 2010 at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town and the last group match will be played against Brazil on 25 June 2010 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

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Miguel Monteiro

Club career

Miguel started his career with C.F. Estrela da Amadora as a winger, then moved to S.L. Benfica, making the transition to right midfielder and then right back (by the hand of former Benfica player Fernando Chalana, in his only game as a transition coach) - the position that ultimately brought him worldwide recognition.

Miguel joined Valencia CF in August 2005 for a €7.5 million fee. Fully established as first-choice, he signed a new five-year contract with the team in September 2007.
International career

A Portuguese international since making his debut against Italy on 12 February 2003, Miguel played for his country squad in UEFA Euro 2004, where Portugal were defeated in the final by Greece, and at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

In Euro 2008, he backed up José Bosingwa, and only appeared in the group stage 2–0 loss against hosts Switzerland.

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All you need to know

The Man
Arsenal fan who grew up in London before studying mathematics and management at Cambridge. Able and unassuming – "an unspectacular suit", according to Henry Winter, Watmore spent 20 years at Accenture, becoming the UK managing director, before eventually moving into Whitehall as head of the e-government unit in the Cabinet Office. Stayed out of the spotlight in the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills before joining the FA. Big music fan, and particularly keen on the Sex Pistols.

The Rumours
Sources have claimed there wasn't "one single issue" behind Watmore's resignation, rather that a series of frustrations prompted him to walk away. Those frustrations are rumoured to include the inability to overhaul the FA's disciplinary system, and the proposed staging of a Saracens match at Wembley on April 17. He is also reported to have clashed with Sir Dave Richards, the Premier League chairman.

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