PortuGOAL and Just-Football.com

Ahead of tonight's match between FC Porto and Basel, PortuGOAL's latest podcast analyses the Portuguese team's situation (and whether or not results are a true reflection of proceedings) on one hand and, on the other, takes a look at Portuguese players in Spain and Spanish players at FC Porto thanks to the participation of the reputable David Cartlidge, in what is probably one of the website's best podcasts so far. You can check it here.

Leading up to the match, there is still time to take a look at a piece on Just-Football.com about the 10 most exciting prospects playing in the Portuguese league. Some may surprise you, some you may fundamentally disagree with. Either way is fine. You can check it here.

PortuGOAL's latest podcast

The latest installment of PortuGOAL's series of podcasts has been released and can be found here. In it Tom and I discuss what conclusions can be taken from the first half of the Portuguese league and we also have a quick-fire round of questions about José Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nuno Espírito Santo and Bernardo Silva.

Spoiler alert: the show was recorded before the recent turn of events that saw both FC Porto and Benfica throw away their respective three points.

PortuGOAL podcast now available

The latest installment of PortuGOAL's podcasts is now available, where we discuss FC Porto's crisis (or is it?), Benfica, Sporting's youth, Braga and Paços de Ferreira. Click here to listen to it.

PortuGOAL Vodcast 1 - 2013/14

PortuGOAL's first vodcast for the 2013/14 season is already available here. Tom Kundert and I discuss tomorrow's Clássico between Sporting and Benfica, as well as FC Porto and Braga's unthinkable exit from the Europa League.

PortuGOAL - a cause to believe in

Did you ever wish you lived in a world filled with people with passion about what they do, with a dedication that often surpasses the logical mind and showing perseverance for almost a decade? I know I would, because the world would definitely be a better place.

PortuGOAL, one of the sites this blog contributes to,  is proposing a wonderful idea to its readers: Tom Kundert (the site's owner, so to speak) and Ben Shave (his right arm and gifted journalist) will write a summary of the 2012/13 Portuguese league in a very appealing A4 book with 120 pages, including 50 photographs. The idea behind this project is not to make money for the authors, but rather to help to support the cause and hopefully revamp the site, so it's more user-friendly.

There are no kind enough words to talk about Tom. His dedication to the idea of informing the world about Portuguese football in English has been of great service to many - particularly second- and third-generation Americans of Portuguese descent. Also, Zonal Marking's own Michael Cox, one of the leading references in the footballing world, has admitted publicly he uses PortuGOAL to keep up with Portuguese football.

There are literally thousands of people that read PortuGOAL. I was one of them and I was fortunate enough to be included in this absolutely amazing team, sharing everything I know to help Tom and all the other hard-working fellows in trying to offer the best contents we can. Neither one of us makes a cent while writing for PortuGOAL. Neither Tom and Ben are writing the book to capitalise on anything - except maybe the fact that it would be great to have a PortuGOAL book in our hands. All of this comes from our heart and soul. We just want to do the best job we can and offer one heck of a site to you, the readers.

For this pitch to be successful, we must have 400 people buying the book. I've just done my part and bought my copy for myself, because I would like everyone to know that this is indeed a cause I truly believe in. I can only hope many of you will do the same (and some have already done it) - because I really think this site deserves it and because I promise to post a photo of Tom with a huge smile on his face if we do get to 400 contributors.

History repeating itself

Starting elevens

Portugal and German offered us the first chess match of the Euros. The three games up to this point had drifted a bit from what was widely expected - cagey contests with few goals. The Portuguese line-up had no surprises, with Hélder Postiga and João Pereira getting the nod ahead of Hugo Almeida and Miguel Lopes, but Germany manager Joachim Löw went with Mats Hummels instead of Per Mertesacker, most likely to in order to offer quicker defensive coverage for Ronaldo's charges.

Portugal were happy to acknowledge Germany's superiority and played cautiously. Resisting the temptation to drop their lines too much, Paulo Bento's men had a clear game plan: to keep the ball from getting to their opponent's final third. For that, they tried to stifle Germany's first build-up stage, with Moutinho and Meireles picking up Schweinsteiger and Khedira, respectively. However, the presence of Hummels meant that Germany were able to bypass that obstacle rather easily, especially because Hélder Postiga did not seem to know whom to mark.

Hummels offered the Mannschaft better circulation of the ball.

20 minutes into the game, the Selecção kept finding it harder and harder to discover routes for their breakaways. Incapable of playing through the right, the main alternative lay with Fábio Coentrão's long passes towards Cristiano Ronaldo or Postiga, which seldom worked out. Furthermore, despite being vocal with their concerns about Ronaldo, Löw had clearly done his homework, as Miguel Veloso was always closely marked by either Özil or Gómez. This, in turn, meant that Portugal's routes were rather predictable and unsuccessful.

Portugal kept trying to stifle Germany's midfield.

With both teams seeming more afraid to lose than willing to win, the second half was not that different. Neither eleven was being able to do what they do best. Whilst Germany were more proactive, they still could not find space through the middle and started to look more for Gómez's aerial threat. On the other hand, Portugal's transitions were not reaching their destination due to numerous wayward (simple) passes and out of sync movement.

Löw tried to change that by asking Schweinsteiger to play higher up so that Özil could exploit the free space in front of the Portuguese defense. The strategy partially worked, with the German maestro easily overloading the wings (Ronaldo and Nani had clear instructions not to track back and provide the out-ball), but it did not deliver the end product. As for Portugal, without someone in the Rui Costa or Deco mould, it was hard to shake things up from midfield, with both wingers too static.

A deadlock seemed to be in the cards up until the 72nd minute, when Mário Gómez proved that, while he lacks Klose's link-up play, he possesses a rare ability to transform a loose ball into a goal in a glimpse. From that moment on, Portugal had to chase the result and Bento threw Varela on the pitch for Meireles (Nélson Oliveira had already taken Postiga's position on the 69th minute) for one final push. After conceding the goal, the Selecção showed just how much more they have to offer when they are not just waiting for their opponent and, on the contrary, are willing to make use of all their strengths going forward.

Even though the Portuguese players, coach and fans will most likely complain about bad luck and mention the two shots that hit the woodwork, the truth of it all is that Portugal can only blame themselves. While a team's organisation is paramount, that alone must not be their only game plan, if they want to achieve success. Bento will rally his troops by stating that Portugal had the better chances, but he would be better off  asking his players not to shy away from what they do best.


This article will also be available at PortuGOAL.net.

Predictions for the Euros

The Euros are only a week away and one can't help but try to guess how they will unfold. Therefore, the Portugoal team put on their thinking hats and answered five questions. To learn what they were, check this.

Manchester City-Sporting

The report on the match between Manchester City and Sporting is now available on PortuGOAL.net.

Hold steady

In line with recent developments, I am proud to announce that the latest installment of this Website can be found in the excellent PortuGOAL.net, in the following address: http://www.portugoal.net/index.php/more-liga-sagres-news/31786-benfica-porto-tactical-breakdown. Any comments you might have will be most welcome.