Portugal - Iran

mike65

Portugal:
Ricardo; Miguel, Ricardo Carvalho, Fernando Meira, Nuno Valente; Deco, Costinha, Maniche, Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo; Pauleta

Iran:
Ebrahim Mirzapour; Hossein Kaebi, Rahman Rezaei, Yahya Golmohammadi, Mohammad Nosrati; Mehdi Mahdavikia, Javad Nekonam, Ali Karimi, Andranik Taymoorian; Mehrzad Madanchi, Vahid Hashemian

Mike.

Necronomicon

I'm just in the door, but Figo got some kick to the face!

YeatsCounty

Iran could cause Portugal problems if only they had a real cutting edge. Unfortunately for them, they lack this and this is the reason why they are still favourites to join Angola on the plane home.

(I know it's only close to half time in this game but I believe that Portugal's class will tell eventually, while Iran will be left ruing their lack of pace and a killer edge.)

mike65

Dirty fouls, cheating, diving, feigning injury, trying to get opposing players carded. I never thought I'd see the Portugese so out-played!

Mike.

gimmick

Ronaldo is a liability to that Portugal team. Show pony.

That is all.

PHB

It's very odd for Ronaldo to play like that for Portugal, normally when he plays for them he is a total team player. I expected a lot more, let's see if he can produce the stuff he produced in the qualifying in the second half

KdjaCL

Pauletta i crap up front on his own, Portugal need a centre forward and to play 2 up front, forever trying to walk the ball into the net.


kdjac

Necronomicon

I was looking forward to seeing Ronaldo for Portugal, he was very good in Euro 2004, he's been disappointing today.

Edit: 1-0 Portugal, spectacular Deco goal.

YeatsCounty

Great first time shot from Deco, Portugal finally take the lead. Great goal.

Rikand

it sure took them long enough!

evilhomer

Thats a super strike by Deco, The bend he got on that ball was great given how arkwardly the ball came to him.

Ronaldo is having a shocker!

besty

Great goal from Deco. Come on Ronaldo, let's see some of that magic.

KdjaCL

Peno to portugal.


kdjac

YeatsCounty

Ronaldo puts it away. That's Portugal through.

besty

Nice peno from Ronaldo. He held his nerve well as he has been playing badly and a miss wouldn't have helped his confidence in the slightest. By no means a polished performance from Portugal, but they have qualified and they can improve in their last game and hone their side for the knockout stuff.

Rikand

-edit

Kingp35

That was an infuriating game. I was screaming at the TV for Scolari to talk Ronaldo off the pitch. Thats two shocking games he has had. I watch as many Portugal games as I can because I always follow them when Ireland arent involved and Ronaldo is better than that for them usually. Scolari had a go at him a while back for using his tricks and he cut that out of his game except today that is. Why he wasnt taken off the pitch for Simao ill never know.

I dont think Portugal should play two up top, thats not how they play and never has been. They just seemed too cautious today in getting the midfield players forward enough to support Pauletta who was a bit isolated. Ronaldo is usually in there supporting him when the ball is on Figo's wing and vice versa with Maniche and Deco hanging around the edge of the box. It looks as if the team was too nervous today but now that they are through hopefully big Phil can get the team playing the way they should be and thats quick flowing passing attacking football.

A draw or win against Mexico and Portugal are well capable of beating the Dutch who are likely to finish second in their group.

Attractive Nun

Ronaldo is criticised way too much. The RTÉ commentators never shut up about him. Sure, he had a bad game, but he was basically the only Portugal player trying things throughout the match. Half the time he was given the ball in a near impossible position and was forced into a flick or something that nearly, but didn't, come off. And the commentators would jump on the Ronaldo slagging badwagon. Better crossing (which he is surely capable of) and decision-making and Ronaldo could become one of the great wingers IMO.

Although that time he was dancing around the ball outside the Iranian box for about 10 seconds was just stupid.

mike65

Why he wasnt taken off the pitch for Simao ill never know.

Cough! Simao was shocking against Angola.

Mike.

Kingp35

mike65 wrote:

Cough! Simao was shocking against Angola.

Mike.

Ronaldo was worse today imo. He contributed nothing bar a shot that went close. In fact all he did was give the ball away or put in a shocking cross. It was obvious that he was having a shocker and should have been taken off.

PHB

Simao was worse against Angola, he was absolutely woeful.
When Ronaldo was taken off instead of him, it hurt Ronaldo's confidence no doubt.
Ronaldo is a confidence player, and needs it to play at full strength.
In the second half he improved greatly, and Scolari really encouraged him to run directly at people. You could even see the difference after the peno, he was much more effective even for that brief period.

He had a shocker today, but it's easy to slag Ronaldo.
Deco was equally bad yet nobody jumps on that bandwagon.
It's a real Irish/English thing, to due with our inherant dislike of flair players.

besty

Kingp35 wrote:

Ronaldo was worse today imo. He contributed nothing bar a shot that went close. In fact all he did was give the ball away or put in a shocking cross. It was obvious that he was having a shocker and should have been taken off.

But they were always going to win the game and taking him off wouldn't have done anything for his confidence/prospects for the rest of the tournament. If Portugal are to fulfil their potential and reach the Semis/Final, Ronaldo will be a key component in the team. They do not want a disillusioned Ronaldo in the squad. I think this may have been partly behind leaving him on despite his poor performance.

Kingp35

PHB wrote:

He had a shocker today, but it's easy to slag Ronaldo.
Deco was equally bad yet nobody jumps on that bandwagon.
It's a real Irish/English thing, to due with our inherant dislike of flair players.

I love a good flair player when they are on form but clearly Ronaldo wasnt. I think if this was any other game he would have been off that pitch at half time. I dont see how he improved much in the second half. He won a couple of frees and thats it. Didnt put any crosses into the box which, as a winger, is what he is supposed to be doing. As I said, im a big Portugal fan and stand to win 2k if they win the world cup and Ronaldo is usually far better than that. But today he was awful.

PHB

I dont see how he improved much in the second half. He won a couple of frees and thats it.

He was body checked 3 times, two resulting in yellows. If he had played like that in the first half, he coulda run havok in the second.

One must always remember Ronaldo is fouled constantly, just constantly.