With the December/January transfer window approaching fast, i'd like to look at some of the fringe players that were given a chance in the Carlsberg Cup and speculate on what will become of them.
Butt - The German did have sort of a conspicuous start against Estrela in the first round, but against Setubal he showed that he is a good keeper. He had a couple of incomplete saves, but he also had an incredible save ( the first one of the 1st Setubal goal) he will remain in the squad, Moreira is going to take sometime to reach 100% and game form. The German will most likely be in action in the Portuguese Cup and will be bitting Quim's heels waiting for any slip up. It's early to predict if he will be with the club next year, but he won't stay as a number 2, the Club won't keep him either.
Miguelito - 3 games. 3 poor performances, this player is not talented enough to play for Benfica. Although still young, Miguelito has not developed as Benfica expected, It's his second year and he has not broken into the first team, and although he has Leo as competition this player does not seem to even be close enough to Leo's level or to even give him competition for a spot. If Benfica hits the market for a left back, he is on the loan/transfer list.
Zoro - The Ivory Coast international came to Benfica on a free. Having played in Italy, one expected him to be a lot better than what he has shown. He was involved in the 2 Setubal goals, The first one, setting up a close range shot for the opposing forward that ended up in the back of the net, and the second goal giving too much room inside the box for the forward to pick his corner. He has to compete with David Luiz and Edcarlos for the spot, once David Luiz is healthy he will not even be in the call up sheet. Not to mention that Katsou can also play in that position. He either develops into a semi decent right/left back or he will be watching a lot of games on the tele.
Luis Felipe - I think Benfica rushed into going and getttng this player. If they had taken a little more time in searching they would have found someone better than him for sure. Nelson is in the late stages of recuperation and Maxi is the other alternative for the right side. He looks to be the odd man out, even though he might remain in the squad.
Andres Diaz - Still a young player, but does not show enough to break into the squad this year. Let's not forget he is part of the World Champion u-19 squad for Argentina. his destiny will most likely go through a loan possibly in Argentina.
Fabio Coentrao - Fabio might have potential but he is not ready for the "big leagues" yet.. He will most likely go on loan haqs he has failed to show anything, not to mention the left mid/left winger position already has Rodriguez and Di Maria as candidates.
Dabao - The Chinese forward will surely be loaned out come January, as Benfica will hit the market looking for a forward. He's still young and still needs tons of experience.
Bergessio - Benfica will not give up on this player so easily, they will let him work for the rest of the season. His work rate and his playing style will keep him in the squad.
As for the Juniors - Miguel Vitor and Romeu Ribeiro - their future is up in the air. They can remain with the club as they are still juniors or they can go out on loan in order to gain experience. I think they will stay at the club.
Adu - Adu has earned a spot on the squad and remains to be one of the first options off the bench.
There was word from Camacho that he would like to trim the squad from 30 to 23. Which would mean 7 players would be on their way out, wether on loan or on a buy. If Benfica goes to the market in january, which everything points out that they will, you are looking at possibly 10 players out. So besides the 6 obvious one's i just mentioned above, We're looking at possibly 3-4 others.
It's a bit early to say for sure, i will look at the possibilities in the near future.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Fringe Players - What's Next?
Setubal 2 - Benfica 1 - Carlsberg Cup 2nd leg
Benfica bowed out of the League Cup this Wednesday by losing to Setubal in the second Leg of the Carlsberg Cup by the result of 2-1. Freddy Adu scored right before the half from the penalty spot to put Benfica ahead on the aggregate, but Setubal was able to score 2 goals and gain access to the next round of the League Cup.
Camacho fielded the following team:
Butt; Luis Felipe, Luisao, Zoro, Miguelito in defense. The midfield was composed of Biny, Edcarlos, Adu and Rodriguez. in the attacking front the 2 Argentines, Bergessio and Di Maria.
I'm still trying to understand why Edcarlos played in the midfield, he has played in that position before and he is a player that has good feet for a central defender, i still can't understand Camacho's choice even if Edcarlos did have 2 clear chances of scoring, but he just looked like a fish out of water in that position. Freddy Adu started for the first time, but didn't make as much of an impact as he has in previous games. Personally i don't think Freddy is a player to play on the wings, he is more of a central player. He did have a clear chance to put away the game, which was instinctively saved by the keeper, i thought he could have done better. I'm not going to spend too much time on the game analysis, i'll summarize it by saying that Setubal are the just winners.
I want to really take a step back and analyze this whole Carlsberg cup and how Benfica approached it. There is a few angles i want to breakdown. The first angle and the most obvious is how this extra competition affected Benfica and their already booked up schedule. I think the league needs to look at the schedule of games and see what it can do about changing it. The start of the competition coincided with the champions league star. With the three big teams competing in the group stages of the CL, the Carlsberg Cup turned out to be somewhat of an annoyance for Sporting, Porto and Benfica. As if they needed more games added to their schedule. Porto went out in the first round they participated in, and i remember thinking that their loss to Fatima, was more of a blessing (no pun intended) then anything else. Sporting and Benfica went through the first stage and their reward was seeing 2 more games added to their already busy schedule. Benfica's approach however was to change the whole team around and give a chance to their less used players. This leads to the second angle. If it wasn't for the the Carlsberg Cup, Camacho would have never really had a chance to really evaluate the players that usually don't get much playing time. I'd say that the 3 games Benfica played in the Carlsberg Cup gave Camacho a very good idea of the worth of his bench players. The fact is that he knows what those players are capable of from working with them every day, but the game situations are crucial to make your best judgment. Camacho always followed the idea that the less used players would be used in the league cup, that's never been a surprise, i think that policy turned out to be the best, for 2 reason. The first one to rest important players and the second one, is the one i mentioned above, looking at who you have on the bench in a game setting. Camacho would have never had a better chance to evaluate his bench.
If you've watched the games like me, you can see Camacho's approach to these games, his body language, the way he behaves on the bench, it's completely different from League games and CL games. Just by that alone you could see the importance the League Cup had to Benfica, and i'm not trying to find excuses for being out of it, I'm just seeing things how things really are. It's as if the League cup was an obligation, Benfica never fielded their best 11 and even in times where they needed to field the best 11 in order to advance Camacho stuck to his second string. The Carlsberg Cup really became a secondary objective for Benfica, behind the League, CL and the Portuguese Cup, which will start up later.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Setubal - Benfica Carlsberg Cup 2nd Leg Preview
This Wednesday Benfica plays the second leg of the Carlsberg League Cup. The result from the first leg was 1-1 (match report here). Benfica travels to Setubal trying to advance to the next round of the League Cup.Camacho has called up the following players for this Wednesday's clash with SetubalKeepers: Butt, Bruno Costa - Butt will get the start, he has been playing all the League Cup games (didn't play the 1st leg because he was hurt), the Junior Bruno Costa will be on the bench since Quim can't play due to his red card suspension. The German will look to build up on his Sunday performance as he wants to assume himself as a Camacho's number 1.. Despite Quim being suspended, this is an opportunity for the German.Defenders: Luís Filipe, Zoro, Luisão, Edcarlos, Miguelito - Luis Felipe and Miguelito will repeat their starting spots from the first leg while Edcarlos will join Luisao. Edcarlos was the sacrificed player when Quim got the red card, he will be ready to go. Midfielders: Binya, Nuno Assis, Andrés Diaz, Maxi Pereira and Cristian Rodriguez - Binya will start in his defensive midfielder position. The other midfield 3 can go a couple different ways.Assis on the right, Rodriguez in the middle, a position that he plays in his national team and that he is totally comfortable with and Di Maria on the left. Di Maria has had to play on the right ever since Rodriguez arrived, this would be a perfect opportunity for him to return to a position where he feels most comfortable with. The other option would be Maxi on the right, Assis in the middle and Rodriguez on the left, Assis' natural position is a central position. Di Maria would play up front.Forwards: Di Maria, Coentrão, Mantorras, Dabao, Adu, Bergessio - Dabao and Bergessio will most likely get the notch up front, Dabao being the only real center forward called up will most likely get the start, if Di Maria plays in the midfield. Bergessio, much to many fans' dislike, will make another apperance in the starting 11, wether it's at the center forward postion or at the striker position that all depends on how camach sets up the team.I'd like to see Adu start the game, but i think that it's unrealistic at this point. Freddy is a very dangerous player due to his speed and explosiveness off the drible, Camacho is currently introducing him in the game at the end where the opposition has lost some of their stamina. According to Camacho, Freddy has a lot of talent and is coming along very well while adapting to a different country and a totally different soccer style, but is not ready yet to start.To be perfectely honest, i think this competition has the potential to do us more harm than good, so far Camacho has been able to manage the squad and use the less used players in the League Cup matches, however, having to play play another competiton while you are deeply involved in the Champions League and in an uphill battle domestically can only have detrimental results to the team. So far the team as responded well, sooner or later the extra effort being put forth by certain players will affect the team, i'm sure of that. As a Benfica fan i'd love to see Benfica win every competition they enter, but at one point or another you have to think if it's really worth it. Nonetheless i'm predicting a win 2-1 in OT.
Continue Reading..Monday, October 29, 2007
Portuguese Soccer Dailies - 10/29
"The Miracle Kid" - Record
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Benfica 2 - Maritimo 1 - Su-Adu!!
Benfica won a very important game this past Saturday against Maritimo. In my game preview i had stated the importance of this game for Benfica - playing a team that not only has been the surprise of the Bwin this year, but that was also ahead of Benfica by 1 point in the standings, it was an important game, and with Sporting's tie on saturday the game took on another dimension and an added degree of importance for Benfica being that Sporting was also ahead in the championship run.
Camacho fielded the following 11:
Quim
Maxi, Luisao,Edcarlos,Leo
Binya,Katsouranis
Di Maria,Rui Costa,Rodriguez
Cardozo
This was one of the variations of the starting 11 I had projected. Two defensive midfielders to free up Rui Costa from defensive obligations. Making Rodriguez and Di Maria along the with Rui Costa the players that would support Cardozo up front.
Let's go to the game
Benfica took a bit to identify Maritimo's tactical scheme and before they knew it they were down 1-0. Quim, with an unusual hesitation in coming out to the ball ended up being caught up in no man's land and Kanu did not hesitate and lobbed the ball over Quim for the first goal of the night, 9 minutes in and Benfica found themselves down on the scoreboard. The team didn't take long to react and after a few minutes of imposing their game Rui Costa crosses the ball from the touchline and the Maritimo player, in a clear attempt to block the cross, handles the ball inside the box. The ref, being very close to the play, did not hesitate to point to the spot. Cardozo rocketed the ball to the keeper's left side, that despite having guessed the correct side, was helpless to make a save due to the power in wich the ball had been struck. 9 minutes later and Benfica had brought the game level, and gave the stadium a new outlook and hope of a win. The game had been very even up until the point one of Maritimo's players was taken down in the box by Quim, Quim received a subsequent red card for the foul and headed out to showers. At this point i'm thinking how this has just complicated things, playing with 10 with a very good possibility of going down a goal in the event Maritimo converted the pk. Camacho substituted Edcarlos for Butt and made Katsou the center back, it seemed to me the only obvious choice.. Pulling an attacking player when you are about to go down a goal, did not make much sense. Butt, which is not only a good PK taker, as also been known for being a good PK keeper. Makukula blasted a shot to Butt's right which he conresponded with a save. Benfica had just gotten a break, and now that they didn't go down on the scoreboard it was time to figure out how to win the game playing against 11 men and with a full hour yet to go in the final whistle. Camacho substituted Di Maria with Luis Felipe at half-time, in a move that would give Benfica more defensive capabilities in the midfield, Luis Felipe occupied his all too familiar position of right back while Maxi moved up to midfield to offer a more consistent defensive game, as Di Maria is not known for his defensive game. Benfica kept plugging away trying to get the winning goal. Half way though the second half Maritimo seemed to be content with the tie and were clearly just defending and letting Benfica come to them. Seeing this Camacho decided to use his last sub at the 80min mark by switching Adu with Maxi. While Maxi had defended well and provided the midfield consistency, offensively he had run out of gas, with Maritimo just hanging back, Adu's entrance in the game seemed only obvious as he could provide an offensive spark with his quickness and his skill. Six minutes later Camacho's decision turned out to be correct with Adu scoring the winning goal after a great play from Leo who made a run on the right side, yes right side, of Maritimo's defense and after going by the Maritimo defender with a mix of luck and skill fed the ball to Adu, who anticipated his marker and scored the winning goal.
Player appreciation:
Quim - Proved to everyone that he is human and that at any given point, just like everyone can make mistakes, the first goal is entirely his fault, the hesitation coming out and then being caught in no man's land. The penalty also seemd to be a good call, and even though Quim pulled back his hands, his legs make contact with the Maritimo player.
Leo - Another great performance by the brasilian, once again proving why he is probably the best left back playing in the Bwin. The play of the goal is an incredible play and for him to appear on the right side making a run shows what this player means to the team.
Luisao - Good game from Luisao which was the captain for the game, he is one of this team's leaders
EdCarlos - Nothing to really point out on the 30 minutes he was on the field. Unfortunately he was the sacrificed player from Quim's red card.
Maxi - He is currently Benfica's best right back, he is a great asset to this Benfica team due to his ability to play various positions. defended well and attempted a few long range shots which ended up in the stands.
Katsou - Another player who due to his flexibility is a great asset to the club, having him on the field at the time of the red card offered Camacho a great option without having to sacrifice an offensive substitute.
Binya - This player continues to impress me with his work rate, with his playing. yesterday it was the player that worked the most in the midfield, showing an endurance that was unrivaled by any other player. I still think he needs to work on his composure when attacking the ball, in order to prevent his game being limited by an unnecessary yellow card he might pick up.
Di Maria - Didn't really have a bad game but i have the feeling he can do so much more, the skill is there but he is currently going through a phase where he stopped being a factor, it's up to Camacho to steer this player in the right direction and not let him fall in a lack of confidence hole. There were a lot of expectations from this player when he first started, it seems he is felling that pressure.
Rodriguez - I can't find enough good things to say about the Uruguay international. he is a fighter, he never stops and all he thinks about is winning the game, doing whatever it takes. For me one of the best Benfica players on the field. He embodies the spirit of what it is to wear the Benfica Jersey, which for a player who has been at the club since August is an accomplishment in itself.
Rui Costa - The maestro is finding himself being given more and more attention by the opposing teams, and consequently not as many touches on the ball as he is used to, with Katsou going to defense there was more room in the midfield and he became more of a factor. Not one of his best games, nonetheless it's from his feet that all of the Benfica game comes from.
Cardozo - With Benfica going down to 10, Cardozo lost any of the support he had until that point, nonetheless he struck the PK that equalized in a demonstration of no lack confidence. I think he could have done better on a head ball he had free of any opposition. Needs to work on his aerial game. Finished the game exhausted.
Butt - The German came off the bench, cold, to save an important PK which turned out to be the turning point of the game, he later made a game saving save which kept Benfica in the game.
Luis Felipe - One of his better performances at right back, this was probably due to the lack of attacking initiatives by Maritimo in the second half, however Luis Felipe did well on his offensive runs.
Adu - Adu is turning into Benfica's talisman. Coming into the game with 10 minutes left, it's hard to make difference, but he has. I am a strong believer that he needs more minutes to make a difference, yet he finds a way, Great vision to anticipate the defender and to touch it past the goalie for the winning goal, a goal that sent the Benfica faithfull into hysteria.
Still a few thoughts on the game, this was a Benfica team that fought to the end, always believed they could win this game even after going down 10 men, Benfica believed they could win this game, clearly an attitude that is commendable.. The players left everything on the field and were rewarded with the 3 points, Their attitude, dedication and commitment is what every fan expects. This same attitude, dedication and commitment is what makes this Benfica be Benfica. The team is on a clear rise, the Camacho factor is very evident on this team - "Salir para ganar" Come out to win is how i'd like to see Benfica play every week.
Share your comments, opinions, dissagreements below
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Benfica - Maritimo Preview
Benfica faces a very important domestic clash this Sunday against Maritimo, Maritimo is currently 4th, one point ahead of Benfica and have been one of the surprise teams so far. Benfica needs to win if they want to establish themselves as contenders. Coming off a very important win for the Champion's League this past Wednesday, Benfica will need to build on the momentum.
Let's take a look at the players Camacho called up for this match:
Keepers: Quim and Butt
Defenders: Maxi Pereira, Luis Filipe, Luisão, Edcarlos, Zoro, Léo, e Miguelito. Camacho called up Miguelito as Miguel Victor is currently on under-19 national team duty.
Midfielders: Katsouranis, Binya, Rui Costa, Cristían Rodriguez, Fábio Coentrão, Coentrao also makes his return to the call up sheet, also because of Romeu Ribeiro's National team call up. Nuno Assis has a cold and has not practice the past couple of days.
Forwards: Adu, Di Maria, Bergessio e Cardozo.
Looking at this list of players i'm projecting the following 11:
Quim
Maxi, Luisao, Edcarlos, Leo. Edcarlos returns to the middle of the defense after an injury, he was not 100% for the champion's league, but he will be fit enough for this game. Leo who also picked up a knock midweek seems to be back to full strenght and ready to go.
The midfield is a big question mark at this point. I'm thinking Rui Costa, Binya, Rodriguez and Katsouranis, with the Greek playing on the right side. The other option is the inclusion of Di Maria in the midfield line and playing with 2 defensive mids and one lone strike up front.
Cardozo will definitely start up front, question is, who will play the supporting role? I can't fathom Bergessio starting. Cardozo perfomed a whole lot better when Bergessio was subbed during the game against Celtic, i hardly doubt he will make it to the starting line up.. So my doubts lie on how Camacho will set the team, will it be 2 defensive mids giving more freedom to Rui Costa, but sacrificing the striker to the right side, or will it be 1 defensive mid with Katsouranis falling to the right side while Di Maria will play the striker role?
benfica is home and will have the full support of their fans, Oscar Cardozo will be well received and applauded by the fans after his goal against Celtica. We are hoping the 9 million dollar Cardozo is finally starting to show why he was Benfica's most expensive acquisition this season
Perdiction 2-0 (Katsouranis and Cardozo)
Friday, October 26, 2007
Going out on a Short Limb
I might be going out on a very short limb, but.. It wouldn't surprise me if Mourinho becomes the next Sevilla Coach. Both Sevilla and Juande Ramos have announce a mutual agreement to part ways. Ramos is destined to Tottenham, where he will replace the just fired Martin Jol.
Sevilla is currently 11th, 10 points behind the leader Real Madrid. Sevilla is currently 2nd in group H of the Champions League 3 points behind the undefeated Arsenal. Sevilla has a good squad but it has been going through a bit of a crisis ever since the death of one of their players, Puerta. Puerta collapsed on the field after suffering cardiac arrest, he eventually succumbed a few days later in the hospital. A few days later the UEFA cup holders met Milan for the the European Supercup where they lost. After that things have been all but smooth, with rumors surfacing that Ramos would be on his way out , a rumor that didn't materialize until today.
If you ask me, the Sevilla squad is perfect for Mourinho, and although there are a few world class players on the squad ( Kanoute, Alves) the squad's strong point is the team chemistry, something Mourinho loves. We'll just have to wait and see, but if you ask me.... He's there!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Champions League Benfica 1 - Celtic 0
I'll start this post by saying that i did not watch this game. I did have the opportunity to follow its text comentary on the UEFA site.
Benfica started with:
Quim, Maxi, Luisao, Katsouranis and Leo. In the midfield, Assis, Binya, Rui Costa and Rodriguez. Up front Bergessio and Cardozo. I had originally predicted Di Maria on the right, with a possible Assis start over Di Maria which was what Camacho went with with. Bergessio had another terrible performance and one must think that at this point he is on a very short leash as far as opportunities go. He has had the perfect opportunities, he has started games and has had more than his fair chances and opportunities to make an impression, at this point i think Camacho is very unimpressed. With Nuno Gomes declaring himself ready for Sunday's game, Bergessio will most likely disappear off the map and stop being an option, he will then have to content himself with whatever minutes are given to him off the bench. After Bergessio's exit there was a clear rise in Cardozo's performance from what i've read. Di Maria and Adu came off the bench, with the first one making the pin point assist to a classy goal by Cardozo. The Paraguayan had already hit the iron a couple times and missed another few chances, but in the end he came through in the closing minutes of the game.
In the other game of the group, Milan beat Shakhtar and at the end of the first round of games Milan find themselves where they should be, top of the group. The remaining 3 spots are out of order from what anyone could have predicted, which has much to do with Shakhtar's performance in the Champion's League so far.
So what's next?
Next round we will have the same fixtures with reversed home teams. Benfica will have a difficult task and another crucial game when they visit Celtic in 15 days time, Shakhtar will host Milan and will look to come away with some type of points, while the Italians will look to secure qualification to the next round with a win. As of right now the group remains wide open with the top 2 teams tied in points and the bottom 2 in the same situation as the head to head dictates where they stand in the standing.. here they are
Milan 6 points
Shakhtar 6 points
Benfica 3 Points
Celtic 3 points
With Shakhtar no longer being an unknown surprise to their opponents, it'll be interesting to see how Benfica and Celtic will approach their clashes with the Ukranian side as their matches will prove to be decisive in qualification aspirations, both for the champions league second round and Uefa Cup entry.
For those of you that did not see the game.. here is a clip of some of the best moments.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Benfica - Celtic Matchday 3 CL Preview
Matchday 3 is upon of us, and like many of you i expected Benfica to have at least have 3 points. Having played the number 1 seed and number 4 seed, Benfica should have least have beaten the weaker 4th seed. But that wasn't the case. Not only did we go to San Siro and lost as predicted, we also hosted Shaktar an lost. So, 2 games in and we have yet to put any points up on the standings. Quick rundown through the standings:
Shakhtar 2-0-0 6pts
Celtic 1-1-0 3pts
Milan 1-1-0 3pts
Benfica 0-2-0 0pts
Shaktar has maximum points, having beaten both Celtic and Benfica, Celtic and Milan share second place with 3 points with the edge going to the Scots due to having beaten Milan in Matchday 2 ( head to head tie-breaker), Benfica rounds up the group in last place. Shaktar travels to Milan, with nothing to lose, Milan need the win to get back control. Shaktar has done what they set out to do, beat the 2 teams who would be their main competition. A loss in Milan would still leave them in good shape, but i believe they will play to win, as they are a talented side with good quality players. Celtic comes to Lisbon trying to stay in the run, a loss wouldn't hurt them that bad, but they need to tally points if they are to keep up. Benfica is in desperate need of a win, a loss would most likely see them out of next round, while a tie would be just as bad. At this point it would all Benfica should be looking to do is to qualify to the next round, UEFA cup shouldn't even be a tought at this point.
For this tomorrow's clash Camacho called up the following payers:
Keepers: Quim, Butt - Butt makes his return to the bench after a short injury spell to his back. Defenders: Luisão, Léo, Zoro, Edcarlos, Miguel Vítor e Luis Filipe - Nelson continues to be hurt Edcarlos is coming off an injury and may not be 100%.
Midfielders: Katsouranis, Maxi Pereira, Cristian Rodriguez, Rui Costa, Nuno Assis, Binya and Romeu Ribeiro - No surprises on the Midfield.
Forwards: Di Maria, Cardozo, Adu and Bergessio - With Nuno Gomes being hurt, Bergessio has made the call up list despite of his poor performance on saturday, Mantorras is left out, the Angolan international is still not 100%.
My projected line-up
Quim
Maxi, Luisao, Katsouranis and Leo - Maxi will return to the right side where he is a lot more dependable than Luis Felipe - Katsouranis was tested out in the back with Luisao on the tuesdays training session, he will most likely start next to Luisao, there is a slight chance that Edcarlos might be able to go, but it is unlikely.
In the midfield: Binya will once again be in the defensive midfield role, Rodriguez and Di Maria will be on the flanks while Rui Costa will be in the middle as the organizer.
Up front Cardozo will play in the center forward position while Bergessio will play in a supportive role, a position he is more familiar with and that suits his worker characteristics. Cardozo will definetely be a great target in the box as he is tall and his aerial game is decent, look for him to knock balls down to oncoming players
There is another variation i'd consider - switching Bergessio with Di Maria.
Off the bench look for Adu to be the first option for Camacho, Nuno Assis and Romeu Ribeiro could also be options, late in the game.
The Scots have refused to practice on the game pitch since they arrived in Lisbon, chosing to practice at Estadio Nacional, the venue that saw them win their first European title in the late sixties, oddly enough that team was nicknamed the Lisbon Lions - no relation to the other Lions of Lisbon, even though the Uniforms are very similar.
It should be a very close game with the edge going to Benfica for being home, and for desperately needing the 3 points, Camacho has already expressed that thhe team will be going at it from the intial whistle. Let's hope for a good result.
My prediction is 2-1 Benfica
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Adu to the rescue!
Freddy Adu bailed out Benfica of its first home loss this season with a goal in the very last minutes of the game of the Carlsberg League Cup. Benfica was down a goal since the 11th minute and struggled to find solutions to penetrate a very well organized Setubal team . A team that has not lost yet this season and that gave plenty of reasons why.
Camacho started: Quim, Luis Felipe, Luisao, Zoro and Miguelito in defense. In the midfield, Katsouranis and Binya anchored the midfield while Coentrao and Assis played on the flanks. Di Maria played in the "10" position and Bergessio played in the center forward position. Setubal scored 11 minutes in from a free kick that was crossed into the box, Luisao heads the ball which hits a Setubal player and ends up on the feet of Matheus which chips the ball over Quim. Matheus was in a clear offside position but because the ball was headed by Luisao and unintentionally hit a Setubal player the linesman did not lift his flag.. In my opinion it could have gone either way, whether the linesman read the play as i described above or he just hesitated in lifting the flag, is a different story all together. After the 11th minute Benfica took control of the game and assumed most the initiatives, occasionally creating good goal mouth situations only to see Bergessio waste them, in wastes that would make Nuno Gome's look like nothing. I forget what the possession percentage was at the end of the half, but let's say the scales tipped in favor of Benfica considerably. At half-time Camacho substituted Dabao for Coentrao, and Di Maria dropped to the left flank, a moved that was detrimental to Benfica's attacking aspirations as Di Maria did quite well in the play making role. At about the 70 minute mark, Camacho made a double subtitution, Adu for Di Maria and Mantorras for Bergessio. Setubal continued to defend well, compact and with 10 players behind the line of the ball, leaving no spaces for Benfica to get through. In the 93rd minute a ball was crossed from the right over the right back onto Adu, Adu controlled and shot a low left foot shot in the right corner of the Setubal goal past the outstretched Setubal keeper. 1-1 and that's how the game finished.. Here's my individual appreciation:
Quim - Consistent, with no chance in the Setubal goal, a couple saves, but not much work.
Luis Felipe - Continues to struggle and honestly, i think his substitute at Braga, Joao Pereira(former Benfica player) is way better then him. He had a couple of good crosses, but overall not a very impressive performance, i don't think he is a player for Benfica.
Luisao - Not to much to point out to tonight's captain, I'm just happy to see him healthy and ascending to his regular form.
Zoro - The Ivory Coast international, had a consistent performance, with the only blemish being the one ball he tried to settle as the last man and was stolen by a Setubal player who was then fouled by Zoro in a foul that could have very well been sanctioned with a red card.
Miguelito - Just like his right side counterpart, Miguelito had a discreet performance, seems nervous, lacking authority, lacking an identity. I know he is young, but there are better left backs playing in the Bwin in bottom of the table teams making half his salary.. He offers me no confidence and i hope Leo doesn't get hurt.
Binya - Was well recuperating balls but not so well doing something constructive with those balls, nonetheless he played well. The one thing he has to learn is control, it bothers me when he has clearly gained on a player and has put himself in good position to steal the ball, yet, the best he can do is run the opposing player over. I just can't understand that.
Katsouranis - Regular performance by the Greek international, often appearing in the attacking front to create numerical advantages. He did seem a bit tired towards the end of the game,
Coentrao - Got another chance from Camacho but failed to impress once again, nothing went well, lost dribbles, errant passes, this player is in need of a huge dose of morality, because right now he lacks confidence and it shows in his playing. One more year at Rio Ave wouldn't have hurt him.
Assis - Best i've seen him play in that position, which is not his natural position. combined well with Di Maria and often looked to build the attack.
Di Maria - Good performance by the new 20 in the play maker role, the switch to the left side at half time affected him and also affected the team as he disappeared from the game. Beautiful pass to Bergessio which was incredibly wasted in the face of goal.
Bergessio - The Argentine is quickly becoming the most disliked acquisition for the new season. While he seemed to be in Fernando Santo's good graces, with Camacho he is yet to prove his value. Incredible misses in front of goal. He shares the worst man of the match player prize with Coentrao. In his defense, the center forward position is not his natural position and he showed that as far as mobility and runs made he was right on target, same can't be said about his shots. Needs time to adapt, he is also coming off an injury. He is a worker and a player that can do several positions in the attacking front.
Dabao - Didn't bring much, although there was a slight improvement from the last game i saw him play.
Mantorras - Good to see Mantorras out there again and many Benfiquistas like me still hope that Mantorras can be the player he once was, a force of nature, the truth is that he will never be that again.. He still needs a lot more work, seemed very rusty, yet this appearance can be interpreted as a reward for the intensive work he has put in. I hope he comes back and can be useful, even if it's to come off the bench and score the winning goal.
Adu - Man of the game in my opinion, fought to the end and did what Bergessio failed to do in 70 mins.
Still on Adu
In my preview of this game i had predicted Freddy's start, and although in the back of my mind it might have been unrealistic, it's wishful thinking, wishful thinking that is starting to turn into logic with every minute Freddy plays. I think every Benfiquista is hoping that Freddy becomes one of the most important players of Benfica history, if not every benfiquista, at least the ones in the North American continent, where i am. Out of all the young players that Benfica bought this year, Freddy seems to be the one that is getting more adapted to the Benfica game. It is the second time he rises to the occasion ( third if you want to count his Sporting performance). The hardest thing to do is to come off the bench and make a difference in a game where that difference is what's needed. That is what separates the "men from the boys" the good players from the great players. Freddy has been working hard, taking every chance to learn from his coaches as well as some of his peers, he doesn't hide it, every interview, Freddy talks about how privileged he is to play with Rui Costa and how he is learning so much from this experience, always showing humbleness and gratefulness for being in the position he is currently in. Mind you, this is a kid that at 14 was signing a million dollar shoe deal with Nike and being showcased by MLS and the media has the future of US soccer, comparisons to some of the greatest players ever to step on a soccer pitch were drawn. You want to talk about pressure? You want to talk about Ego stroking? Yet.. every time i see a photograph at practice or a short clip of team training on TV there's Freddy, always with a smile on his face, always in what appears to be a good mood talking to his teammates.. His attitude is commendable and something that should be taken notice of. His humbleness and his work ethic is something that will always pay off. I hope to see him playing a lot more, he deserves to play and every chance he has been given he has risen to the occasion, i can't say that about any other Benfica young player.
Keep working Freddy, your time will come.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Carlsberg Cup Preview - Benfica - Setubal
This Saturday Benfica hosts Setubal in the first leg of the quarter finals for the Carlsberg Cup. Benfica got to this point by beating Estrela Da Amadora in a controversial game that saw Benfica tie in the closing minutes to send the game into penalties which Benfica eventually won. The call was a supposed handball by one of Estrela's defenders inside their box, the ref didn't hesitate and pointed to the penalty spot. TV images later showed the non-existent handball. It was probably Benfica's worst game of the current season, so far, and even though Camacho left a lot of the starters on the bench the team that took the field did very little to deserve the tie much less the win. With a couple bright spots coming from that game (Adu and Binya) the team was otherwise very far from a good performance. View my analysis of that game and player evaluations here.
That's the past now. This round, we will have the 2 leg format, a format which will remain up until the final. With 2 legs to play, the first game doesn't have the make or break importance, yet a bad result could put the team in a bad position while having to play as visitors in the second leg. Setubal is currently 6th in the Bwin and with 7 rounds played they have yet to register a loss, needless to say, it won't be no walk in the park for Benfica.
Benfica on the other hand will field a starting 11 that will be missing some of their more important players. Here's the list of the players that Camacho has called up for this game:
Keepers : Quim e Bruno Costa. - Butt which had started in goal in the last game of the Carlsberg Cup will not be fit to play due to a shoulder injury, he would have most likely have been the starting keeper.
Defense: Luís Filipe, Miguelito, Luisão, Zoro e Miguel Vítor. - At first sight, it seems like not enough backups, but let's not forget that both Binya and Katsouranis can play in a central defensive position, while Zoro can play right D also.
Midfielders: Romeu Ribeiro, Katsouranis, Andrés Diaz, Bynia, Freddy Adu, Di Maria, Fábio Coentrão e Nuno Assis - Camacho has opted to rest Rui Costa, Maxia and Rodriguez with a crucial Champions League game mid-week next week, it seems like the right choice, the 2 Uruguayans also played mid-week for their national team, they earn a very well deserved rest.
Forwards: Bergessio, Dabao e Mantorras. - Bergessio returns after a short injury spell, and Mantorras sees himself being called up for the first time since he was put on a intensive rehabilitation program by Camacho, Dabao, which started up front in the previous round will most likely just be a back up to the back up.
My projected line up:
Quim
Luis Felipe, Luisao, Zoro, Miguelito - Luis Felipe sees himself back in the line up again, with Nelson being injured and Maxi, which played right back last game, getting a deserved rest, he gets another chance to prove his value to Camacho, with Nelson coming back from injury and Maxi being able to play that role Luis Felipe sees himself as the odd man out and needs to fight for a spot and Camacho's confidence. This week he publicly commented on the fact that the change of coaches impacted the team negatively. He will most likely be on the bubble to be cut as Camacho has already expressed the desire to cut down the squad from 30 players to 23. Luisao has yet to achieve competitive rhythm so he needs the reps. Zoro is given another chance to impress, and while he wasn't one of the worst in the last round, in my opinion, he will have to deal with the tremendous competition for the player who will start next to Luisao in the very near future. Edcarlos is injured but will most likely recover in time for the Champions League clash against Celtic next week. David Luiz is entering a more advanced stage of his rehab after a foot fracture and will soon be practicing with the squad on a limited basis. This is truly a chance Zoro can not let go to waste. a good performance could win him a possible start in the Celtic game IF Edcarlos does not recover in time.
Di Maria, Katsouranis, Binya, Coentrao will be the midfield quartet. For Di Maria this is a showcase game, a game where he needs to establish himself as a player who can define the game with a stroke of genious, everyone knows he has the talent, but he is missing a very important part of his game, the killer instinct, whether it's a well placed shot or a "half a goal" pass. No surprises in the middle, Katsouranis and Binya will provide the stronghold of the middle of the field. Coentrao will get the start at on the right and another chance to show Camacho that he can fight for that spot. There's no doubt that Fabio has talent, but he needs to grow up and step up.
Up front Bergessio and Adu. Although Bergessio will most likely be the choice to start up front i have my doubts about Adu starting, i'd like to see him start playing in a supporting role to Bergessio, who is not really a center forward, but will run his ass off.. If Adu doesn't start Nuno Assis will be the choice, with Adi being one of the first ones off the bench. I think that at this point Adu deserves a start. He has shown to be humble, and hasn't at all shown any type of disappointment with his lack of playing, on the contrary, every chance he has he expresses how lucky he is to be in a position to learn and continues to commit himself to hard work in hopes that chance will come. Get ready Freddy.
Benfica will need to play their game and come away with a win, the new players can not be intimidated and need to make the best of this chance as December will be right around the corner and there will be players who will be loaned out, they will be playing in front of their fans in a pitch that will be in excellent conditions, no Excuses.. a win will not put so much pressure on the team for the second leg.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
2 Down 2 To Go
Portugal got maximum points in the double round of European Cup Qualifying this week with wins over Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Even though the team is still far from their top shape, it was important to come out with 2 wins as the qualifying is down to its final stages. Portugal now need 4 points to qualify out of a possible 6. On another note, Nuno Gomes hurt himself during warm up for the game against Azerbaijan and is now out for the next 10 or so days.
Germany, Greece, Romania and the Czech Republic have already qualified with 2 rounds yet to be played.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Joaquim - Benfiquista ao seu servico.
Boas, o meu nome e Joaquim, e a pedido do amigo Fumas venho amandar aqui umas postas de pescada.. para ser sincero, tenho que dizer que nao percebo patavina da internete, nao sei como funciona, nem quero saber, mas acho que e' um cabo debaixo da terra que faz isto andar.. As vezes ponho-me a pensar e nao consigo discurtinar como e' que funciona, ate' que chego ao ponto de dizer ca' para min - "Chega, vamos maze' beber um copo que isto passa logo. . Atao esta coisa e' sobre o Benfica, o meu Benfica, clube do meu coracao, foi por causa disso que eu decidi vir para qui falar.. pois o benfica nao tem andado la muito bem, mandaram o nandinho cus porcos logo a primeira jornada e la' veio o espanholito Rose. Moralizou a malta mas ainda nao convenceu, ja' levamos 8 pontos de atraso po's douradinhos. Com a lagartaje, nao me preocupo muito, pois aquilo nao passa de um clube de nho' nho's. Foram comprar gajos aos saldos do leste, aposto que os gajos vao todos parar mas e para a construcao. Depois aquele estadio muita foleiro, com aquelas cores sem jeito, com um relvado que mais parece o campo onde o meu compadre semeia as batatas dele, Miseria.. Vergonha autentica. depois vem o jogadores a queixarem-se do estado do campo que parece um campo que mula do Tonho da carica acabou de passar por cima ... estao bonitos este ano com um frangueiro pior que la tinham o ano passado. O Puerto la vai a frente com merito sim senhora, mas o monhe' que esta a frente da equipa quando abre a boca so sai caganeira.. " ganhar e' como escovar os dentes" em Fatima de certeza que as dentucas sairam de la' a cheirar a merda. Depois amanda-me outra boca a dizer que ganhar nao tem sabor.. pois pudera a lavar tanto os dentes, o sabor da menta deve ser a unica coisa que sabe na boca daqueles gajos.. Bom mas deixando de tristezas.. e vamos la' para tristezas menores - Benfica. Pois o Benfica foi buscar para ai malta que nunca mais acaba.. Deixaram sair o Simao, nao conseguiram convencer o Micollas a ficar, perderam o karademalucunis. Foi abrir a porta da gaiola e eles a fugir.. depois apareceu o Manuel Fernandes, que veio recambiado de Inglaterra que nao o queriam comprar, depois foi-se embora num acto porco de traicao, como e que o Vieira nao conseguiu ver cu gajo e uma prostituta autentica, e que quer e' fazer broxes a outros caralhos? arrecadaram a massa o resto e' mais um capitulo de revista cor-de-rosa.
Com a saida do Veiga, o Vieira so meteu agua na maioria das contratacoes.. ora observem
GR - Butt, ao que parece, prometeram ao homem a titularidade, e a nao ser no jogo para a taca de que nem liga - Carlsberg, nao tem jogado nada, pois pudera, com o Quim na sua forma.. quem e' que tira o lugar ao homem? Nem o Buffon. para estar no banco mais valia terem deixado la ficar o Moretto.
Defesas - De principio ainda la andou um tal de Sre, srenovic, (qualquer coisa assim) Gostava de saber de onde e que foram desencantar aquele melro. O gajo que o recomendou, merecia ser trancado num quarto com o Bibi. Zoro, ate' agora ainda nao teve tempo de se mostrar, Edcarlos, e tenho impressao que este gajo e' irmao do soneca.. a parecenca esta' la'. Tivemos que ir buscar Edcarlos porque o David Luiz lesionou-se.. quero ver quando estiver bom.. temos. Luisao, Edcarlos, Zoro, Andre Luiz e o surpreendente Miguel Vitor, e pata fazer meia duzia tambem esta' la' o Katsouranis.
Meio-Campistas - compra-se um o outro vai a meio preco - Di Maria + Andres Diaz, Cebola + Super-Maxi - de 4 aproveitaram-se 2 e 3/4.. ja nao e nada mal.. o Diaz pode ser novo ainda, mas nao me diz nada.. o DI Maria e o Cebola nao escondem nada.. o Super-Maxi.. e tipo aquele gajo que nao ha lugar para ele, mas porque trabalha muito, merece ficar.. Coentrao, quando parar de ser uma mariazinha, pode vir a ser um bom jogador..Por ultimo, Binya, parece que o Camacho teve em 2 dias o que o nandinho nao teve num mes.. olhinhos para ver o talente do camorones, que parece um autentico TT..
Para marcar golos - Fomos buscar uma torre ao paraguay, gastamos 9 milhoes e ate agora so vimos 3 mil reis de valor.. pode ser que venha a's prestacoes... Adu, fez um grande mundial de sub-20, foi uma boa aquisicao, agora e preciso po-lo a jogar para ver o que vale.. Ainda veio o chines Dabao dos Juniores, que ate agora go-lomein conseguiu marcar.. de certeza que e' o primeiro nome na lista de emprestimos.. Depois ainda temos o coxo do mantorras que ao que parece, ja' nao coxeia mais, resta ver no campo, se continua de muletas..
vamos ver o que e' que isto vai dar..
um bacalhau a todos
PS - levou-me umas tres horas para escrever esta merda.. tenhou os dois dedos inchados.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Leiria 1 - Benfica 2
It wasn't pretty, but the most important thing were the 3 points. While the team continues to come together and find an identity, it is very important to not loose any more points to the leaders, Porto.
Camacho had one surprise for the starting 11, Binya and Katsouranis in the middle at the same time, as well as 2 forwards. Di Maria sat the bench, in an unexpected move. Maxi played right back but pretty much did the whole right flank with the periodical help of Katsouranis. Benfica suffered a goal 1.50 mins into the game but managed to bring things level 14 minutes later, with a goal by Nuno Gomes, who also scored the second one. It was a poor performance by Benfica, but the result is really the most important. I liked Binya, ran miles and seemed to be everywhere even though he still needs some technical sharpness, nonetheless a good performance by the Cameroonian. Rodriguez was for me the best Benfica player, always looking to create danger, always looking to make a decisive play, If there was any doubt until now that he was a good buy, i think those doubts have been put to bed. Benfica is already looking to exercise the extension option on his contract. Rui Costa seems tired, less interventive, yet, still very much able to run the team. You really can't expect a 35 year old to not show signs of tiredness after playing 2 games in one week. It still wasn't this game that we saw Cardozo score, and while he had an up and down game, more down then up, the playing time is crucial to him, he needs the "reps" in order to get adapted to the European game. As far as Maxi's performance on the right, he was well, considering he had to do the whole flank, and didn't really show signs of tiring out. Nuno Gomes bailed us out with 2 goals, the Portuguese international was very active in tonight's game, he was also grabbed in the box while he prepared himself to put the ball past the keeper for Benfica's third, a call the official never made.
So what's next? 2 weeks of "rest" as there are European Cup qualifying games on saturday and Wednesday. This period will give Camacho the opportunity to do more work with the team and give Rui Costa a much needed rest. I'm pretty sure Benfica will have a scrimmage during this time, where Camacho will once again work with the less used players. Quim and Nuno Gomes will report for national team duty on Monday as well as Katsouranis who will pull national team duty for Greece. Maxi, Rodriguez and Cardozo have been called by their respective national team coaches for this upcoming weekend, as Conmebol World Cup Qualifying tournament games are also scheduled. I'm hoping that this rest period will do us a lot of good, as the last part of October will prove to be a tough one for us with Carlsberg Cup game(s) against Setubal, Bwin Games, one of them against Maritimo (currently 3rd in the Bwin) and CL clash with Celtic, which is critical for our aspirations to advance to the next round in the millionaire league.
Zbordem
I'm not really in the habit of commenting any other teams but Benfica in this space.. but i would just like to take a few minutes to say that the first IsMyLove goal against Guimaraes,this past saturday, resulted from a bad call by the referee at midfield, and i can't help but think that the goal completely changed the face of the game. Yeah, Zbordem won 3-0, but up until that point they had done nothing whatsoever to deserve the win.. The goal affected Guimaraes and they were never the same team after that. "Mr Tranquilidade" talked all week about the apparent handball of Katsouranis and the grave error of the referee in the Benfica - Zbordem game.. i want to see how many times will he discuss this BAD call that favored his team and ultimately paved the way for a win.
I'll wait.
Leiria - Benfica Preview
Benfica has a tough game in Leiria this Sunday. Coming off a tough loss mid-week against Shakhtar Donenstk for the Champion League, Benfica now turns their attention to the Bwin. A win is the only good result as they already trail first place
GK: Quim e Butt
Defenders: Luís Filipe, Edcarlos, Luisão, Léo e Marc Zoro
Midfielders: Katsouranis, Gilles Binya, Romeu Ribeiro, Rui Costa, Nuno Assis, Di María, Maxi Pereira, Cristian Rodríguez, Freddy Adu e Fábio Coentrão
Forwards: Cardozo e Nuno Gomes
Here’s what I am predicting for the starting 11:
Quim, Maxi, EdCarlos, Luisao, Leo; Katsouranis, Rui Costa, Rodriguez, Di Maria, Nuno Gomes and Cardozo.
Maxi was tested at the right back position during the last training sessions, and will most likely start there, a position which is not foreign to him, because he often played it at his former Argentinean club. Camacho will play with only one defensive midfielder as it will give the team another offensive option, it makes no sense to play with 2 defensive midfields in a match that is looked at as an easy match. The illogical alternative would include Binya in the midfield with Nuno Gomes riding the pine. Cardozo will definitely play as he and Rui Costa spent over an hour hitting free-kicks in Friday’s training session. Cardozo needs playing time, he also needs to play with a supporting player behind him, as he is an area man, and should only play in that zone of the field, not to mention that he is a great help in defensive set pieces.
Off the bench, look for 4 possible substitutes.. Adu, Binya, Coentrao, Assis..
I think after Wednesday I decided to take a different stance on the team and the obvious crisis they are going through. I am no longer going to have a critical and derogatory attitude towards the team after a bad performance or lack of positive result, as I am finding it less and less the players’ fault, and the idea that Camacho is at blame has never even crossed my mind. I really feel that Luis Felipe Vieira is the one to blame, and I could go on a long dissertation and explain my points of view but I am going to leave that for a later post. What the players and the team in general really needs is support.. Whistles from the stands are not helping this team
A good result is needed most of all, goals and wins..however they may come, offsides, inexistent penalties, goals off the ass cheeks, shin balls,or even arm pit goals, however. Performance can wait.. right now, we need to not lose anymore ground.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Benfica 0 - Shakhtar 1
They came , They saw, They conquered. What more can be said about this Ukranian team that despite coming from pot 4, now leads group D with 2 wins in as many matches? While they still have to play the strongest team of the group, they see themselves very much in the driver seat with 6 points after beating 2 teams that were favorites to go into the next round.
In the press conference that anticipated match day 2, Luisao told reporters that a tie would not be a good result, then what happened last night must leave the Benfica players scratching their head and wondering where do they go from here. Benfica started with a similar team to how they played over the weekend against Sporting, with the exception of Cardozo, who started in Nuno Gome's place. It wasn't a notable performance from the Paraguay international but he showed some improvement, maybe due to the rest Camacho has given him. He fought constantly with the opposition defenders and won numerous balls in the air.. A goal would have certainly have turned an average performance into a stellar performance. the defense was shaky at times, fruit of the great game both Fernandinho and Ilsinho had, both of the Shakhtar player often found space behind the defense to create opportunities. In the box however, Luisao and Edcarlos did their best to keep the danger away. The Shakhtar goal originated from a foul on Nelson, who was up on a counter, Fernandinho fouled Nelson and stole the ball and came down the wing and found Jadson in the penalty spot area with the simplest of tasks, The Shakhtar player did not waste the opportunity and scored Shakhtar's first goal at a time when Benfica was dominating the game, 
In the midfield, Maxi had his worst games wearing a red shirt, often lost. Rui Costa, in a less inspired night, tried and tried but nothing seemed to be going well. Di Maria has often plays of genius but is lacking one thing.. the deadly last touch, whether it's a pass to a teammate or a well placed shot past the keeper.. He still hit the crossbar on a genius run down the left but didn't do much else to change the result.. Cristian Rodriguez is slowly proving to be Benfica's best acquisition this season, fought throughout the game but could never really make a dent in the scoreboard.. Nuno Gomes came in right before the half to substitute an injured Nelson, an injury that resulted from the foul that created the Shakhtar goal. He never really created anything for Benfica, and while one would guess that him and Cardozo up front would yield good results, such wasn't the case. Binya came in for DI Maria, in a substitution i didn't understand at first, but the Cameroonian proved to be on of Benfica's best players of the second half holding the midfield in a time the midfield was in shambles. Shakhtar came to Lisboa and played a very strong organized game, the win is well deserved and the score could have even been more lopsided in their favor. 40 million in players for this season is definitely paying off as they are tops on both domestically and in the Champions League. As for Benfica, it's time to shake off this shake off some of the pressure they are currently under.. Domestically they have to get on a winning streak and in the Champions League, nothing is lost.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
New Contributor
Very soon i will have another contributor to this Blog. I've convinced my uncle to share some of his views on the soccer world, in particular the Portuguese Bwin, his views although often skewed, will provide some comedy to this blog. I hope you enjoy his contributions as it took me a while to convince him to be a part of "Talking to the doll". Because he doesn't speak English all that well, all of his posts will be in Portuguese, i will help him with the posting, but i will not alter its contents at all, it'll often be rough and offensive, but he means no harm, that is just the way he is... Feel free to drop him a comment.
Continue Reading..Benfica - Shakhtar - Champions League preview
Benfica plays Ukrainian side Shakhtar this Wednesday on matchday 2 of the Champions League. Benfica lost 2-1 to 
Let’s look at this Shakhtar team. Shakhtar leads the Ukrainian Premiere league with 10 wins and 1 draw, and although the Ukrainian Premiere is a weak League, it’s still notable. Shakthar has played Benfica officially in 4 games splitting the results with 1 win, 1 loss and 2 ties. They played 2 qualifying rounds before making it to the group stages of the Champions League, something that also illustrates the weakness of the Ukrainian league. Domestically they have outscored their opponents 28-7 with most of the goals (10) coming from Olexandr Gladkiy, surprisingly enough Gladkiy did not start against Celtic, instead Lupescu went with Brandao, which has 6 goals domestically, and Lucarelli, both scoring a goal a piece in the first 8 minutes of match day 1 against Celtic. I haven’t seen Shakhtar play but have a feeling there are coming to play for the tie, they will most likely be solid an compact defending and will take advantage of the counter attack, while being happy giving Benfica the initiative during the first 20 minutes and getting a feel for Benfica’s system, they will look to match up and mark up right from the start in order to frustrate Benfica and wait for a counter chance or even a break in play where they can establish their playing style..
As for Benfica, after a disappointing tie this weekend the team will look to get their first point in the Champions league and get on the right path. I predict that Benfica will start with the same team as they started this past weekend.
Quim which continues to demonstrate his great form, Nelson and Leo on the flanks and Luisao and Edcarlos will repeat Saturday’s defensive tandem. While Luisao is coming into competitive rhythm, Edcarlos has rapidly adapted to Benfica’s defensive style and plays a no non-sense game. In the midfield, Katsouranis and Maxi will repeat their defensive midfield positioning from Saturday, allowing for Rui Costa to have more creative freedom and less defensive responsibilities.. Rodriguez and Di Maria will look to attack through the flanks while Nuno Gomes will once again be the lone striker. There will be no surprises, I’d favor the Nuno Gomes, Cardozo pair upfront as the only change that should made by Camacho, but that would mean we would only play with one defensive mid, maybe with Petit, we could afford that luxury, due to his “lung”, with Katsouranis is a lot different, and while Katsouranis is playing well, he is far from being a player that cover as much ground as Petit. From the bench we will hopefully see Freddy Adu once again, and not in the 80th minute please.. Cardozo will most likely join Nuno Gomes at one point or another, depending on how the game is going…so for possible 4 candidates to come off the bench I am predicting Adu, Cardozo, Assis and Binya.. Binya to refresh the midfield position if needed. Adu to give Benfica another creative option. Cardozo to be the area man while Nuno Gomes is more useful in a more mobile role. The only thing I wouldn’t like seeing would be the same ridiculous substitutions of last Saturday. So if Cardozo comes in, please let him come in for a defensive mid. Or Adu for a defensive mid.. I think recycling attackers when you are tied makes no sense, unless you are playing for the tie. Benfica needs and has the obligation to come away with these 3 points, the win will leave them in a good position in the Champions League table, a win will also serve to strengthen the team morale, and hopefully get the team in the win path.
Continue Reading..
