After the Christmas holiday, all of the Benfica players will report to training on Thursday 12/27. Few news happening over the the holiday
- Real Madrid's Soccer "strongman", Pedrag Mijatovic, has announced that Soldado will not be going anywhere, especially on loan. Soldado had been personally contacted by Camacho and hoped that he could get the playing time he needs to impress National Team coach at Benfica. Soldado has played very little at Real and would be open to an opportunity which could offer him valuable playing time.
- Rodriguez's representatives will be looking for Benfica to activate their priority clause and acquire the Uruguayan winger from PSG. Rodriguez is currently valued at 5mm Euros, but his representatives are confident that this value can be brought down during negotiation talks.
- Leo has manifested his desire to stay at Benfica, before leaving to Brazil, claiming that if it was up to him, that's where he would be playing next year. In the meantime, Leo also requested that he be excused until the end of this weekend, in order to follow his father's surgery, a request that Benfica denied.
- Gremio has put together a 3mm counter offer for Diego Souza, Benfica is currently asking for 4mm. Gremio is also including 2 players to be chosen by Benfica from their development program
- Benfica is closely following 2 Vasco da Gama youngsters, Phillipe Coutinho and Alex Teixeira.
Coutinho(forward)15, is being hailed as the next Messi, and already has both Manchester United and Real Madrid offers. Benfica currently has an agreement protocol with Vasco da Gama, which would give Benfica first "crack" at these youngsters, but because Coutinho is only 15, he is unable to sign a profesional contract.
Unless Vasco can convince Coutinho to sign in February when he turns 16, Benfica will have very little chance to get this player as Real Madrid will most likely snatch the youngster by negotiating directly with the boy's father and agent.
Alex Teixeira(attacking mid), 17, is currently under contract at Vasco and has been hailed as one of the best youngsters at his age level. A deal for Alex could include Diego Souza, who Vasco has shown interest in, but await Gremio's decision.
- Metz, from the French premiere, has shown interest in Marc Zoro. Metz is currently in the relegation zone and hope to strenghten their squad in order to avoid relegation.
- Fellipe Bastos, will be training with the senior squad this week. Fellipe Bastos signed with Benfica last week, and is destined for the Junior team, but due to Petit's injury and Binya's suspension, Camacho wants to have a close look at the Brazilian U-17 international, who plays in the defensive midfield sector.
- There was a nice article on Freddy Adu in Yesterdays Washington Post. click on "read full post" to see a full transcription.
Here's a trancription of the article
"By Jason La Canfora
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
"On his own, Adu has grown"
Freddy Adu's bedroom is a mess. Like any other 18-year-old coming home for the Christmas break, the teenager has stacks of video games next to the television and clothes strewn across the floor, eliciting a stern glare from his mother, Emelia.
But this is no ordinary scene, as haphazardly clustered amid the tower of boxes is a golf game autographed by Tiger Woods ("Keep kicking butt," reads the inscription) and the garments on the floor all bear the crest of famed European soccer club Benfica, with Adu's name and No. 30 on the back.
Christmas came a little early for the Adus this year, as the teenager came back to Rockville for the first time since leaving Major League Soccer for Benfica in late July, returning bearing gifts for family and friends. Adu proved a quick study in one of the world's premier leagues, earning playing time from the outset and becoming an important substitute for Benfica by chipping in goals and assists. Perhaps more importantly, he says he is at ease with the Portuguese language and lifestyle, and his love of the game has never been greater.
"It's just been amazing the way things are going right now," Adu said while reclining in the office of the house he built for his mother after turning pro with MLS. "Hard work and believing in yourself, I think it can take you a long way.
"I know there are some people out there who already wrote me off before my 18th birthday, and there were some hard times and reading those articles and things like that. But I've been able to survive that -- for now -- and I know there'll be some times when I'm not playing great and there will be some articles that won't be pleasant.
"But I think I got a lot of the hard part of my development out of the way and I'm working hard and I've found something that works for me. I'm in a place where I'm really wanted and where I'm treated well and my teammates have accepted me and I've found coaches that bring out the best in me. It's been a blessing."
The last six months have been a whirlwind for the Ghana native, whose family immigrated to the Washington area in 1997 after winning a green card lottery. Burdened with the expectations to be the "savior of American soccer" from roughly age 12, Adu endured what some considered to be a less-than-scintillating four years in MLS -- including his first three seasons with D.C. United -- before his strong outing in the Under-20 World Cup last summer cemented European interest in him.
He entered MLS at 14 and struggled for a regular starting spot during his time with United, clashing at times with authoritarian coach Peter Nowak, who now coaches the U.S. Olympic team and assists the men's national team. In hindsight, Adu considers the experience in MLS to have been ideal conditioning for Europe. He says he learned valuable lessons about professionalism and maturity, with his missteps and growing pains lacking the overwhelming media glare that comes when playing the world's game in Europe.
"Sometimes me and Peter didn't always see eye-to-eye," said Adu, who had a long heart-to-heart with Nowak in October before playing for the national team in Switzerland. "But that made me grow up, some of the mistakes I made and especially when I went to media and said some things, it's something I should have taken care of in the locker room.
"Some mistakes I feel like I made as a 15, 16-year-old obviously I wouldn't repeat now, because I learned a lot from it and it helped make me a better person and player and I'm benefiting from it right now to be honest with you."
Indeed, Adu has made no waves in Portugal since moving to Benfica on a $2 million transfer fee and signing a five-year deal worth about $1.25 million annually. He embraced his nescient status and prepared to earn his roster spot, even though a frenzied throng of fans awaited his initial arrival at the Lisbon airport.
Benfica is a consistently strong club within Portugal's top division; the team is a distant second place in the standings behind FC Porto at the winter break. Benfica was vying for qualification into the Champions League -- the most prestigious club tournament on the planet -- when Adu began training, but just two weeks later he entered a qualifier against FC Copenhagen in the 37th minute and earned praise for his play and composure in that victory.
The club's coach, who played a role in Adu's procurement, was fired in August after just two games, however, and Adu steeled for another period of adjustment. He gradually won over new coach Jos¿ Antonio Camacho, a dictatorial taskmaster who has coached Real Madrid and the Spanish national team. After a few weeks out of the lineup, Adu scored his first goal during a Portuguese tournament on Sept. 26, tying the game in injury time with a penalty kick.
"I went in and, wow, played 45 minutes in that game," said Adu, who is averaging one goal for every 60 minutes played. "And it was my first minutes since that Champions League qualifier and I went in and played well. I played very well. I was really surprised and I ended up topping it off by getting the game-tying goal and us winning on penalty kicks and after that I was like, 'This is it.' That was the turning point for me. It was like, 'I can play, I've got the talent to do this.' It's all about working hard and having confidence."
Three days later Adu, whose younger brother, Fro, just completed his first season for the George Mason soccer team, appeared in his first Portuguese League game. He has made regular late-game appearances since, often with the game on the line.
Troy Fitrell, a Washington native and assistant to the U.S. ambassador to Portugal, attends most matches, and said the applause and standing ovations for Adu are matched only by the salute to midfielder Rui Costa, one of Portugal's all-time legends, and American flags are waved in earnest at home matches, a rarity in Europe these days.
"Average fans start shouting 'O Americano' shortly after halftime at most games, when, sadly, Benfica is usually scoreless," Fitrell wrote in an e-mail. "When he starts to warm up they start cheering in a way they never do for Angel DiMaria, Nuno Gomes, or the other strikers."
In October, Adu scored two goals in an eight-game span and also became the youngest American to appear in a Champions League game as Benfica defeated Scotland's famed Celtic at home. Adu is also the youngest to play for the U.S. national team.
"It's hard for American players to earn any kind of respect in Europe," Adu said. "So I had to prove that I belonged to be there and I can make a difference."
Fitrell wrote that after Adu's third game-winning goal for the club the papers were filled with headlines like "The American Hero" and "Freddy Saves Us Again." The next day Fitrell had 40 e-mails congratulating him on Adu's success, "as if I had anything to do with it," Fitrell wrote. Fitrell's favorite post-game message came from a Communist Party member of parliament there, which read simply: "I love America."
Adu said he spends as much time as possible hanging around Benfica's stars; sublime playmaker Rui Costa, rumored to be a candidate for team presidency in coming years, has become a cherished mentor. Adu said his teammates have embraced him wholeheartedly, taking time to give him pointers and suggestions. He spends as much time as possible at the training facility and found an apartment in a ritzy part of Lisbon tucked between a resort and the U.S. Embassy, of great comfort to his mother.
Emelia visits every six weeks or so and stacks his freezer with home-cooked food, including his Ghanaian favorites, and for a few days this week both her boys are back under her roof. Adu, who earned his first start for the U.S. national team in a defeat of South Africa last month, leaves Thursday to return to training with Benfica, where he is navigating the responsibilities of independence with the rigors of elite soccer.
"In the United States there were so many people around Freddy that it was just convenient to let people do things for him -- friends, relatives, coaches, parents, agents, publicists," said Arnold Tarzy, his close family friend and former coach. "Over there he's on his own and it's made him do more regular stuff -- learn how to handle money and pay bills and things like that.
"It makes you grow up and be a lot more responsible -- not that he was ever irresponsible -- but he just has to pay attention to things everyone else normally has to. He's had to act completely like a self-sufficient adult, and I think it's made him a better person and it's made him more focused and businesslike about what he does."
Keeping a tidy room back in Rockville, it seems, will have to wait.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Benfica News 12/26/07
Friday, December 21, 2007
Uefa Cup Drawing
Continue Reading..
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Benfica News 12/21/07
Few brief news:
Leo and Benfica were unable to reach an agreement, with the wages being the the issue, not contract lenght. The player's representatives returned to Brazil, but not before they voiced their displeasure with Benfica's directive and their lack of respect for the player. If Benfica want Leo, they will have to travel to Brazil to negotiate. Benfica claims negotiations are not closed and will negotiate with the player in due time.
Today's "A Bola" reports that Fred from Lyon might be on the way to Benfica. The forward is not currently happy at Lyon, where he seems to have fallen out of favor with Lyon's coach.
Lyon, however, has rulled out any type of loan for the player, claiming that they will only listen to buyout offers. Lyon bought Fred in 05 by the sum of 15mm Euros, at the time where the Brazilian was the hottest thing in Brazil.
It would be a great buy for Benfica, but i very much doubt they will have the cash to buy this player. Remember that Lyon is the possible destination for Cesar Delgado, a player that Benfica chased but could not make a convincing enough offer for Cruz Azul to take them seriously.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Benfica News 12/13/07
Continue Reading..
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Benfica News for 12/12/07
Taking a look through the major Portuguese Sport online Dailies:
Portuguese Cup drawing - Benfica drew Feirense at home for the 5 round of the portuguese cup. Feirense is currently 12th in the Vitalis League ( Portugal's second flight). Porto drew Desportivo das Aves, which will have Romeu Ribeiro, Miguel Victor and Dabao in their squad by the time the game takes place, January 20th.
Quim's back in practice. Benfica's #1 trained without limitations this morning and will be ready for this weekend's clash against Belenenses.
Miguel Victor will play with the Juniors for a couple more games before joining Desportivo das Aves in January. Benfica's junior coach, Joao Alves, requested that Victor give his contribution to the junior squad after losing a few of his defensive players to injuries. Victor played this last weekend, and will play another 2 games for the junior squad before going on his loan.
Binya has been called by the Cameroonian national team to play a friendly against a Galiza select squad. This is another game where Otto Pfister will have a chance to look at players before making his CAN 08 roster official. Binya might very well be on this roster list, which would mean that Benfica wouldn't be able to count on Binya for at least the month of January and some of February.
Benfica is trying to acquire the rest of Cardozo's pass from Newell's (20% = 2.2mm). Bergessio is most likely going to be included in the deal for the buyout in the form of a loan or even a sale. Benfica is also trying to acquire the other 20% of DiMaria's pass from Rosario Central.. just a quick explanation of these percentages that are usually left on the table. Buying clubs do this to cut the price, agreeing to leave a percentage of the players pass with the team they bought the player from, what this means is that any future deals involving the player would guarantee the first seller a percentage of the sale, in this case 20%. This is clear move by Benfica to secure future talent, while anticipating to make money with these two players, buying the 20% would naturally maximize Benfica's return.
Cesar Delgado, remains quiet as far as his move to Benfica goes. The player told the Mexican media he would not talk about the move until it's official. The player also denied having any kind of agreement with Benfica. Also in the race are Lyon, Palermo, Olympiacos and Espanhol.
here's a clip of Delgado
Leo's representatives are in Lisbon this week to discuss contract renovations with Benfica. Brazil's Fluminense is following the meetings very carefully as they would be Leo's next home if Leo and Benfica fail to reach an agreement.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
And then there were 27
It's Official, Desportivo das Aves' president has just confirmed the loan of 3 benfica players. Romeu Ribeiro, Miguel Victor and Yu Dabao are the players who will be at the service of Desportivo das Aves come January 2nd. Desportivo das Aves is currently 14th in the Vitalis League (2nd Division) and will hope that all 3 players can help the team from being relegated.
Miguel Victor, got the most playing time from all three, he filled in at center back when Luisao and David Luiz were hurt alongside Katsouranis. Miguel Victor played 253 minutes in official games, which included one start in the Champions League. He showed that he has enough talent to be a serious candidate to a roster spot next year.
Romeu Ribeiro, was used as a back up defensive midfielder, when Petit was injured and accumulated 48 minutes from the appearances he made, mostly at the end of games, when Camacho needed and extra unit in midfield.
Yu Dabao, played 169 minutes in official games, all of them for the Carlsberg Cup, despite being one of the most valuable players in last years Junior League, Dabao wasn't able to convince Camacho that he is ready for the Senior team.
It would not surprise me to see at least 2 of these 3 players break into Aves' starting team. I'd say that both Victor and Ribeiro have enough talent to stay at Benfica, however the positions they play in are very deep at this time. Dabao was just not ready, let's hope he will continue to mature and gets enough playing time to develop into a very good player for Benfica.
Benfica News December 11,07
Marc Zoro's name is part Ivory Coast's preliminary roster for the African Nations Cup (CAN 08) to take place between the 20th of January and the 10th of February, the event is taking place in Ghana.
Quim left this morning's practice with a knee injury. He will be evaluated tomorrow.
Rumours of a couple of players being tied to Benfica are surfacing. The first one being Cesar Delgado, a twenty six year old Argentinian forward who currently plays for Mexico's Cruz Azul, the club's president has publicly denied any negotiations between benfica and Cruz Azul. The other one is Christian Benitez, an Equatorian young promise who plays upfront. He just finished representing Santos Laguna in the Mexican league. His agent has confirmed contacts from Benfica, and told the Equatorian media that there is an offer on the table that they are currently looking at.
Marcel, who was on loan at Gremio has been let go by the club, he will however remain in Brasil as his future will most likely go through another loan at another Brazilian club.
Luis Felipe Vieira just came back from a quick trip to Argentina, apparently he is trying to by cardozo's pass in it's totallity. Benfica only owns 80% of Cardozo's pass currently.
Benfica just signed a 17 year old Brazilian to a 3 year deal by the name of Fellipe Bastos. Bastos is a product of Botafogo's development program, having represented and captained Brazil's U-17 team that played in this years Pan-American games. Bastos is a defensive midfielder but can play in any central midfielder position. He will integrate the junior team under Joao Alves' command.
Apparently, January it'll be the end of the Benfica line for Bergessio, the player has already been informed by Camacho that he will be one of the players being cut from the squad. the Argentinian is currently studying several offers and will most likely return to Argentina. Andre Diaz will most likely have the same destiny.
Cristian Rodriguez made his full return to training today.
