"Exactly four weeks ago - it seems like ages - I watched the first upset, or so it seemed at the time, as Ecuador began Poland's early packing expedition with a 2-0 win. That followed Germany's official 4-2 thrashing of Costa Rica.
Stuttgart is ready for a game, their residents no doubt preferring any other team to face Portugal later today. But something that two months ago most Germans would gladly have accepted - the third-place game - now smacks of not enough.
I am sure that neither the Germans nor the Portuguese will want to disappoint, especially considering that on Friday no less than eight of the players on view were named by FIFA to the official 23-man all-star squad: Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo, defender Ricardo Carvalho (out with his red card against France), midfielders Maniche and Luis Figo. For Germany, nods went to goalkeeper Jens Lehman, defender Philip Lamm, captain Michael Ballack and likely top scorer Miroslav Klose. The rest come from Argentina, with Hernan Crespo and Roberto Ayala, England's John Terry plus Brazil's Ze Roberto, the only player from the "beautiful game" team. How the mighty have fallen. Out of 23 nominations, 19 grace the final four teams; arbitrary choices of course, but not totally out of whack; at the end, it is still all about players, and the numbers don't lie.
Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>
Saturday, July 8
Third-Place Match Will Be Anticlimactic For German, Portuguese Fans
"It is over. Moral victories count for about 30 minutes, which is small consolation in the general sentiments that it was a very balanced game.
For most of us, the World Cup is practically all over but the shouting. For the supporters of Italy and France, however, it is still about much, much more than just shouting on Sunday. For them, soccer's Holy Grail is there for the taking. I am still trying to figure out what Saturday night will mean for the Portuguese and the 80 million Germans who have to deal with something called the "third-place" playoff match. I suspect the millions of fans of the 28 other teams who have gone home would likely be happy to trade places with those Germans and Portuguese. Maybe.
As I recall my new friend Armin asking me which of my 10 Cups I remember as "the best," I couldn't help but recall an earlier conversation I had with a single friend of mine. He has been to four tournaments and, to him, the best World Cup is always like his girlfriends - "the last one is always best," he says."
Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>
For most of us, the World Cup is practically all over but the shouting. For the supporters of Italy and France, however, it is still about much, much more than just shouting on Sunday. For them, soccer's Holy Grail is there for the taking. I am still trying to figure out what Saturday night will mean for the Portuguese and the 80 million Germans who have to deal with something called the "third-place" playoff match. I suspect the millions of fans of the 28 other teams who have gone home would likely be happy to trade places with those Germans and Portuguese. Maybe.
As I recall my new friend Armin asking me which of my 10 Cups I remember as "the best," I couldn't help but recall an earlier conversation I had with a single friend of mine. He has been to four tournaments and, to him, the best World Cup is always like his girlfriends - "the last one is always best," he says."
Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>
Thursday, July 6
It's Deja Vu All Over Again For Portugal And Its Long-Suffering Fans
As a native of Portugal, I am not going to suggest I am totally impartial. Nevertheless, if Portugal deserves to be playing in the third-place match and France deserves to be in the final against Italy, then I am the proverbial monkey's uncle and pigs will start flying any day now.
It was the kind of call that sends "nouveau" thinkers - myself at the forefront - to believe soccer needs video replays three or four times a game. Why? So crucial decisions by the referee or linesmen do not decide games wrongly. Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda, the same person who refereed the controversial Italy-U.S. match, did not even bother showing a yellow to Carvalho - as sure a sign of a soft foul as you'll ever see.
As ZiZou scored on the PK, the stadium cameras focused on former Portuguese national team defender Abel Xavier in the stands. He was the one who in 2000 was judged to have intentionally touched the ball with his hand. If I felt dejÀ vu, I wondered how he must have felt.
Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>
Being 'Less Italian' A Boost For Azzurri
"Let me come right out and say it: Italy deserved this one.
Considering the Azzurri traditionally are my favorite team I love to hate - for reasons that are pretty universal among non-Italian soccer fans - that's a little hard to digest. Hopefully, I will get to expand on my feelings about the Italian squad before the final. For now, let's just say Italy is simply my native Portugal's bogey team... It's tough for any team to lose like that. Two goals were scored in 60 seconds. Assuming he decides to continue his commute between Huntington Beach, Calif., and Germany, German coach Juergen Klinsmann has much to be proud of and much to look forward to.
If he one day took over as coach of the United States, Klinsmann's drive to Carson City, Calif., and the Home Depot Center where the U.S. national team normally congregates would be much shorter. But that really is a story for another day."
Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>
Considering the Azzurri traditionally are my favorite team I love to hate - for reasons that are pretty universal among non-Italian soccer fans - that's a little hard to digest. Hopefully, I will get to expand on my feelings about the Italian squad before the final. For now, let's just say Italy is simply my native Portugal's bogey team... It's tough for any team to lose like that. Two goals were scored in 60 seconds. Assuming he decides to continue his commute between Huntington Beach, Calif., and Germany, German coach Juergen Klinsmann has much to be proud of and much to look forward to.
If he one day took over as coach of the United States, Klinsmann's drive to Carson City, Calif., and the Home Depot Center where the U.S. national team normally congregates would be much shorter. But that really is a story for another day."
Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>
Tuesday, July 4
USA Could Learn From Little Portugal
"And what about Portugal? What's a country with just 10 million people doing here?
There are only 200,000 registered players in all of Portugal - less than California's youth totals. And what does that have to do with the USA? Well, the story goes like this....
Credit Luiz Felipe Scolari with much of that success. He brought steel into the team and a family-like spirit that won't quit. Above all, this is the team that evolved from the plan that former national coach and now Manchester United chief assistant coach Carlos Queiroz drafted in the mid-80s. And this is the same Queiroz that drafted U.S. Soccer's "2010: We Can Fly" plan. Some of that plan has been followed by U.S. coaches and officials, but much of it has been ignored."
Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>
There are only 200,000 registered players in all of Portugal - less than California's youth totals. And what does that have to do with the USA? Well, the story goes like this....
Credit Luiz Felipe Scolari with much of that success. He brought steel into the team and a family-like spirit that won't quit. Above all, this is the team that evolved from the plan that former national coach and now Manchester United chief assistant coach Carlos Queiroz drafted in the mid-80s. And this is the same Queiroz that drafted U.S. Soccer's "2010: We Can Fly" plan. Some of that plan has been followed by U.S. coaches and officials, but much of it has been ignored."
Read Marcos' full report at the Tampa Tribune >>
Monday, July 3
Brush With Hooligans Distasteful Experience
"For the better part of 115 minutes, we had to put up with every imaginable piece of nonsense - the jibes, the out-and-out insults about Portugal and our people. We were poked with flagsticks and were showered with beer, some of it mixed with urine. And after England's Wayne Rooney got red carded for stupidly sticking his boot into another's man's groin, the taunting, insults and physical abuse became unbearable. Finally, enough was enough. Between overtime periods, we attracted the attention of the security police, who came to the rescue. The police split people up, took pictures of several fans, including the two most "guilty" parties. The last 15 minutes, plus the penalty kicks, were bearable.
Upon being told that one of them had thrown a mix of beer and urine into the rows in front of them, a policewoman looked one rowdy English fan in the eye, looked at his one-third filled cup of beer and asked if he had done what he had been accused of. Over his repeated protestations that he had not, she simply told him "OK, then drink [the beer], right here and now, or leave with me." After several more denials, guilty or not, the English fan swallowed it all in one single gulp. The hooliganism was done."
For Marcos' full report go to the Tampa Tribune >>
Upon being told that one of them had thrown a mix of beer and urine into the rows in front of them, a policewoman looked one rowdy English fan in the eye, looked at his one-third filled cup of beer and asked if he had done what he had been accused of. Over his repeated protestations that he had not, she simply told him "OK, then drink [the beer], right here and now, or leave with me." After several more denials, guilty or not, the English fan swallowed it all in one single gulp. The hooliganism was done."
For Marcos' full report go to the Tampa Tribune >>
Sunday, July 2
Portugal Enjoys Some Divine Intervention
"The England-Portugal tussle - and it was one - was fascinating, if hardly a soccer classic.
These were two teams deeply aware of each other with club teammates across both teams. England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who has twice coached Benfica of Portugal and lives there when not in England, was in his final match for this job. On the other side, "Big Phil" - Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari - was riding a record 12-game World Cup winning streak. Just a month ago, he turned down the English FA's invitation to become Eriksson's successor. He said he was unable to accept such a job while there was still one to complete. As it turned out, the task was against the English.
For little Portugal, the planets are perfectly aligned and all is right in its universe. For the first time in 40 years, it has reached the World Cup semifinals. According to Portuguese goalkeeper Alexandre Ricardo, God must have willed it."
For Marcos' full report go to the Tampa Tribune >>
These were two teams deeply aware of each other with club teammates across both teams. England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who has twice coached Benfica of Portugal and lives there when not in England, was in his final match for this job. On the other side, "Big Phil" - Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari - was riding a record 12-game World Cup winning streak. Just a month ago, he turned down the English FA's invitation to become Eriksson's successor. He said he was unable to accept such a job while there was still one to complete. As it turned out, the task was against the English.
For little Portugal, the planets are perfectly aligned and all is right in its universe. For the first time in 40 years, it has reached the World Cup semifinals. According to Portuguese goalkeeper Alexandre Ricardo, God must have willed it."
For Marcos' full report go to the Tampa Tribune >>
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