- 06:19 PM
- 04/27/24
You're absolutely right, Fat Buddha. I kicked myself when I saw it posted. Unfortunately I have a stubborn little pretentious and provincial streak which, if I'm caught unawares (which is often) just gets through. Besides, it was a facile, superficial comparison (both being bald) which wouldn't stand scrutiny of any kind. Remember the late seventies "Naff" plague? I'm still afflicted. Thanks for showing me up and giving me the chance to recant. On an opportunistic note, this "mea culpa" will improve Portugal's chances later on today, even though it appears the German ref is Reihhagel's dentist. Think of the headlines here in Lisbon if Otto is left smiling after the Final...! :)
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 09:30 PM on July 03, 2004
Collina was a great ref, the Foucault of football, as much an observer as a player. It's a pity he didn't get the final as this means Portugal-Greece will be refereed by a German dentist. Since Greece's (intelligent) manager is German and the Greeks will be playing German-style football (intelligent but boring), it looks like we'll have to be even more Portuguese to compensate. I just love it that two tiny countries, the poorest in the EU (before enlargement), made it to the final. Money isn't everything: brains (Otto Rehhagel) and passion (Scolari) will always be more important in football. Ir has to be said that while Portugal are only one step beyond their best so far (the semi-finals), the Greeks are several big steps beyond their past efforts - and they beat us fair and square in the opening game. So they already are the real tournament winners. (So they won't mind much when we win on Sunday!)
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 07:46 PM on July 01, 2004
I need triple bypass surgery - what a game! It really could have gone either way, although I thought Portugal probably had the better team. A draw would have been a fair result. It was all down to luck. We were lucky. You weren't. Sorry about that - but somebody had to win.
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 05:49 PM on June 24, 2004
England, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Holland, in this order, have the best teams. I'm Portuguese but I have to say England or the Czech Republic most deserve to win, for consistency (the main quality), discipline and teamwork.
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 10:01 PM on June 23, 2004
"It used to be the aspiration of every professional footballer to play in the World Cup, but this time around there was a growing sense that, for some of the wealthiest — especially those who didn't have the good fortune to play for one of the stronger footballing nations — it was an unattractive alternative to a well-earned beach holiday." Well said. I got that impression too.
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 09:40 AM on July 10, 2002
Viva! There's more partying here in Portugal eight now than I've ever seen. And England lost to the world champion, by one goal only, so they did better than Germany(never mind the recent 5-1 thrashing). So all is well, after all! ;)
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 09:30 AM on June 30, 2002
For me it has to be Eusébio, despite trying so hard and after the 5-3 win against North Korea, from being 0-3 goals down, weeping after England barely but fairly beat Portugal in the 1966 semi-finals.[I hope it's OK to post a picture, as it seems relevant.] 
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 09:03 AM on June 28, 2002
deep crimson thanks, gbert72!
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 06:20 AM on June 27, 2002
Bixby23 - the story is that Japan and Korea both wanted first billing for the World Cup. Korea then suggested an alphabetical order. Japan jumped at the chance and agreed, thinking J came before K. But the official language of FIFA is French(they're based in Switzerland, I think)and, as K doesn't exist in French, Corée came first. And that's why it's the Korea/Japan World Cup. (K doesn't exist in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian or Romanian either. That is, in all the Latin languages. Same goes for W and Y. Yeah, I know...]
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 10:26 PM on June 26, 2002
As the World Cup went awry I kept comforting myself we'd always have SW19, where rankings were properly done; the climate and courts were well known; upstarts would be duly put in their place and the old, beloved order would prevail. Alas, the contagion has spread and nothing is safe anymore. I just might have to start following darts or something. I blame you, etagloh - you started all this wrong-way-round stuff - long before the World Cup had begun!
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 07:23 PM on June 26, 2002
Brasil! Brasil! Brasil!(The "z" is only for you dastardly foreigners) ;)
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 04:52 AM on June 26, 2002
Kafkaesque: it could be worse. You could be - like me - Portuguese(out); Jewish(not the greatest sportsmen); have a mother who's English(out); an Italian ex-wife(who hates football but supports Peruggia since they criminally expelled the Korean guy); a German brother-in-law who wanted Senegal to win the World Cup and an Argentiniam best friend who's so sullen and depressed he wants Turkey to win so the whole 2002 World Cup will be considered a freak of nature. P.S. rcade: as usual, as explained above, you're on the button, damn you!
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 03:42 PM on June 24, 2002
1.Brazil 2.Korea 3.Turkey 4.Germany
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 12:34 PM on June 24, 2002
Precisely. It's one of those "who would you marginally prefer to lose, if you could be arsed to care?" sort of matches.
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 10:52 AM on June 24, 2002
All I'm saying is that it's beginning to become difficult, as in the famous Fawlty Towers episode, not to mention the war.;)
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 02:53 PM on June 22, 2002
By hook or by crook, USA! USA! USA!
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 05:34 AM on June 21, 2002
Just a thank you note, jacknose - great stuff!
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 07:47 PM on June 20, 2002
Worse, worldcup2002: I got Oliver Kahn. As in "your massive presence fills the goal. Or is it your ego. You frighten your own defenders more than you intimidate the other side's forwards. You're not a vicious man but you are the bully boy at the back." Not very good, huh? Not for a moment did I think you'd cheated. It was just undiluted envy. :)
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 02:27 AM on June 20, 2002
You cheated, worldcup2002![How did you do it?]
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 01:36 AM on June 20, 2002
It's poor losing. Referees and bad luck are part of the mix. Salmacis is absolutely right. It's shockingly rude, counter-productive and stupid. It's presumably intended to placate the fans at home but all it does is piss them off. If the Portuguese team had been a little more dignified in defeat, i.e. not shaming their country, there'd have been some sympathy for them here in Portugal. It's a Latin thing, i.e. the part of association football they skipped over. It doesn't help that you Brits and other Northerners keep telling us what great players we are. ;)
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 12:58 PM on June 18, 2002
You do realize that, aside from Brazil (2) and Spain (8), there are no top 10 FIFA-ranked teams left in the World Cup? France (1), Argentina (joint 2), Portugal (5), Italy (6), Mexico (7) have been knocked out. Colombia (4), Netherlands (9) and Yugoslavia (10) didn't even qualify. I say it's time to imitate what happens in the boxing and chess world and start an alternative World Cup based on rankings alone. Strictly no funny stuff. Look at the quality of these rejects! Or at least at the width...(The fact it's our only chance in hell has, of course, nothing to do with it,) ;)
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 10:40 AM on June 18, 2002
and c'mon, Belgium! This kind of comment is entirely uncalled for on a civilized board such as this. Nothing short of banning etagloh forthwith, perhaps with exile to Antwerp, will begin to undo the damage caused.
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 06:05 AM on June 17, 2002
If Senegal and Ireland go through, the terrorists will have lost. Though I fear they will win, on both counts. Flamenco and smorgasbord all round - enough to make you sick. Fingers crossed,lads! P.S. IMO,Irish football fans are the best, most enlightened and simpáticos in the world.
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 05:30 PM on June 15, 2002
Hey, squealy - don't put it past the Belgians to beat the Brazilians. Everyone gets to defeat the Brazilians on a rota basis and them fat, mussel-eating, moustache-twirling bastards are notorious spoilsports. Look at Jacques Brel. :) I'm with worldcup2002 but my final in direst Hell would have to include Belgium. Or, as we say here, it's the nerves talking.
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 05:25 PM on June 15, 2002
As far as Portugal goes, how the hell did Couto stay on the pitch after grabbing the ref by the face? Er, Fat Buddha, actually Couto was apologizing for the punch João Pinto had just delivered to the referee's stomach. Here in Portugal, it's reckoned FIFA will suspend João Pinto for a year. Figo, Eusébio and João Pinto himself called on the Argentinian referee after the game to renew the apologies. He filed his report anyway, the bastard. Though he did say João Pinto had been brave to apologize. We're very hot-headed in Portugal. It's embarrassing to be such bad losers but, unfortunately, "bad winning"(gloating, boasting)is considered the greater crime here...
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 05:19 PM on June 15, 2002
Same as me, worldcup2002. Germany will win, but it'll be a pity. But England must win so that we can be treated to that festival of polar opposites that would be England vs Brazil. I reckon that game, whoever wins, will be a treatise on football style. I hope Brazil wins, btw!
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 10:36 PM on June 14, 2002
Portugal certainly didn't deserve to go through, despite its bad luck. What a bunch of tired old farts. I'll be cheering for Brazil from now on.
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 09:36 AM on June 14, 2002
U.S. and Portugal. But, after watching Mexico dance around Italy yesterday, not to mention all the other surprises, we Portuguese are all philosophically inclined to expect just about anything. Old-style European football, slow and calculated, result-driven and insensitive to spectacle and entertainment values, seems to be on the way out. It's as if the teams that actually enjoy playing football and give it their all whatever's happening are on their way up - which is good for football but bad for us jaded, ultra-professionalized sides. Still, Portugal always roots equally for Brazil and they seem to be doing well so, if there's an upset with South Korea, the World Cup will still be exciting for us and hopefully Portuguese will be spoken in the final.
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 04:52 AM on June 14, 2002
This is your friendly Portuguese correspondent speaking(and nail-biting)with a link to the possible Group D scenarios, from the official FIFA site. I hope the USA and Portugal go through, of course. There are actually scenarios where the USA can go through even if they lose with Poland. And what about that Brazil-Costa Rica game?! Wow!
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 05:49 AM on June 13, 2002
Djacobs - I love the minute-by-minute analyses. The Guardian is best but, funnily enough - don't kill me - The Sun and the Daily Mirror are doing a wonderful job. The Telegraph disappoints(what a wanker that Henry Winter is!)and The Times is just about OK. Their special (over)paid World Cup coverage can't be any better. The Daily Mail has been mediocre. Still, the British papers beat L'Equipe and the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese sports newspapers as a whole. They may be a little demagogic - stirring it up with Argentina - but at least you can tell they're serious about football. And they've all been generous and quick online. Can't complain. Should be very grateful, really...
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 02:45 PM on June 06, 2002
Always assuming Portugal will beat Korea, which it will.
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 10:44 AM on June 05, 2002
If the US loses against Korea but beats Poland(6 points) it will go through. If it draws against Korea and Poland(5 points) it will go through. Technically - it often happens - it may lose with Korea and draw with Poland and still go through, depending on the other results. A win is 3 points and a draw is 1. Quite a few teams will reach the second round with just 4. That's why winning the first game is so important.
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 10:38 AM on June 05, 2002
Cripes! I'm as shocked as the poor Portuguese players. What a great team the U.S. have! They play wide, clean open football - a joy to watch. If all goes well, Portugal will deservedly lose and both teams will go through to the next round. Long live the Atlantic alliance!
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 05:01 AM on June 05, 2002
History and numbers show that the U.S. is good at anything it sets its heart to. Considering how recently you've started playing professional soccer, I'd say you're doing very well and in less than a decade you should be up there with the other two great American nations - Brazil and Argentina. After that you'll enter the eternal American vs European tussle. Welcome! I wished we Europeans had the same gumption to take you on on, say, basketball... I hope Portugal and the U.S. go through to the next round, though I reckon it'll be Portugal and bloody South Korea. Still, as as our own Figo said today, the U.S. have more World Cup experience than we do and they have beaten us before...
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 12:29 AM on June 05, 2002
Πιστεύετε στα θαύματα? Ναϊ!
What was improbable about it? Surely now that Greece are European champions, thanks to their own consistent, understated but highly efficient football, it's time to end the patronizing. They fully deserved every one of their triumphs and we Portuguese played as well as we could. They were better. I also think this "defense/attack" dichotomy is reductive and passé: Greece have a great overall system and, when one looks at their game dispassionately, they aren't overly defensive at all. What they are is destructive and "antidotal", neutralizing and restrictive - which all good teams should be. They took teamwork to new levels and their lesson will be learnt by the so-called "better" teams. Massive congratulations are in order! (Outside my window Greeks and Portuguese are partying as if both had won!)