- 02:04 PM
- 12/24/24
| Name: | Miguel Cardoso |
|---|---|
| Member since: | June 05, 2002 |
| Last visit: | July 27, 2004 |
Miguel Cardoso has posted 5 links and 38 comments to SportsFilter and 0 links and 2 comments to the Locker Room.
The New FIFA Ranking After The World Cup:: Brazil is back on top; France and Argentina tie at number 2; Turkey, England and the U.S. are up; Colombia, Portugal and Italy go down... but how well does the FIFA ranking reflect the actual playing quality of the national teams? It looks kind of skewed to me.
posted by Miguel Cardoso to soccer at 12:05 PM on July 03, 2002 - 8 comments
Which Are The Most Unforgettable World Cup Moments Since 1966?: The Guardian's David Lacey has covered every World Cup since 1966. This one, the tenth, will be his last. His (somewhat contentious and anglo-centric)choice of highlights, as well as his elder-statesman thoughts on the present final, are still a delight to read.
posted by Miguel Cardoso to soccer at 07:02 AM on June 28, 2002 - 10 comments
So: Will it be Brazil or will it be Germany? : It's already being billed here in Portugal as a battle between South America and Middle Europe, between Catholicism and Protestantism; between Joie-de-vivre and Robotics; between the Third World and Globalization. Perhaps it's just a football game, though...
posted by Miguel Cardoso to soccer at 08:37 AM on June 26, 2002 - 26 comments
Which Footballer Are You?: Come on guys, somebody had to lower the tone of this place! Besides, the questions are amusing and the results are not totally off the mark.
posted by Miguel Cardoso to general at 09:50 PM on June 19, 2002 - 20 comments
Manchester United Hire Carlos Queiroz, Their First Foreign Coach: Being Portuguese and having lived in Manchester for eight years I find it interesting and exciting that Fergie has chosen Queiroz as his new assistant manager. Especially since Sir Alex is supposed to retire in a year's time and Queiroz's contract is for three years. Mancunians are notoriously non-xenophobic and welcoming, but I wonder if the Old Trafford mystique won't be ruined by Queiroz's old European ways. I mean, even his slightly loony opinions are being lampooned on Man United's web site, even as we speak...
posted by Miguel Cardoso to soccer at 03:00 PM on June 06, 2002 - 2 comments
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
*crickets*
posted by Miguel Cardoso at 04:54 AM 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
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!)