On October 27th 2009 at 7:32pm, Steve posted the following comment,
“I’m also thinking about putting some money on Benfica to beat Braga with a 4 goal handicap if I can find good enough odds. Anybody else believe Benfica will wipe the floor with Braga next weekend?”
Oh, what a hopeless fool I can be sometimes. In the end, it was Braga wiping the floor with Benfica and the possibility of Benfica beating Braga by 4 clear goals seems as remote as Jorge Ribeiro getting another call-up for Portugal’s World Cup squad.
In this week’s podcast we focus on the fortunes of the big teams in Portugal. We say “big teams” because it’s hard to call Benfica, Sporting and Porto “Grandes” with Braga being so dominant right now. Then in part 2 we focus on the other teams in the league, Pecnik shines for Nacional, Kerrouche scores yet again for Naval and it’s two wins out of two for new Leiria coach Lito Vidigal. We also give the results of the Makers of Electrical Appliances First XI.
Thanks for all of your contributions over the last week and we’re sorry if we forgot any names when passing on the opinions of our listeners! Keep the comments coming and we’ll be back next week.
Steve and Phil
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Following on the spectacular success of Steve’s predictions, here are my predictions for next jornada:
- Guimarães to beat Braga, 100% sure on this one.
- Sporting to beat Rio Ave. Playing as far away from Alvalade as possible will prove to be just what Sporting needed to get back on track.
- Benfica to be awarded the dodgiest penalty you’ve ever seen, after being 2 or 3 nil up and in no danger of dropping points. Massive outrage nationwide, TV pundits to go berserk… their heads will actually explode.
- The world’s dirtiest and most violent player will kick an opposing player in the head while the ball is 50 meters away. The Sport-Tv commentators will then say “awwwww he’s so competitive, he was just trying to win the ball…”.
The referee will whisper something like: “You’re such a naughty boy, if you do that another 230 times I may have to show you a red card”
- Miguel Veloso to start using a new brand of hairspray.
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The world’s dirtiest and most violent player will kick an opposing player in the head while the ball is 50 meters away. The Sport-Tv commentators will then say “awwwww he’s so competitive, he was just trying to win the ball…”.
The referee will whisper something like: “You’re such a naughty boy, if you do that another 230 times I may have to show you a red card”
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I can't imagine who you're thinking of, Nuno.
(cristivao wrote):
“There was nothing wrong with Luisao’s goal what so ever. If you’re going to penalise every team for an incident such as this then penalties would be given out 3 times a match. Braga also got the rub of the green on several other decisions, but i’m not going to complain as they were for the most part, good value for their win and good luck to them, but they will struggle to perform to this level every game, especially after Christmas.
Benfica have had problems this year when they face the stronger teams and don’t score first. Players like Di Maria and Aimar can get easily flustered and subsequently be marked out of the game.”
Paulo Bento resigns, news conference at 1 o´clock.
Steve
Blimey, Steve!
Suppose it had to come sooner or later.
Who will they get, I wonder?
Phil
I reckon we could do a job for them!
Just seen the second half of Belenenses-Pacos de Ferreira. Belenenses looked pretty ragbag in front of about a dozen fans rattling around Restelo; Pacos just picked them off.
Excuse me, lodzu! There were at least 15, or my name’s not Erwin Sanchez!
Yes, Belenenses, after a bright start, were poor. And there we have the next chicotada psicológica: João Carlos Pereira.
Phil
Paulo Bento and Pedro Barbosa out.
Knowing that the campeonato is already in the tank, there is little rejoicing to be done following these developments for us sportinguistas. To be told that he thinks he overstayed four months, after leading said descent down the Liga table, is maddening.
At a minimum, I hope that this change brings a departure from four years of stagnant football.
Portuguese rapper Valete saw these problems with Paulo Bento coming back in 2006:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UfbIp2jdHQ&feature=player_embedded
Have to admit, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, Romagnoli being “a player of quality”, my arse.
Holy crap, Desmaretes, what a goal!
November 3, 2009 at 4:55 pm “Guimarães to beat Braga” – check
Shades of Van Basten, that goal (the SportTv commentator was distinctly underwhelmed, for some reason).
One game, Nuno, one game!
Phil
The sad thing about this Porto side is that not only are they awful, but they’re boring too. Soundly beaten this afternoon, it should’ve been two and all over at the break.
Hulk was absolutely awful, it’s a complete joke that he should be playing his first game for Brazil next week, on current form he’d struggle to get a game for Luxembourg. It’s depressing because he was just getting into his stride this time last year and was an absolute joy to watch, you really thought you were watching one of the new stars of world football. Now, I just feel a fool for heaping so much praise upon him.
And as I type, a player who is finally getting into his stride, Matias Fernandez, scores a great goal against Rio Ave.
Caicedo in miss of the year shocker!
RTP Commentator, “It’s unbelievable that a football player who cost €8m can’t even score a goal past a goalkeeper who sitting on the floor.”
November 3, 2009 at 4:55 pm “Sporting to beat Rio Ave”
…you can ALWAYS count on Caicedo to destroy your bets… 
Yep – that was some miss by Caicedo. But I’m getting to the point where it doesn’t surprise me any more. In fact I’d be much more surprised if he DID score in those situations.
“Miss of the year” that is an understatement. Why would he not just one touch it into a vacant net? Says alot about Man City as well, why did they buy this guy? He is on loan so the sooner he goes back to Man City the better
As for the Hulk, he is usually fantastic when he is not selfish, lately he is trying to do it all alone. Did not see the game last night (it was played at 2am where I live)
And Sporting, watched the game and thought maybe at long last a victory but what a poor second half, really is getting tough being a sportinguista at the moment, 8th!!!!! will not even qualify for Europe next season at this rate!
Come on… No comments about tonight’s game at the Luz?
It was their best performance and the most exciting game of the season so far. Javi Garcia was just incredible and I take back every bad word I’ve ever said about David Luiz, incredible performance.
It was a FANTASTIC game … one of the best, if not the best, of the season.
It would have been even better if it had stayed at 0-0 … but then Di Maria invented a foul … and Lucilio Baptista helped out … and that was that.
But I think you forgot to mention Peiser, Steve … ahead of your boys … without him, it would have been a boring rout.
Next podcast on Wednesday, isn’t that right, Steve?
Phil
Hope you’ll be giving Rio Ave the recognition they deserve in these weeks podcast! What a great start!