December, 2009

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footballportugal Podcast – 21/12/09

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Welcome to our Christmas, New Year, last of 2009 and last of the noughties footballportugal podcast special! With 3 special parts, each more festive than the one before.

In Part 1 we concentrate on one of the most special Portuguese football fixtures of the year: the Benfica v Porto clássico. As ever, it was a tight game, fought tooth and nail between the two rivals, but the result was a little different from normal: Benfica won! It was their first victory (1-0) in this fixture for 4 years, the winner scored by Saviola.

In Part 2 we focus on all the other games in the league this weekend, which weren’t quite as special as the clássico but which all had their interest. Nacional fought Académica and fog to win 4-3 in a game which was delayed for a total of over 55 minutes. Braga failed to impress against Paços, but still got the three points. And Sporting narrowly beat Naval in a game that was so awful it was perhaps … special.  Setúbal beat Marítmo with two goals from Keita, who looks a bit special. And Belenenses manager João Carlos Pereira was sacked after Belenenses lost 0-1 in a tight game away to Leiria. You can’t be feeling very special if you lose your job just before Christmas, so our best wishes go out to Pereira, who comes across as being quite a nice chap.

In part 3 we concentrate on “bits and bobs” as Phil likes to call them [edit: Thanks, Steve ...]. The bits are reports from the lower leagues and news on clubs in crisis, like Atlético de Valdevez and Boavista. The bobs are our mid-season awards, including player of the year so far, best buy, worst buy, most impressive team and most disappointing team.

Please let us know your opinions, especially regarding the mid-season awards we gave. We both hope you have a very special Christmas and an even more special New Year.

Steve and Phil

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footballportugal Podcast – 14/12/09

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Another week, another podcast in English about Portguese football.

This week the podcast has two parts. First we review the weekend’s games from the 13th Jornada. There were a couple of surprising results, with Benfica and Braga both dropping points. On the other hand, Porto go from strength to strength, wiping the floor with Atlético Madrid in midweek and then this weekend showing Vitória de Setúbal some mercy by taking their foot off the gas after 25 minutes. Despite Porto’s improved form, Hulk is still disappointing. It was a bad weekend for the Madeiran teams: both Marítimo and Nacional lost whilst Académica got back to their winning ways, defeating a Leixões team that once again had a player sent off.

In the second part of the podcast, we look at the Swedish players Sporting fancy and the Brazilian players Benfica have the hots for. We also turn to a familiar topic at this time of year: players not getting paid. This year it’s the players of Belenenses who are a pay-cheque or two short at Christmas.

Please keep your comments coming. We’ll be back next week for our opinions on the big Benfica v Porto clássico.

Thanks for listening,

Steve and Phil

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footballportugal Podcast – 08/12/09

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

A three-part podcast this week concentrating on the weather, re-gained form and tough draws.

In part one we focus on three games which were hit by terrible atmospheric conditions this weekend. Firstly, there was the shambolic game played out between Rio Ave and Belenenses that finished goalless. Then there was the 1-1 draw between Leixões and Braga played on a pitch which looked like a tractor had ploughed a course through the centre of it. Finally, Benfica and Académica just about managed to play 70 minutes in half decent conditions before the game turned into farce. Benfica’s 4-0 victory brings out deserved praise for Cardozo and Saviola from the pair of us.

In part 2 we look at Porto’s return to form after their convincing 4-1 win at Guimarães. We also discuss the mixed fortunes of Sporting, who return to their winning ways after six games without a victory. We also give a full description of one of the most surreal goals in the history of football. And there’s news of Cristiano going AWOL at Paços, while Mitchel van der Gaag’s all-powerful Marítimo go from strength to strength.

Finally, in part 3 we give our opinion on Portugal’s group for the World Cup in South Africa 2010.

Please keep you comments coming. We’ll be back next week for more Portuguese football analysis in English.

Thanks for listening,

Steve and Phil

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footballportugal Podcast – 02/12/09

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

A later than usual podcast due to Steve’s recent dental surgery, which fortunately ran better than Manuel Machado’s recent hernia operation. The Nacional manager is currently in an induced coma trying to recover from septicaemia; we hope he can pull through and make a speedy recovery.

In part one of this week’s podcast we’ve decided to focus on the performances of individual players rather than teams. Ruben Micael continues to impress everyone at Nacional, Targino is a revelation at Guimarães, Miguel Veloso has managed to find some hunger on the pitch rather than off it and Hulk rediscovers his form. In one of the more entertaining games of the weekend, Belenenses’ Lima and Marítimo’s Manu put on a fantastic show and Braga’s Mossoró leaves our mouths watering with his hard-working yet skilful midfield performances. Plus, Phil waxes lyrical once more about Acádemica’s Sougou; it must be love.

In part two we talk about the difference a few sacked managers, or rather their replacements, have made in turning this year’s Liga into a far more balanced and interesting competition than it was at the beginning of the season.

We hope you enjoy the podcast. Keep your comments coming … no matter how outlandish (Nuno!)

Thanks for listening,

Steve & Phil

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