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footballportugal Podcast – 22/02/10

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

It’s all about Porto in this week’s podcast, so pour yourself a glass of fortified wine and enjoy our informed viewpoint on the rumblings going on up north.

In part one we focus on Porto’s 5-1 demolition of Braga. Before this game, Braga had only conceded eight goals all season; Porto ripped their defence to pieces and Varela was outstanding. We also talk about the press conference preceding the game protesting the lengthy bans given to Hulk and Sapunaru. Although the majortiy of part one concentrates on this game, we’ll also bring you up to date with all the other results of the weekend.

In part two we look at last week’s European action. Porto got a disappointing 2-1 win over a weakened Arsenal side and will probably struggle to get the right result in London. However, we were both really impressed by Rúben Micael’s debut in the Champions League and discuss his progress over the past year or so, and what we expect the future to hold for him. Sporting were impressive at Everton and Benfica looked very tired in Berlin.

Finally, in part three we discuss a scandal involving Luis Figo, a business man, the Portuguese Prime Minister and an awful lot of money to have breakfast.

Keep the comments coming and we hope you enjoy this week’s podcast.

Steve and Phil

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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 – 16/03/09

Monday, March 16th, 2009

With the quality of Portuguese football being severely questioned in the wake of Sporting’s 12-1 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, we spend the first part of this week’s podcast asking how it was all possible and who was to blame. We bring you up to date on the reactions in the press and of sportinguistas, some of whom were incensed enough to send a death threat to certain people at the club. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom; both Braga and Porto demonstrated that Portuguese domestic football is alive and well, with Porto going through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and Braga earning a well-deserved draw away in the first leg of their UEFA Cup last 16 tie against PSG.

In part two we focus on the Liga. Benfica’s first home defeat of the season, at the hands of Vitória de Guimarães, has more or less handed the title to Porto. Sporting are now a point ahead of Benfica but 4 points behind Porto and statistics suggest that they’ll have to make history to catch up with the Dragões. Braga drop not only points but their faith in facsimile communication and life in next season’s Liga Vitalis is increasingly becoming a possibility for Trofense and Belenenses. On top of all this, we tell you about Portugal’s B-Team, predict the winner of next weekend’s Carlsberg Cup and discuss whether Quique Flores likes to get lost on his way to Benfica’s training ground.

Keep the comments coming. We’ll be with you again next week.

Thanks for listening,

Steve and Phil

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footballportugal Podcast – 09/03/09

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Welcome once again to our podcast sobre futebol português … in English. In part 1 we report on the action that took place in the Liga at the weekend. There’s no change at the top, with Porto crushing a limp Leixões 1-4 in Matosinhos. Leixões’ display was so weak that rumours are flowing that the game might’ve been fixed, RTP analyst Rui Santos suggesting on Sunday that Leixões ‘keeper Beto made little effort to save some of Porto’s goals. Benfica didn’t have it so easy, grinding out a tough 1-2 away win against Naval in the seaside town of Figueira da Foz. Sporting had a far more comfortable experience, winning 2-0 at home against Paços thanks to early goals from Liedson and Derlei. Braga dropped points away at Estrela da Amadora, who were unlucky not to win. At the bottom of the table, both Belenenses and Trofense lost, making their position in the Liga even more precarious.

In Part 2 we give ourselves yet another chance to discuss Portuguese mineral water by focussing on the Liga Vitalis, aka the Liga de Honra, the second tier. Top of the table are Jorge Costa’s Olhanense, with their ex-pat claque, who are a point clear of the Azorean team Santa Clara. Down at the bottom of the table, Phil’s beloved Boavista are dangerously close to the drop-zone, having been beaten at the weekend by fellow relegation battlers Oliveirense.

We also preview Porto’s Champions League second leg against Atlético Madrid and the heightened security necessary for the game.

Please add you comments about the podcast, especially your opinions regarding Rui Santos’ allegations of match fixing, and also: What is the hidden ingredient in Luso mineral water that is good for cats but bad for us humans?

Thanks for listening,

Steve and Phil

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