Oliveira: “It’s not easy explaining this”
Portugal-Cyprus match reaction
 Following Portugal’s high-scoring draw against Cyprus there was a mixture of incredulity and mystification as to exactly how the Seleccao had conceded four goals. The players accepted they had made too many mistakes.
Agostinho Oliveira, interim coach:
“I admit there was a lack of competence in a defence that is usually competent. It’s not easy explaining this. This defence is solid, we had two men in front of the centre-backs and this result is hard for me to swallow.
“We spent 3 days warning that Cyprus was a serious test. They are a team that have quality, who aren’t out of this world but had a strong left flank, were quick on the counter-attack and we aimed to give out team defensive solidity precisely to counter this.
“It’s important to point out what we did in attacking terms. We had a lot of chances, balls coming off the bar, off the post, incredible misses and great saves from the Cyprus goalkeeper. How many times did we threaten the Cyprus goal, thirty? From midfield forward we put in one of the best performances I've seen from the national team.”
Hugo Almeida, Portugal striker:
“We’re disappointed because of what happened and because we dropped two points, especially as it was a home match against Cyprus. We created a lot of chances, football is like that sometimes. These things happen, but we have to make sure they don’t happen again. We have to respond in the next game.”
Eduardo, Portugal goalkeeper:
“We have to admit our mistakes and lift our heads. There are more games ahead and we have to learn from our mistakes. During the World Cup things went well at the back, but today they didn’t. We’re going to Norway to win. It will be an important game for us. We now have extra responsibility after dropping points at home.”
Ricardo Carvalho, Portugal captain:
“We started badly and every mistake cost a goal for Cyprus. We didn’t play as a team. They preyed on our mistakes and managed to take advantage of them. Of course we’d liked to have had our coach with us but the Queiroz case wasn’t in our subconscious. We made mistake after mistake and we didn’t get our defence straight. We need to be more compact defending.
“Despite the defensive mistakes we created good goal-scoring chances, we were always chasing the result and we could have won. It’s difficult to explain what happened.”
Fabio Coentrao, Portugal defender:
“No disrespect to Cyprus, but conceding four goals at home just cannot happen. Scoring four goals and conceding four – I’ve never seen anything like it. But there you go, it happened, we have to lift our heads and work towards the next game. We are always confident, we have a group that has a lot of quality, but it was not a question of over-confidence. These things happen, we made mistakes.”
by Tom Kundert
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Watch Norway show plenty of the above and us sink without trace. I'm putting money on it.
This is the only criticism I will put towards Ronaldo but we all know Ronaldo is still a great player and I will defend when it's necessary. Don't blame Ronaldo for a game that he didn't play that's retarded but there will times where Ronaldo will be a big factor when we have a positive result.
The US beat SPAIN in the Confederations Cup and almost beat Brazil in the same tournament's final. For me, the US are now a MUCH better team than Portugal.
Barcelona, the team that formed Messi, is consistently benefiting of having a game plan regardless of who is on the pitch. Portugal (and Real Madrid for that matter) don't have that. They hope someone like Ronaldo will go and justify their wages by winning every game single-handed. That is no longer possible in modern football. I also note how you did not say deedly-squat about Spain and Germany.
Finally; and I do hope all of you in the land of the free, and those further north, stop watching ESPN and their washed up commentators who have no idea. Stop deluding yourselves, we do not have a winning team anymore, CR or no CR. Queiroz and FPF are slowly sinking what is left of Portuguese dignity, it is a real shame, but we have been down this path before. Remember Mexico 1986? All the pain we went through after until we finally qualified for a major tournament (10 years)? The embarrassments of 2002? The media circus of Euro 2008?
Guys, have a serious discussion about where we are at now. I agree with all these bloggers who consistently bag us for being 'Brazil B'
I'd rather see us lose to Malta 10-0 with Portuguese players (and I am not referring to the color of their skin!) rather than bringing in the Decos, Pepes, Liedsons and other 'B' grade players. Where are players in the mould of Chalana, Diamantino, Jordão, Gomes, Futre, Barros, Rui Costa, etc...?
I understand we can not get 11 Eusebios and 11 Figos. But I'll settle for players that when they put on the National team shirt they go out there and belt 'Herois do mar' at full tilt and play to win at all costs.
PS: To the non Portuguese commenting about the racial make up of our squad; Continental Portugal and its former African territories go back 500 years of cultural mix. Go luck up "miscegenation" which was the Portuguese attitude to all its trading posts and you will soon see why so many modern Portuguese are a rich mix of cultural heritage and proud to be so.
You love the guy and I can not stand him.
You think he's the messiah for the national team, I think he's a pariah.
I did try and give an INFORMED OPINION with facts: How many tournaments has CR won since leaving Man U? ZERO
How has he played for Portugal in that period? You have to admit that he has been very below par. If he's injured, then don't play. If he's had too many TV commercial commitments, then don't play. If he's too busy having illegitimate children, then don't play.
I am not jealous, but I am certainly over the hype of a person that in spite of his potential he continually fails to deliver.
Yes, he scored 34 goals for RM last year. And what did RM win? ZERO. He has said it himself: "I love it when people hate me!"
I really liked the humble and incredibly gifted humble boy from Madeira that dazzled first Alvalade and then Old Trafford. The kid that played incredibly well for the TEAM and added to his skills with goals.
I have not seen that person for 3 years; all I see is a walking, talking piece of merchandising whom blind idjits like yourself continue to worship. Nathan; give up football, all those that agree with Nathan, go play NFL, or Hockey or whatever the f**k you do up there in yankee-land.
what hogwash!!!!
the only "infatuation" i see is with your hatred towards the lad....
It happened yesterday and at the world cup every time he comes off we lose the bite up front.
I don't see us winning 3-0, but anything less than a win will be a massive set back. Hopefully we will have a fully fit squad to face Denmark in October.
Well, that is really a bummer if Coentrao is indeed injured. I would have to agree with putting in Veloso for him. There's really nobody else is there? We will need a lot from Veloso. He has to be able to run the ball up the field like Coentrao and get back and defend. I don't know, he makes me nervous.
The game against Norway is going to be a tough game and I don't think the formation will be the same. If it is, I would expect to see a lot less pushing forward from our defensive players and that could affect the attack too. I kinda see a boring 1-0 type of game where we score off a set piece or something like that. I think we'll overcompensate on defense and become ultra-conservative again like in the world cup.
As shocking as it was to see our team struggle like that, I'm sure it has woken them up and I really think they'll play better in Oslo. They do well with their backs to the wall usually. They know that if they don't do well against Norway, they have Denmark coming to town next month and there's no guarantee for any points in that game for sure. We definitely can't start this campaign by getting 3 points from 3 matches and the players know that and will fight to not let that happen.
Silvio Carvalho Alves/Rolando Coentrao
Fernandes Meireles
Danny
Nani Almeida Quaresma
portugal must at least win every game, and draw vs denmark id say to gain my trust again.... they always seem to come out 2nd in qualifying which puts them in danger later.... they better impress tuesday, if not, we're screwed.
--------------Eduardo------------------
Silvio---Carvalho--Alves---Coentrao
------------Fernandes--Meireles---------
Nani---------Danny---------Quaresma
-----------Almeida---------------
The defense yesterday was very poor, but I think that they will recover and be a little more conservative in their approach. Manuel Fernandes is much better than Veloso in my opinion. but he needs to sit back and protect the defense against Norway. Danny was great in his attacking midfield role so he deserves to start. Miguel is not the player he once was so I think that Silvio should get the start.
As long as the defense doesn't make the mistakes they made yesterday we should be able to win a tight game. A win is extremely important if we want to get back on track.
You all watch, Ronaldo is going to surprise some of you when he comes back to the team. Bosingwa will come back eventually and he'll relieve us of Miguel, who really did play quite lazily yesterday. I know many people are not too fond of Pepe playing defensive midfield, but he has proven himself to be good at it and he would definitely cut out the through balls that proved so devastating. As much as I liked having Nani, Quaresma, Danny, and Almeida all on the field at the same time, I feel like we should replace either Danny or Quaresma for a defensive midfielder in the game on Tuesday. We can still create offensively against the likes of Norway with a lineup like that. We just aren't accustomed to not having that defensive midfielder there because we have played that way for a long time now.
It's too early to panic, and upsets like this DO happen in football, especially to Portugal, you all know that. We can recover just like we did after drawing with Albania 0-0 during qualifcation for this years world cup.
Lift your heads? Go out win, whether your heads are up or down, just as long as they're not up your asses again.
how about because the players, coaches and the FPF think they're better than they actually are and have become complacent.... aside from developing a handful of world-class players like Figo, Rui Costa and Ronaldo what has Portugal accomplished?.... nothing, yet they think they can beat minnows, yes minnows, like Cyprus just by stepping on the pitch and playing with the same desire demonstrated in charity matches.... the sad thing is i truly believe the players and coaches don't know where they went wrong.... the national squad has been going downhill ever since 2006 and needs a wakeup call badly and the best thing that could happen would be to start missing out on the major tourneys like Euro '12.... which will be happening when Portugal, still scratching their heads over what went wrong against Cyprus, drop points against Norway next week....
"Great to find an English language page and blog on Portuguese football. Good job guys!
We'll draw v Cyprus and lose to Norway. Ronaldo (the git that gives Portugal a bad name) is a bonus he's not playing." In hindsight, had he played, we would have lost!
Norway at home with their league half way while we can not seem to get our act together: 3-0 to the Norse - sorry!
I'm already planning on getting tickets for the Portugal-Cyprus game in Cyprus and also the last qualification game, Portugal vs Denmark in Copenhagen (a huge game which will likely decide the group winner).
Cyprus 1-1 Italy (1983- when Italy were world champions).
Cyprus 3-2 Spain (1998)
So, really there is no reason for a total freak-out. Maybe if we don't win the next two or three games, then we can all ignore the NT, and go back to complaining about Benfica getting penalties left and right, Porto cheating their way to a victory, Sporting being incredibly average and Braga being the only team the be proud of in Portugal.
Put Silvio in. What he lacks in experience he makes up for in work ethic. Miguel is a lazy defender.
Almeida's header was brilliant too bad he didn't score that back heel.
Quaresma should be given credit for getting his act together and played like a CLASSIC WINGER.
Nani's free kick that hit the post had a hint of Cristiano in it, and I screamed when I saw Nani chest the ball and put it over the defender's head in the 1st half.
Fernandes played excellent in moving the ball to the attack but could have been a little better at helping the defense.
However, as disappointing as it is, we don't do ourselves any favors by focusing on the negative. We certainly have it all to do on Tuesday against Norway and I think we can mark this game as our worst possible defensive performance. It should only get better from here.
In spite of what people like orlandomac have said, Quaresma played pretty well and at least moved the ball up field. He was beating defenders left and right, and no, watch the replay, he did not shoot straight at the keeper. His corners were delivered right where they needed to be and caused plenty of chaos. If Quaresma sucked yesterday, then who should we put in his place? Oh, that's right, there's no one else. If somebody doesn't like it, then take comfort in the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo will be back soon. Oh, wait, everyone complains about him too.
I think we should be happy to have the point and that we still have a chance to move on. All we really have to do is finish in 2nd in our group to have a chance. If we do that, I know we can win in the playoffs because we've done it before. Have faith, quit criticizing the players, and be happy that the game was entertaining and we didn't lose.