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| Wednesday, 16 May 2012 08:07 |
PortuGOAL podcast 47: Euro 2012 – Portugal’s chosen onesEnd-of-season conclusions, the winners and losers in 2011/12 Our latest pod is a bumper edition dominated by two topics. We kick off with an in-depth discussion of the Selecção’s 23-man squad for Euro 2012, which Paulo Bento announced on Monday evening. The panel then analyse the Liga ZON Sagres season from the perspective of various teams, select our players of the season and discuss some of the other talking points thrown up over the course of the 2011/12 campaign.
Part One:
Portugal’s squad for the European Champions starting in Ukraine and Poland in three weeks’ time is now known. Did Paulo Bento get it right? Who were unlucky to miss out, or fortunate to get the nod? And how deep will Portugal go in the tournament? We break down the squad segment by segment and give our forecast on the Selecção’s prospects at Euro 2012.
Part Two:
The Liga ZON Sagres came to an end with a flourish as 33 goals were scored in the final round of the season. We take a look back at the whole campaign and ask: Are FC Porto worthy winners? Did Benfica throw it away? Are Sporting really a club moving forward? Are Braga here to stay as title contenders?
Each of panellists select their 1-2-3 players of the season, and other notable performers from all around the league are picked out, before touching on a range of issues that cropped up during a campaign jammed packed with its usual excitement, drama and controversy.
To listen to the podcast click on the play button above. To download right-click on the link below and select “save link as” option. (Duration: 48m 42s)
Related: Paulo Bento announces Euro 2012 squad Related: "My dream has come true" - reaction to squad announcement |
Yes Bayern dominated and should have won, but that old German trait of super-confidence and always being able to deal with pressure, was not so convincing last night. There was huge pressure for them being at home, but you would've expected them to deal with that pressure like they normally do and win the final. They choked in the end, even their best performers from the season like Schweinsteiger, Gomez and Robben... and in the end Chelsea deserved it for their fighting spirit. It just seems Chelsea's name was on the cup this year, and rode all their luck against Benfica, Barca and Bayern last night. They were terrible to watch at times, and particularly against Barca it was anti-football for the most part...but team spirit can take take a team a long way, and so it proved.
Massive disappointment for all the Bayern players losing at home and it remains to be seen how they will respond for the Euros. I have never been as negative about our chances in this Euro group as some others, and from what i saw last night i am confident that the seleccao at their best can match up to the Germans. The Dutch don't have me trembling either, and I was not very impressed with Robben last night.. Coentrao could be able to handle him quite well on that flank, and their defence is a clear weakness. So folks there's some good cause for optimism, let's all get behind the seleccao this summer....FORCA SEMPRE!!!
For people on here brushing off that refs are not making that big of an impact in our liga, name me one top league that has to seriously consider outside refs? I can only think of 3rd world nations with this issue.
First off, Tom, I am with you 150% (if that is possible) on the benefit of having a guy like Quaresma in the squad, if for nothing else than a possible moment of magic when you need it, and I don't have to tell you (or Ben for that matter), that I have been a big supporter of Vaz Te.
Gentlemen, thank you for bringing a bit of optimism. As Portuguese people, it is in our nature to be pessimistic - but I applaud all of you who had the stones to say that Portugal has a decent shot of making semis - I'll go you one further, if they get to the semis, they will make the final.
Thank you gents
Its mainly a SLB link but also covers other topics. Check it out.
I've seen plenty of mistakes in England, Italy, Spain, etc... Portugal isn't the only country where people go crazy over calls.
I'm a Benfiquista, but I've always said hat Benfica has received preferential treatment form refs. As Porto and Sporting have as well. The "Big" clubs always do in every league.
Is there shaddyness going on? I'm not the police, judge or jury. If something comes out years from now, like it did in the past, then we can make mention.
Let me add that the so-called tunnels, did happen. People were accosted. The matter is still going through a trial, civil or not I don't know. For people to scream at that as a scam is ridiculous.
Not everyone is going to be happy with all of the selections for the Seleccao. That's impossible.
But I do find it funny that so many go crazy and think we are not cheering for the Seleccao if we find some of the selections ridiculous.
Everyone will be cheering for the Seleccao. Frankly we all care much more than any player on the field. We all care about our clubs wins and losses more than any player on the field. That's being a fan.
As for our chances, we're in a tough spot. Our group is very difficult since we don't get a breather at all. Let me add that our opponents are just as nervous and anxious in having to face the same task.
I think that we have the talent to advance and the match ups actually favors this group once advancement happens.
I just hope that me have the mental fortitude on the field and sideline to get us through.
Don't want to get too technical neither (mostly because I'm not that good at it as my terrible attempts at audio production taught me) but basically what you'll want isn't *normalizing*, which will only take the loudest part of the pod and max it, doing the same level of amplification to the rest; but *compression*, which will amplify the quieter parts more than the loudest parts. Thing with compression is it depends a bit on the values used and it can easily be overdone, but once you get the hang of it it's straightforward.
Jogo Jogado is pretty good as in its analysis is intelligent and sound, Freitas Lobo and the other guy clearly know their tactics, but I find it a little dull and monotonic tbh. Rather prefer listening to you guys!
I agree with you about most TV shows. Gave up on them long ago. Much prefer several excellent radio shows, espeically Jogo Jogado on TSF.
As for the audio levels, you're not the first to mention the jingle is too loud. I turned it down for this show... but not enough it seems.
I tried volume equalising software once but couldn't get it to work. That sort of technical stuff not my forté. But I'll give it another go. Could you throw out the name of a specific software package or two I can download?
Cheers,
Tom
I have one gripe with the show however, which is the audio levels. I'm not talking about that typewriter in this episode, which is annoying but happens, but as a permanent issue with the show. The jingle is REALLY LOUD compared to the chat. Given it comes up about 3 times during the show, it's particularly embarrasing to be listening to the pod whilst driving, volume cranked up to make anything of the chat, and then suddenly out of nowhere a guy comes screaming Ronaldo at live audio gig levels.
I also understand some of the contributions are probably made on Skype or something, because the audio quality sounds poor, but regardless of that some commentators sound much louder than others too. I don't know how good you guys are with audio software, but there is one quick easy fix for all that: run a compression filter over the whole show, which won't do anything for the quality but at least will fix the levels. It'll take less than 5 minutes.
Keep up the good work.
THEY HAVE THE BEST TEAM , SO THEY ARE THE ONLY PRETENDERS TO THE TROPHY
I definitely think a semi-final berth is a possibility for the Seleccao. It's really tough to imagine Germany ending up in anything other than first place in Group B, but stranger things have happened. Plus, as a few people have pointed out, it's not just going to be stressful for Portugal. Germany, Holland, and the Danes will be sweatin' it out just as bad as we will be. I wouldn't want to be the Dutch defense while Ronaldo and Nani are bearing down on goal. Germany's defense is really not fantastic either (allowed 3 goals to Ukraine in a recent friendly), but some of them certainly have the benefit of playing together at Bayern Munich (Boateng, Lahm, Badstuber, etc...) Denmark looked good in qualifying before WC 2010 and collapsed in the tournament, not making it out of a manageable group. Let's face it too, we don't play all that great until it's really time to win, then we get our act together and go totally rad til the job is done. That's why our qualifying campaigns are so nerve-wracking. We don't fold though and I don't we will this time either. We'll come to play and everybody else better be ready. By the way I just saw an ESPN article completely discounting Portugal's chances of doing anything at the tournament. Typical Americans....
I think Lima had a really great season for Braga and really would like to say he was the best. It is so enjoyable to watch a team like Braga succeed. Forca Braga.
I remember people repeatedly saying the term "tunnels" on your podcasts in the past when Porto did win the title and I remember that press conference that Porto held to say that they were victims of bad calls. So fans, clubs, and players from all sides do it. So I can understand when people get mad about it.
It would be easy to look past it if the amount of bad calls wasn't so great every season. I don't think that our liga wouldn't rank in the top 5 just because of these on going issues. We can go on about this all day but the focus of your story was mainly on the national team and I want to bring it back to that topic.
First it always surprises me how negative our own people get about our national team. I wouldn't say we're the favs to win it but we are one of the top teams in it. If we make it out of this group we stand all the chances of winning the cup. Many nations have a good bit of issues themselves and I would say the strongest two teams in the whole tournament are in our group, so if we can beat them, we have a fair shot at pulling it off.
Unlike Fabio, Nelson didn't play as much during the normal season, however he did have an amazing U-20 at the start of the season which is why I think so many people are excited about him. Given the friendlies we have, I hope he gets more then 10mins playing time so that we can see if he does fit in. I just want to see how his fast pace could match up with Ronaldo (which I don't get the debate in the pod about him ranking as our all time best striker. He's horrible in that position and works best when he works his way in from the mid-field/wings).
I also agree with that past article someone here wrote on Viana. He's a good player but he also spend his whole season playing the opposite style that our national team tactics, so I understand why he's not there. I would still have liked to see him on the bench at least but I won't lose sleep over it.
I'm really looking forward to this Euro and like always I hope that next season will finally be a clean year without any massive ref issues impacting so many matches.
p.s. that typing in the background of the podcast kept cutting off whoever it was that was trying talk, but I'm guessing these things are hard to adjust the volume on.
micael-varela (fernandes,viana)
The point I was making wasn't contradictory, it was highlighting that even if there were some poor (or non) decisions, Benfica still should have had enough quality to beat those teams. The problem I have with what João Gabriel (and supporters like yourself) come out with is that you want it both ways: when you lose, the refs are biased. It becomes a crutch that excuses poor performances. When you win, and maybe benefit from a marginal call yourselves...I know being a football fan is by definition being self interested, but...
I've written and spoken a lot about the history of corruption in the Portuguese game on this site and elsewhere, so don't accuse us of giving people a free pass. Fact is that you have no proof, you just have suspicions, and past offences to fall back on.
The referees convicted in the Apito Dourado and Apito Final cases are no longer officiating. That's a fact. Both investigations ended unsatisfactorily, but that's as much to do with the incompetence and uselessness of the Portuguese justice system as it is with some omnipotent boogeyman. Judging by your name you're Portuguese, you know this.
Now I said on the pod that Benfica have historical reasons for suspecting a conspiracy, but what irks me is that every time something goes wrong, rather than face the problem the club (not so much the supporters, you can't expect them to be objective) stokes these old fires. As I said on the pod, it serves nobody!
And don't belittle the Liga compared to Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League. In their own ways those leagues are just as flawed, Serie A even more so.
Finally (sorry for the length) the idea that this site in any way encourages corruption is laughable. Absolutely laughable. I doubt the powers that be even know we exist, beyond the occasional application for a press accreditation.
Ben
Funny how it’s stated Benfica would have won the title if it wasn’t for those 3 back to back games. Then a comment that maybe there was some bad calls. It’s those very 3 games that Benfica management is complaining about. It’s clear that in all 3 games the refs heavily affected those results.
For the liga to continue to ignore the horrible refs season after season continues to negatively all clubs in the liga, is a joke. It doesn’t help when people who report on games turn a blind eye to it and therefore encourage more of this corruption. I haven’t seen an article on here yet about that linesman that got arrested this just over a month ago for bribery charges on the Maritimo v. Sporting game. If this was the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, or any other respectable liga, these things would be all over the media.
Yes the Portuguese people do complain about bad refs but people who report on these games think it's fine to give a free pass on these issues and ignore them.
Postiga may not be a top-class striker, but his style of play best suits Bento's system. He works hard off the ball and links up very well with Ronaldo and Nani. Almeida offers some physicality, but he's way too wasteful to start. Oliveira, in my opinion, is best suited for a counter-attacking style.
After watching him this season, I'd say that his best attributes are his runs off the ball. The guy's blessed with speed and he uses this to great effect when making runs into space. He isn't perfect, but he'll give us something very different off the bench.