We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
It's the eighth day of the World Cup and first up is the fancy dan Portuguese who flattered to deceive the other day against Angola while they only notched one goal. Can they improve on that outing today against a very ordinary Iran? Will crybaby Cristiano Ronaldo get another game for Big Phil's side? Find out next?
posted by gatorbob @ 8:51 AM
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
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Here's the Portuguese starting eleven:
PORTUGAL
1. Alexandre Ricardo
13. Luis Miguel
5. Fernando Meira
16. Alberto Ricardo Carvalho
14. Jorge Nuno Valente
6. Francisco Costinha
18. Nuno Maniche
20. Anderson Deco
17. Cristiano Ronaldo
9. Pedro Pauleta
7. Luis Figo
Cristiano is in the side. Deco comes in after a prolonged injury. And Maniche and Costinha replace Simao and some other bloke I can't remember.
Anyone interested in the Iranian side? Didn't think so.
The old geezer Figo is already terrorizing the left back from Iran. Portugal could have had another early goal there.
Portugal could possibly be a Quarterfinal opponent for the England boys - they'll have to get past the Dutch first, though. Who would we prefer to play - Holland or Portugal?
Okay, here's a bit of trivia for you lads - at what tournament did the Portuguese have their best performance? How far did they get? Who was their top scorer at the tournament?
Interesting corner - Figo lofts it to Maniche, the long shot expert from '04, who takes it on one knees and volley it....wide.
Some training pitch stuff.
Has anyone else noticed that the Iranian center forward looks exactly like Deco - only with longer hair? Bizarre.
First chance for Deco, speak of the devil. Saved by the keeper.
A string of three corners - one driven low to the near post, another to Maniche and another ballooned to the far post. They're at least mixing it up.
First yellow card for Iran - Nekounam. He's out for the third match.
Apparently the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadnejad has threatened to make an appearance in Germany if the Iranian side make it through to the second round. As Holocaust denial is an official criminal offense in Germany, officials have announced that he will be arrested off the plane. Could be fun.
Cristiano with a bit of stepover magic and then a highly speculative blast from an impossibly tight angle. Big Phil won't be pleased with that.
Oh, nearly there for Iran. Off the post, but the ref's blown for offside anyway.
Another yellow - this time for Mandanchi. It's his first.
Cristiano's getting closer. He's had a header cleared off the line and another ripped shot to the side netting in quick succession
Figo takes some studs to the face and he's down for the count. I'm not sure the magic sponge will do anything for him.
Oh, the closest thing yet for Portugal. Miguel picks himself up off the floor, flies forward and whips a ball through the keeper. It trickles along the goalline and out.
Pauleta is a naughty boy and picks up a yellow card - his first.
Half-time 0-0; the Portuguese are being being booed off and will receive the Brazilian/Portuguese equivalent of rattling teacups from Big Phil in the dressing room.
No changes by either side. That makes sense for Iran - they're happy with the result. But I thought Simao might make an appearance. Not yet.
Deco nails an Iranian in the head in a similar fashion to the one that Figo took in the first half. He takes a yellow for his efforts.
Pauleta with the most casual of flicks. He can barely be bothered. I'll take these prima ballerinas in the Quarters against England any day!
Miguel picks up a yellow now - his first. But the Portuguese certainly are making hard work of this one.
GOAL: 1-0 Portugal; Finally a bit of magic from Deco breaks the deadlock. Great strike!
Believe it or not that's only Deco's third international goal - that says a lot about the player.
That goal will dramatically improve Angola's hopes. A draw kept all four teams in with a chance. That goal - if it stands - will knock Iran out and make their efforts futile in the third match with Angola. If they were to rack up more than two goals against Iran and Mexico lost to Portugal, Mexico would be out. Very, very interesting. How many of us chose Angola to get out of this group?
Oh, Khattibi nearly became "The Super Sub" with a shot that trickled just by the post. That might be the best chance that they get. Carvalho was napping there.
Yet another yellow for Itan - Kaebi this time. It's his first yellow.
Iran have fifteen minutes to pull this match out of the fire or else they're on a plane back to Tehran tonight.
Figo is chopped down on the edge of the box - Iran have been threatening to do that all match - and IT'S A P.K. (in Shep Messing's terms)
Cristiano Ronaldo neatly dispatches top left and it's now 2-0. Game over.
Ronaldo brilliantly takes one on the chest and runs at the right back who cynically shoulders him down and then rolls about like a big girl. I'd get the red card out for that bollocks. I hate that.
Figo's coming out - he's earned his tapioca. Simao to replace.
Some flappiness from Ricardo nearly lets Iran in there. I'd like to see him try that against Mr. Roboto.
Full-time: 2-0 Portugal; a result that flatters Portugal. Iran never really set out to do anything today other than kick the daylights out of the Portuguese in order to force a draw. I'm glad to see the back of them. But Portugal don't seem to have the cutting edge that they promise. They'll have trouble against Mexico, to say nothing of Holland.
I'll be back in an hour for the fascinating encounter between the Czechs and Ghana.
same old portugal, always painting...
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