Portugal-Spain Report & Pic Spam

[monster-treats.livejournal.com]

Firstly my seats were bloody far and my photos turned out terrible. Nevertheless I can contribute with some insight to how the game actually FELT like! All pics are from MaisFutebol.





It was a pity the stadium wasn’t full. But it was a cold 10ºC Wednesday night. Great atmosphere, nevertheless, including hundredths of Spanish fans who kept singing and rooting for their boys even when they were down.

The game included a celebration for the 100^th anniversary of the Portuguese Republic, apart from the obvious intent to promote the Iberian Bid for World Cup 2018.
 
 

Amazing to hear our national anthem sung by so many. The Spanish anthem is beautiful too. Especially the lyrics: PAMPAMPAMPAM.
 

Really impressed by Portugal. Proud, quick, combative, generous, excellent defence, and an attitude I don’t remember seeing since probably WC 2006. Paulo Bento deserves all kudos for bringing this team back where it belongs. Carlos Martins WEPT when he scored. We needed this victory more than ever. 


I’ve always thought Spain played boring – tiqui-taca is just a more sophisticated name for cattenacio in my book – but it wasn’t until I watched them live that I realised how unexciting their style actually is. Of course the passing is almost aways perfect, but they play with their backs to the goal, FFS. Also it proves that they simply cannot react when they are one goal down. No wonder they won the WC with 1-0 results, all with goals scored in the late part of the game. And oh, even from 30m away they look hot. At least Iker and Llorente.

Iker was not amused.


Ronaldo got robbed of a wonder goal – what a crime. No wonder he got so pissed. "Even a blind person could see it was a goal." (Nani apologised later. They’re still BFFs)
 

Pepe was a beast in this game. As were Moutinho, Bosingwa, Pereira, Martins, Meireles, basically everyone.


Paulo Bento deserves an applause too. If only we'd got rid of Queiroz six months ago... 
 

The game itself – no words to describe how awesome it was. Around mid-second half, the crown started shouting OLÉ! everytime a Spanish player touched the ball. Not to mention chants of "Portugal, Portugal", "Just one more", and "Who doesn't jump is Spanish".

Interesting bits:
- Before the match, living legend Eusébio presented Cristiano, Pepe, and Moutinho with plaques celebrating their 75th and 25th cap.
- Emotional moment at half time – António Gonçalves, who has worked with the National Team since 1977 (the responsible for the team’s kits) retired this year. There was an great hommage to him, and Figo and Pauleta were there!
- Congrats to Rui Patrício (Sporting and Portugal U-23) and Paulo Machado (Tolouse) for their first caps today!


Poor Iker. At least you're still "Campeón de Todo", like the Spanish fans were singing after the game ended. And, as some guy sitting behind me wisely pointed out, you still have Sara.


AND DON'T FORGET
 
 :D
 

Comments

[te-amo-messi.livejournal.com]

Casillas, what happened? Great Pics btw,I like the 5th pic
It was worth watching

[meiliguniang.livejournal.com]

What happened was that short of Pique blocking that one shot, Iker had no defense to help him out. He is San Iker and all, but even the best GKs still need their defenders.

[bentlerkay.livejournal.com]

It was a good game in my opinion.



although it kinda sucked losing.

[bentlerkay.livejournal.com]

Oh. And we're totally not boring.

[sumrndmgrl.livejournal.com]

i would've slaughtered babies to be at that game lol i'm shocked more people weren't there. it was like WC replay.

i hope you had fun and thanks for the post!

[raichelisic.livejournal.com]

People from Lisbon weren't there because they are still stunned by that 5-0 beating Porto did to Benfica. I'm kidding. xD *ducks*

Hopefully they will come to home games again, now that Portugal NT has proved themselves in these past 3 games. ;)

[genbu-no-miko24.livejournal.com]

General Consensus tells me this was the best Game of day since the rest were long and blaaaaaaaaaah for the most part. Congrats to Portugal!!

[raichelisic.livejournal.com]

mte xD I think I was so unlucky with the games I picked to watch today. :/


Of course Portugal's always awesome :3

[wb-deep-play.livejournal.com]

Great game :) Why did they not pull it off during the WC quarter finals... Sigh!

You forgot to mention Almeida :) He was cool too. The fourth goal REALLY brought the bitch-pluuuueeeeeeez face out in Casillas.


I think he needs to wear it more often ;)

[raichelisic.livejournal.com]

Hugoalll :D

There are so many I wish right now, I wish Bento was the manager at the WC for example. And if Almeida almost scored at that qf as well.

[haisha-hime.livejournal.com]

Pique's face is almost photobombs this picture.
I hope inside jokes were exchanged in this moment.

[coldryuuza.livejournal.com]

awesome goals!! but san iker must be beating himself up now

[sparklytee.livejournal.com]

if i were him i'd be beating up my defenders

[ilyades.livejournal.com]

highlight of the game: Rui Patrício making his debut. hopefully he'll be doing good work for Sporting/Portugal for a long while

also hallelujah no reported torres or meireles injury

[soyceleste.livejournal.com]

yaaay he did really great :DDD

[sparklytee.livejournal.com]

hahaha, people aren't gonna be happy about your tiki-taka remarks, but i a gree with you, to a degree.

you were really good today.

Tranquilidade... yippee Portugal!

[raichelisic.livejournal.com]

First of all I'm really glad you were there! :D You got to experience one of these games by your NT vs Spain of all teams!

Though I'm not Portuguese but I love this NT anyway, hearing the national anthem gives me goosebumps.. but that video.. wow! Amazing double goosebumps lol

Well damn.. didn't notice Martins wept when he scored! I see he has converted more people today, same with Moutinho.

Hehe not a fan of Spain NT's style of football - whatever you call it. I think it's also boring (and frustrating to watch especially when your side is down). Different strokes for different folks indeed.

LOL yeah Nani and him are bffs...they'll be lovey dovey again. :P

Yep everyone played really well, so proud including Bento - what a difference it really makes. I want to watch it over and over again.

Sad for Gonçalves :( but omg Pauleta was also there?? WOW. My idols, him and Figo.

[raichelisic.livejournal.com]

Oh and thanks for this post btw! Again, so happy for you! :) I hope you did not write vandalism on the chairs and walls of Benfica's stadium haha. Kidding. :P

Did you wait for them outside the dugout? Or it's really hard to do this in football? Because in basketball games here, we do it.

[monster-treats.livejournal.com]

you're welcome~

usually they go straight to the bus and then to the hotel :\ ayway it took us 20 minutes to leave the stadium.

[adorante.livejournal.com]

I don't think Spain's game was boring? And I totally 100% respect Portugal, their one of my favorites as well, but obvs Spain is my first. I just think Spain had a pretty shit game as well.

[vindictaa.livejournal.com]

they made me so proud :')

Just like the feeling I had in Euro 2004 again.. - when I became a fan

[raichelisic.livejournal.com]

From what I've seen in this friendly and the 2 last Euro qualies: The 3 M's Moutinho, Meireles, Martins in our midfield are gelling well together.

Bento brings a positive aura to the squad - great teamwork/chemistry etc. and he's not afraid to experiment.

So nice to see Bosingwa back! Pereira is also improving, so it will be a tough competition for the RB spot when Coentrão gets back and plays LB again.

Postiga Postiga Postigoalllll!! OMG I feel like crying for him when he scored xD - it was just so special considering how most fans are on and off with him.

LOL I'm spamming but I've got nothing to say aside from I love everyone on this team and I'm proud of them especially today. Everyone.

Re: Just like the feeling I had in Euro 2004 again.. - when I became a fan

[soyceleste.livejournal.com]

and he's not afraid to experiment
exactly!! he brought us our NT back!!! :D
Who had thought that? honestly!
not me.. but now I'm so happy!!!!
Beeeentooo thank you for that!!! <33

whoaaah Pereira was soooo good really!! My comm
didn't stop to praise him XD And Rui also!! A great debut
for him awww :DD

hahah Postigaaaaa :DDD Youd din't believe that he would score, did you? XDD
and you I hope he doesn't do those misses today XDD not with Bento, not any more *-*

me too!! *_*

[ipomoea.livejournal.com]

I didn't get to see it because work is a necessary evil in my life, but mostly I'm just thanking whatever higher power there is that Nando and Meireles will be returning to Liverpool unbroken and that my Barça boys are ok too as far as I know.

[schweinsty.livejournal.com]

If only Stevie were returning unbroken as well...:(. FML, friendlies suck so much sometimes.

[ttentten.livejournal.com]

The Spanish anthem is beautiful too. Especially the lyrics: PAMPAMPAMPAM.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

[harrypotterlvr3.livejournal.com]

That was such a fun game to watch. Portugal played so well.

[emyoueffsee.livejournal.com]

spain/portugal would be an amazing wc but i really really want england to get it... I just think it's about time england got it again and I would die to go see a wc game at old trafford. id support portugal/spain for 2022 but i dont think theyll get it if england gets 2018 just because of the continent issue.

[emyoueffsee.livejournal.com]

oh and portugal were amazing. they made everything look easy, which is a good sign.

[merely-a-facade.livejournal.com]

I’ve always thought Spain played boring – tiqui-taca is just a more sophisticated name for cattenacio in my book – but it wasn’t until I watched them live that I realised how unexciting their style actually is. Of course the passing is almost aways perfect, but they play with their backs to the goal, FFS.

I agree completely. During the WC, I truly hated the fact that after they score, they'd just practice passing the ball around ... keep possession, don't let the other team score, waste some time, and then ... time eventually runs out and they win. I'm still very bitter about them winning the WC because I don't think that's very good football at all... I wanted Portugal to win and when they were eliminated, I wanted Germany to win because they played very attractive football. Heck, I even wanted the Netherlands to win because they came back to beat Brazil 2-1. I admired their fighting spirit even if I didn't like the Netherlands...

But anyway, long story short, I adore the Portugal NT to death. _{I'm still not impressed with Martins though ... but -shrugs- I hope he proves me wrong} Forca Seleccao and Paulo Bento <3

[raichelisic.livejournal.com]

Hours before this game memories of that WC match came back to haunt me, I was thinking.. am I ready to watch Portugal face Spain again, even with a different manager etc. now? It was the day before my birthday when they lost to them so it really hurt, like somebody stabbed me twice. LOL Anyway, I eventually decided to watch today.. I thought what the heck.. must watch and stay with the team no matter what.

First half today before Ronaldo's interrupted goal and Martins' goal I was starting to become frustrated and sad because it reminded me of that game again, although a bit different but I needed to see a goal to be motivated and then the goals came and 2nd half was much better.. :D :D

Martins - the workrate is there though ;)

Oh and yep I cheered for Germany and Netherlands vs Spain too xD

[luz-brillante.livejournal.com]

IA with your whole commentary
this match was stunning to watch

[pnylove415.livejournal.com]

I have to leave during halftime and we get ripped to pieces. And my lovely pony scores an own goal :[ I kept saying I wanted him to score a goal, maybe I should have been more specific about it being for his team!
I looked up the final score when I had a moment and was shocked. Portugal was really impressive in the first half but I was not expecting this goal outcome at all, nice work Portugal.
But still, ugh :[

[rubyqueen19.livejournal.com]

what the fuck happened spain.??you are world champions.!!:(

[verses.livejournal.com]

They lost to Switzerland, I don't know why people think they're unbeatable

[ashirbaad.livejournal.com]

I always thought tiki taka is more of a boring person's version of total football but yeah, it can become annoying, especially when they hold possession in the midfield. The idea has always been to frustrate the opposition till they make a mistake before moving forward.

As for the game, it was AMAZING though three months too late. Sigh.

[2ndcitysophia.livejournal.com]

I quite like this entry. Thanks for sharing!!