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U.S.-Portugal reaction fills mailbag Posted: Saturday June 08, 2002 8:31 AM
SEOUL -- I would like to thank all of the people who responded and reacted to the article I wrote about the U.S.-Portugal game. After digesting the result for a couple of days, I can tell you that I still think the United States were better and deserved to win, since they outplayed a Portuguese side that was out of sorts and unable to live up to expectations. About the future of the team, I don't know what I can say... if they haven't learned from their mistakes yet, when will things change? I want to add that now the U.S. have a real chance of advancing. Here now are replies to some of the many messages I received over the last couple of days. Hello (Ola) Pedro: You are absolutely right in your analysis. Unfortunately Portuguese journalists based home to not have the guts to say the same and more: Oliveira should have been ousted long ago! He is unintelligent, incompetent and irrational. He is no good! After the humiliation by Finland a great opportunity was lost to dismiss him. As it is I am afraid that unless the senior players take over team selection and tactics Portugal will be out!
I agree with you that Antonio Oliveira does not have what it takes to coach this team properly, but the federation could never have fired him after the Finland game. After all, he had taken the country to the World Cup. What should have happened was that Mr. Oliveira should have realized that his scheme was far from flawless and that Portugal struggles when pressed in midfield. The United States must have watched that Finland game because their game plan was very similar to the Finnish one. Dear Mr. Pinto, After reading your article and looking back at the match, I have to admit you are right. Do you think Figo failed in demonstrating leadership and emphasizing his status as world footballer of the year?
Yes Rueppert, I think he did, but the question in my mind is: "Was he 100 percent fit?" I still think that his ankle injury hasn't healed properly and that he shouldn't be playing 90 minutes. The problem is -- who has the courage to take him off?
After watching a disappointing French team play with just 10 men this morning... could you please tell me why the coach would sub in Dugarry with one minute remaining in stoppage time. As a coach, if your team is playing a man down, players are obviously tired (Wiltord, who was subbed) or ineffective (Micou was terrible and a very poor attempt to replace Zidane). So can you basically try to rationalize to me what the coach was doing with his remaining two substitutions in the second half?
No Jean-Pierre, I can't. I thought exactly the same thing you did when he put on Dugarry with one minute to go. What was the point? The Bordeaux player should have come on a lot earlier, as should have Djibril Cisse. Roger Lemerre was afraid of changing his front line, and I don't know why, because they haven't scored a goal yet. My friends and I are having a great time watching the games. Luckily, in Guam, they start right after work and end just in time to get some sleep. My friends are fairly new to the sport, and thus I have become the "teacher." One thing I cannot explain is the very exaggerated, very intentional, very pathetic, and very unnecessary flop. Maybe I'm biased, but the U.S. didn't seem to resort to the dive, and look what happened! Have you noticed any trends of winning and losing related to a team's "floppability"? Also, we'd like to see the media start listing dives along with shots, fouls, etc. It's good to see the "acting cards" given out, but it's still an obvious problem.
Tyson, I completely agree with you. It makes me sick to watch grown men cheating and faking injuries on the pitch. There is no doubt that the Latin and African countries are worse at this, and the only way to stop it is to do what referees are doing now: Book them. Germanic and British nations don't resort to this tactic as much, neither do the United States; I agree with you there as well. Do you think that we'll see more U.S. players going to play in Europe after this World Cup? Not that the lack of European experience seems to have hurt them. Also, do have any thoughts on the level of play in the MLS? As an American soccer fan living in Oz, one thing I've noticed is that the Australian league has a much higher quality of play than MLS, which is strange considering that the Aussies got kind of screwed out of going to Korea/Japan. Any thoughts on that? By the way, keep up the excellent work.
Kevin, there is a crop of promising American youngsters that could succeed in Europe. Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Clint Mathis and even Brian McBride could do well there. They have good skill, pace and determination on the pitch. There is also another advantage of buying American players: They are cheap. Pinto, I also am of Portuguese decent and I was a bit angry with Oliveiria's decisions. Now, what do you think needs to happen for Portugal to advance... I believe a win over Poland is expected, 2-0. Why is it you think Oliveira won't play Pauleta and Gomes, side by side?
Because he is stubborn. Pauleta is a lot better with a man by his side, as shown in the French championship with Bordeaux. He was the league's top scorer because he had someone to help him out up front. When he plays alone, he has nearly no space to work in. Plus, Nuno Gomes is a great player and should get more of a chance to shine. Until next time,
World Sport's Pedro Pinto will be reporting regularly from South Korea during the World Cup.
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