Friday, Sept 8th – 10:00pm, Lisbon , Portugal

It is now 10:00pm and I just arrived at my hotel after a very eventful day.

After eating breakfast (By the way after  I the hotel online in the States and was checking out the hotel online, I realized that it was gay friendly.Living in Sebastopol , you know I have no problem with that, but I was getting checked out at breakfast today) and doing some work online, I headed to Baixa to shop for my 3 girls, my mother , my wife and my daughter.  I was very (too successful)  I like the European style and got a bit carried away buying clothes for my wife.   I hope it will make up for getting looked at this morning.

I taxied to the Hotel Solplaya and met Frans.  We worked for several hours to evaluate the last summer and to plan the work for the next year to come. The next thing I new Bobo (the Polish asst. ) came down and announced that he would go into the press conference (he had got a press pass from the Polish press) and to observe the training.  He asked if I wanted to helpout.  What a chance to be Polish Spy.

I said Bobo “if you know me by now, that was a stupid question” , of course I want to go.  We taxied over to the National Stadium and got out in front of the stadium. We waited with all of the Polish press and then when he walked in and flashed his pass, that was my cue to look Polish and keep walking.  Good thing I am a veteran of these type of situation’s because I was in.

They interview one player Jorge a defender who plays at Juventus in Italy. I walked out into the lobby and who was waiting to come in when Jorge finished; Luis Felipe Scolari  the coach of Portugal.  Of course I said hello , introduced myself and got his autograph and then Jorge came out as Scolari went in so I asked him if more players were coming (he said only him) and got his autograph.

Bobo came outside and we waited for the team to come to the field.

Portugal National Team Training –
Running and stretching – 12 minutes
Handball 10 v 10 possession in the penalty box
Goalkeepers were on the other side
11V11 ½ field – very loose, not sharp,  no marking, soft passes, not positions,  at one point Scolari threw in a 2nd ball and they played with 2 balls for 5-6 minutes (I am not joking).

At the end Simao , Ronaldo and Deco hit some penalty’s and the rest were hanging out.  Then it looked like Scolari decided to do some corners so he started without those 3. When they finished they joined in the with the rest of the team.

To be honest , it looked like a day after the game training, not the day before.

Green Team –
Ferreira – Chealsea
Quaresma – Porto
Tiago – Juventus
Deco – Barcelona
Miguel – Valencia
Gomez – Benefica
Petit – Benefica
Postiga – Porto
Meira – VFB Stuggart
Quim – Benefica

Yellow team –
Ricardo – Betis Sevilla
Ronaldo – Man U
Simao – Atletico Madrid
Maniche – Atletico Madrid
Caneira – Valencia
Bosingwa – Porto
Almerica – Werder Bremen
Nani – Man U
Moutihno – Sporting
Meireles – Porto

Bobo and I took detailed notes on everything including which side the guy’s took their PK”s, the corners etc.  These guys have so much skill it is incredible, but their mentality was not so good.

We called the hotel for a car to pick us up,  rushed back to the hotel and jumped on the bus. We had 2 police motorcycles and 3 police cars escorting us to the pitch.  It was crazy they would swerve into the other lane and signal with their hands to get out of the fast lane and the next lane. While we were in the city, they would drive down the middle and literally shiver people.

The 15 minute drive took about 2 minutes and we were in front of the Estadio da Luz.  What a sight!!  A guard opened a gate and we entered the bowels of the stadium.  The bus stopped , we got out walked straight through the locker room and into the stadium.

The field is a carpet and those of you who have been on the Euro Tour, we have stepped on a few pitches.  But now I was sitting on the bench as the boys started to play Rondo.

I snapped a few pictures of Coach Leo in his new PUMA boots that Frans arranged for him from PUMA Holland.

Poland Training Session – 7:45pm under the lights @ Estadio da Luz

Rondo – 3 groups – 15 minutes
Running, Coordination , Dynamic Stretching – 15 minutes
Goalkeepers with Frans and Andreyz
Possession with Coach Leo – 3 X 4 minutes
7V7 plus 3 kaatzers for each team on the outside (bouncers as Leo calls them).  if you play one of your 3 outside players you switch with him.
Shooting - Diamond on the goal in tight – 8 minutes
11V11 – 2 X 8 minutes
In contrast to the Portugal training, the boys were sharper than a knife.
The energy and confidence is very high.  I think Bobo will have Leo use the Portuguese  mentality in training against Portugal and to the advantage of the Polish team. During the game guy’s were going at it, sliding, tackling etc.  A few times, Leo had to tell them to mellow out.

Polish Team for 11V11
#1 Artur Boruc (Celtic FC)

# 2 Marcin Wasilewski(RSC Anderlecht), #4 Mariusz Jop(FK Moskva), #3Michał
Żewłakow(Olympiacos CFP), #5 Grzegorz Bronowicki (FK Crvena Zvezda)

#6 Dariusz Dudka (Wisła Kraków),# #8 Mariusz Lewandowski (FC Shakhtar
Donetsk)
#7 Jakub Błaszczykowski (BV Borussia Dortmund), 10 Jacek Krzynówek (VFL
Wolfsburg), #11Marek Saganowski (Southampton FC)

#9 Maciej Żurawski

Changes for the 2nd 8 minutes -
#9 Radosław Matusiak (SC Heerenveen) for  Maciej Żurawski
#11 Euzebiusz Smolarek (Real Racing Club Santander) for Marek Saganowski
(Southampton FC)
#7 Wojciech Łobodziński (Zagłębie Lubin) for Jakub Błaszczykowski (BV
Borussia Dortmund)
#4 Paweł Golański (FC Steaua Bucuresti) for Mariusz Jop(FK Moskva)

Well I have not eaten since breakfast and it is now almost 11pm.  I need to get some food and some rest for the big day manana.  Also, I have to solve the problem of finding someone to attend the game with me since the Polish Manager gave me two midline seats in row 11.  Who knows, if am a lucky I can find someone at breakfast.  Just kidding !!!!

Hope you all are enjoying the Blog’s and GOOD LUCK IN LEAGUE GAMES THIS
WEEKEND.

Boa noite,
Andrew

It is now 12:20pm and we  just arrived at the Hotel Solplay after an incredible result for Poland.

Poland did not play that well, but Portugal is and incredible team and to tie 1-1 away, it is the result Poland needed to qualify for Euro 2008.

With Serbia and Finland drawing 0 – 0 the difference stayed the same for all 4 teams.  Serbia now comes to Portugal on Wednesday and Poland will play away at Finland.

Group A
<http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/standings/round=2241/group=2630.html>

Match report
Krzynówek pounces to deny Portugal
Saturday 8 September 2007

Poland's Jacek Krzynówek scored a late equaliser in Portugal to keep his team two points clear at the top of UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying Group A.
Portugal denied
The visitors went ahead through Mariusz Lewandowski just before half-time but Maniche levelled for Portugal five minutes after the interval. Cristiano Ronaldo then looked to have sealed a home win, before Krzynówek's fortuitous late strike rescued a draw and left Portugal two points adrift of second-placed Finland.
Poland ahead
Although Ronaldo and Simão caused early problems for the Poland defence, it was Nuno Gomes who had the first real chance on 26 minutes after a fine pass from Deco; Artur Boruc saving at his feet. A minute later, Ronaldo fired a stinging drive against the bar while Poland came close at the other end six minutes later, Euzebiusz Smolarek shooting just over. A minute before half-time, goalkeeper Ricardo parried Jakub Błaszczykowski's effort from the edge of the area but Lewandowski was at hand to put Poland ahead.
Home team rally
Portugal reacted quickly after the interval and Nuno Gomes got in behind the Poland defence to set up Maniche, who gratefully drove past Boruc after the goalkeeper had failed to clear the danger. Nuno Gomes almost added a second goal seven minutes later after good work from Bosingwa, but this time Boruc was alert to the threat and intercepted. After Nuno Gomes had been replaced by Ricardo Quaresma, the substitute charged down the right and crossed for Simão. He missed his header yet the ball fell kindly for Ronaldo who volleyed past the helpless Boruc.
Late leveller
With two minutes to go, however, Krzynówek’s long-range attempt went in off a combination of the post and Ricardo's shoulder. Poland visit second-placed Finland on Wednesday while Portugal welcome Serbia with both teams very much in striking distance.