http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060624/6/87j6.html

Netherlands will employ special tactics to shackle Portuguese danger-men Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco during their FIFA World Cup™ second-round clash, their coach said on Saturday.


Marco van Basten said the attacking trio would need extra attention in Sunday's match after some devastating displays in the group stage.

"I think we want to play as we always play using our system but we know that Portugal have some very good players like Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco," said the 41-year-old former AC Milan and Dutch striking legend.

"They're special players so we have to take care of them."

Ivanov is one of the worst referee I have ever seen. Even Blater criticized the referee.

WatfordFC: Nope. But I can see how the match is going on Eurosport (on the net). I´m at work...

WatfordFC: I hope they throw Brazil out of the cup...

Hrqls: yep, it was the second one.

Hrqls: Nope, Maniche ended with a yellow card. It was our first yellow card...

I think the 2nd foul on Ronaldo by Boulahrouz (the one wich injured him) was the worst...

Hrqls: yes, it was Maniche...

Pedro Martínez: Maybe.

That why I think it was the referee who ruined the match, not the dutch players. They were doing their game. But, maybe, just maybe, if the referee would take the correct decision which would have been sending off Boulahrouz, maybe the match would have been fair. But the referee was afraid of sending off a player at minute 6 and he didn´t apllied the basic rules...

And as I said, I would like to see how would you react having one of your best players injured at minute 6 and seeing it was premeditated...

And I didn´t say the referee was in favour of the dutch and we played clean. The referee was bad for both sides, and for the game. He commited too many mistakes for both sides. He was just terrible, period.

Pedro Martínez: yes, it´s human. Due to all emotions involved in such games... Happens in every team once in a while.

It´s portuguese? Did you know that in 4 years it was our first red card? Why don´tt people talk about that. We hardly have seen yellow cards, and not a single red card in 4 years. But our well known players (Figo, Ronaldo, Simão, Deco, ...) ytoo often suffers brutal tackles. Is this fair?

I don´t need to prove anything. Just watch the first 6 minutes of the match and take your conclusions...

Pedro Martínez: You´re saying that because it was not your team. I would like to see how would you react seeing Nedved being injured on the first minutes of the game, seeing it was premeditated, and seeing that the referee was going to ignore it... :(

If I was on the pitch, after seeing what happened to Ronaldo, I would try to injure the first dutch player who would appear in front of me. It´s human...

Pedro Martínez: I´m sorry to say that you´re wrong...

At minute 2 of the match, a dutch player have seen an yellow card for tackling Ronaldo. At minute 6 another dutch player have seen a yellow card for tackling and injuring Ronaldo. Van Basten orders were to injure Ronaldo on the first minutes of the game. They accomplished their mission.

It was Van Basten who told the dutch player not to give the ball to Portugal, going against the code of honour every team signed before the world cup... Deco just had payback tackling the dutch player.

The portuguese players reacted to all the unsportman conduct from the dutch players. They are no saints, and they had payback. Two wrongs doesn´t make one right, but since the referee was doing nothing to stop the dutch players being unsportman...

I was happy to see Figo giving an header on the dutch guy. I know it was a bad action, but it was fair for all the circunstances of the game.

Our players were warriors at the battlefield and they have won the war. I´m proud of them...

Gabriel Almeida: I think that the referee was not in favour or against any of the teams. He was just bad, and ruined the whole match...

Pedro Martínez: what do you mean by the portuguese part. What I posted was the general opinions of the more important newspapers in the word.

The referee ruined what could have been a good game. Of course there were some unsportman behaviors from both sides, but I think we deserved to win because we defended well and were lucky to score a great goal. Holland players failed because they still are unexperienced. Though, they are very talented, and they will achieve a very good team in 2 years...

WatfordFC: 1-0 for England. I hope I´m wrong...

I wouldn´t mind at all to have Owen on my team...

cindsman: eheh, Boa Morte is the wors player we have... He is always awful at the national team...

cindsman: Owen is unpredictable. He can solve a game. Just like Ronaldo...

Marfitalu:

WatfordFC: Not 2, but 3. Ronaldo is injured, after the brutal agression of the dutch player that everybody have seen except the referee...

It is going to be a difficult match, Petit and Simão are god substitutes of costinha and Ronaldo. It seems to me that Deco is oing the big problem. We have Tiago, but he is not as good as Deco, and Figo is not so good in the middle.

But england doesn´t have Owen either...

I´m counting on portuguese motivation for that game, and for sure, it will be a cleaner match. The english are always more fair than the dutch, and I think it´s going to be a great match...

As good as the last 2 Portugal - England in Euro 2004 and Euro 2000...

Reading some reviews about the game all over the world, they have a few points in common:

- It was a tough game, but it was fair until the brutal agression towards Ronaldo and the referee didn´t show the red card.
- Figo deserved to be sent off by agression as well.
- Both portuguese red cards were right decisions, even being inacceptable for players like Deco and Costinha.
- Both Holland red cards were fair as well.
- On the 2nd half, the unsportman conduct of the dutch team, not giving the ball to Portugal in a very dirty option started the fighting (Deco have seen is 1st red card a few seconds later).
- The referee was the worst element at the pitch. Even Blatter criticized the referee at the end of the match saying that he ruined what could have been a good game.
- Portugal deserved the win, since it was better than Holland, even when they were down to 9 players.
- Holland young players are very talented, but yet unexperienced.

Here is a fair review from the italian newspaper.

"Portogallo, un gol e 20 cartellini
Olanda eliminata da un gol di Maniche al 23'. Grandi emozioni, ma anche 16 ammoniti di cui 4 espulsi (2 per parte). Scolari con l'Inghilterra senza Deco, Ronaldo e Costinha
Il gol vittoria del portoghese Maniche. ReutersNORIMBERGA (Germania), 25 giugno 2006 – La grande festa è tutta per il Portogallo, capace di eliminare la forte Olanda con un gol di Maniche e di entrare tra le otto migliori squadre di Germania 2006. Un piccolo capolavoro per il c.t. Scolari (11 vittorie consecutive mondiali, Brasile 2002 compreso), un grande dispiacere per Van Basten (che ha tenuto fuori senza spiegazioni Van Nistelrooy) e soprattutto un ottavo di finale da record: 16 ammoniti dal pessimo arbitro Ivanov dei quali 4 espulsi, tutti per doppia ammonizione, in una partita che nel secondo tempo è stata più rodeo che calcio. In campo è successo di tutto: le emozioni e i ribaltamenti non sono mancati, ma alla fine ha deciso il gol messo a segno da Maniche al 23’ del primo tempo, quando la partita era noiosa e brutta. Poi la Santa Barbara è esplosa…
Van Basten conferma la linea dura contro il bomber Van Nistelrooy, confinandolo in panchina, e ripesca Van Bommel sulla destra. Scelta corretta, visto che l’esterno del Barcellona è il più pimpante tra gli orange e si fa subito vedere con un pericolassimo diagonale che sfiora il palo. Sembra il preludio di una partita spettacolare, come storia, pronostici ed aspettative lasciano pensare. Ed invece l’ottavo di Norimberga all’inizio è moscio, bloccato su tatticismi e qualche paura di troppo. Il lampo che incendia il tutto però arriva al 23’: Cristiano Ronaldo (toccato duro in presenza e poi costretto a lasciare il campo in lacrime) ruba palla, serve Deco sulla destra, cross perfetto per Pauleta che stoppa e serve Maniche.
Il 28enne portoghese del Chelsea mette a sedere Ooijer e scarica il colpo preciso dell’1-0. Tutto bello e partita sbloccata. L’Olanda gioca male, ma si fa vedere con Van Persie al 38’: grande azione, ma sinistro fuori misura. E Van der Sar deve superarsi su Pauleta al 45’ per festeggiare la presenza record n°113 in nazionale. Il Portogallo chiude così con un gol di vantaggio, ma con un uomo in meno, visto che Costinha riesce a prendere il secondo giallo nel recupero da un Ivanov imbarazzante che non aveva già visto un fallo da rigore su Robben cinque minuti prima.
L’Olanda sa di dover sfruttare l’uomo in più e parte a razzo. Dopo tre minuti l’occasionissima è per Cocu, ma la traversa nega la gioia del pareggio. Sostenuti da 30.000 tifosi, gli arancioni vanno all’assalto e lo scatenato Van Bommel (e meno male che non doveva giocare) sfiora il gol in due occasioni. Poi il delirio: tutto comincia con una palla non restituita dagli olandesi, a seguire interventi da codice penale, spinte, risse e soprattutto l’arbitro Ivanov che perde la testa e si scatena con 9 cartellini gialli (con due rossi) in 15 minuti.
Vanno così fuori Boulahrouz, Deco (due gialli in 5 minuti) e alla fine anche Van Bronckhorst. Una mattanza che crea anche spettacolo, visto che gli spazi si ingantiscono. L’Olanda tenta l’assalto, il tutto per tutto, ma alla fine tra nervosismi e stanchezza non riesce a pareggiare. Portogallo ai quarti, ma sfiderà l'Inghilterra senza Deco, Cristiano Ronaldo e Costinha. Olanda generosa ma eliminata, con una domanda che tutta una nazione farà al c.t. Van Basten: con un attacco così sterile, perché Van Nistelrooy si è goduto il Far West dalla panchina?"

Pedro Martínez: you´re not seeing the game right...

1 - The referee was guilty of ruining the game, stressing both teams.

2 - Most of the cards were correct, but a match is for MEN, not sissi players like the USA team...

3 - The dutch were the first to be unsportman. They injures Ronaldo in a brutal aggression which deserved a red card, not a yellow card.

4 - The dutch team didn´t give the ball to Portugal, in a wrong decision of the referee who stopped the game when the portuguese player was running alone for the dutch goalkeeper. Then the dutch team must have been fair and give the ball to Portugal. That´s why Deco tackled the dutch player a few seconds later...

4 - Portugal have done a great match, due to all these circunstances, and we deserved to win the game...

WatfordFC: nope, it wasn´t Bruno. I said at the pit that Ramone´s english was not good. Not Bruno :)

But Bruno is right, I love to tell lies about him... LOL

Andersp: Deco is not portuguese. He is brasilian and he will never be an hero in Portugal.

But Figo will always be an hero. And the dutch deserved that nice "head"...

WatfordFC: :))))))))

Pedro Martínez: eheh, of course you´re supporting England on next game... We can´t go to the semi-finals...

BTW, it was a tough match, but the referee was the worst at the pitch. The player which injures Cristiano Ronaldo deserved a red card, not a yellow one.

Figo, you´re the best. You showed that chicken dutch that soccer is for MEN whit capital letters...

I bet if it was USA on the pitch they would be running away to their mums... Crying like babies...

PPPPPPPPOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTUUUUUUUGGGGGAAAALLLLLL!!!!

what does it mean "inghilterra"?

Walter Montego: Sex act? Hum... I´m seeing his message was changed...

But it´s funny how Ghana hit right in American´s proud... :)

eheh, Czuch is a nice guy...

Marfitalu: eheh, they are on lead for now... They will win with 3 draws and no losses... But no victories either...

Pedro Martínez: Than Greece for sure...

I bet on Argentina to win the World Cup... It´s the strongest team we have seen so far. And they are motivated with Maradona´s presence on the stadium... LOL

skipinnz: no problem :)

Marfitalu: Now you have said everything... Agreed 100%

Gabriel Almeida:

As long as Portugal do it better than USA, I´m happy... Isn´t that right Czuch?

2-0

Czuch Chuckers: I´m really sorry for that...

Marfitalu: :)

Pedro Martínez: yep, it was an horrible game. It´s a shame, we´ve some talented players, Figo is in a very good shape agian at 34, but we don´t have a coach...

Czuch Chuckers: When is your team going to play? It´s oday, isn´t it?

Czuch Chuckers:

Your good humour will be down today...

Czuch Chuckers: eheh, and you know where to catch me. Just follow backgammonpro29. I will be near him... :)

Czuch Chuckers: Tomorrow will be our first game against Angola.

And don´t be afraid. I will not disappear. I will be here to ask for my prize...

Czuch Chuckers: Are you already crying for the lost membership?

Yupieee for Sporting!!!!! We´re on the champions...

TeamBundy: yep, I posted your link in the portuguese board and gave the chance of other portuguese players to join your tournament.

BTW, I think your idea is great. :)

Pedro Martínez: He ís already nervous, and the world cup didn´t even started...