Post by QPR Report on Jun 7, 2009 6:42:17 GMT
I havent been following all the qualifying groups. Wow! That would be a shame...Need a coach, maybe?
The Times - Portugal in danger of missing World Cup
The semi-finalists at the 2006 tournament are likely not to feature in next year's event in South Africa Ian Hawkey, European Football Correspondent
PORTUGAL, semi-finalists at the last World Cup, runners-up at Euro 2004, arrived in Albania for last night’s 2010 qualifier in grave danger of missing the World Cup finals. Cristiano Ronaldo, sworn to silence on his immediate club career, was even prepared to comment on where he might or might not be next June. “We are not going to be at the World Cup next year if we don’t beat Albania,” he said.
They did . . . just. A Bruno Alves goal three minutes into stoppage time gave them a 2-1 win. Even so, leaders Denmark won 1-0 in Sweden to remain seven points clear of Portugal. Hungary are in second place four points clear of the Portuguese and still have two matches to play against them. By their next fixture in September, Portugal and Ronaldo, will still be struggling to be present at the biggest football event of the peak years of his career.
Some may not miss the world footballer of the year, but hosts South Africa will. Apart from the commercial advantages, the organisers, keen to celebrate their country’s ethnic diversity, were hoping that the local Portuguese-speaking community would make Ronaldo and his teammates among the most vividly supported visitors. So certain were they that Portugal would qualify that plans were well advanced to involve neighbouring Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony, as a site for warm-up games and some genuinely beneficial fundraising for the impoverished nation.
Those plans are now on tenterhooks. Portugal’s Mozambique-born head coach, Carlos Queiroz, had a disastrous start to his second stint as manager, after leaving his post as Sir Alex Ferguson’s No 2 at Manchester United. Queiroz, inset, who first gained prominence when he guided the so-called “Golden Generation” of Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Fernando Couto to world youth-level triumphs, seemed a catch for the Portuguese FA. However, he has flopped. A 0-0 draw at home to Albania was ominous enough; losing to Denmark at home was worse. Both his reputation and his relationship with the Portuguese press have suffered. Queiroz is an admired No 2, but his results as chief coach of scrutinised teams have been poor. He was sacked by South Africa after a disappointing African Cup of Nations in 2002; he was head coach of Real Madrid for one unsuccessful season, 2003-04.
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article6444852.ece
The Times - Portugal in danger of missing World Cup
The semi-finalists at the 2006 tournament are likely not to feature in next year's event in South Africa Ian Hawkey, European Football Correspondent
PORTUGAL, semi-finalists at the last World Cup, runners-up at Euro 2004, arrived in Albania for last night’s 2010 qualifier in grave danger of missing the World Cup finals. Cristiano Ronaldo, sworn to silence on his immediate club career, was even prepared to comment on where he might or might not be next June. “We are not going to be at the World Cup next year if we don’t beat Albania,” he said.
They did . . . just. A Bruno Alves goal three minutes into stoppage time gave them a 2-1 win. Even so, leaders Denmark won 1-0 in Sweden to remain seven points clear of Portugal. Hungary are in second place four points clear of the Portuguese and still have two matches to play against them. By their next fixture in September, Portugal and Ronaldo, will still be struggling to be present at the biggest football event of the peak years of his career.
Some may not miss the world footballer of the year, but hosts South Africa will. Apart from the commercial advantages, the organisers, keen to celebrate their country’s ethnic diversity, were hoping that the local Portuguese-speaking community would make Ronaldo and his teammates among the most vividly supported visitors. So certain were they that Portugal would qualify that plans were well advanced to involve neighbouring Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony, as a site for warm-up games and some genuinely beneficial fundraising for the impoverished nation.
Those plans are now on tenterhooks. Portugal’s Mozambique-born head coach, Carlos Queiroz, had a disastrous start to his second stint as manager, after leaving his post as Sir Alex Ferguson’s No 2 at Manchester United. Queiroz, inset, who first gained prominence when he guided the so-called “Golden Generation” of Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Fernando Couto to world youth-level triumphs, seemed a catch for the Portuguese FA. However, he has flopped. A 0-0 draw at home to Albania was ominous enough; losing to Denmark at home was worse. Both his reputation and his relationship with the Portuguese press have suffered. Queiroz is an admired No 2, but his results as chief coach of scrutinised teams have been poor. He was sacked by South Africa after a disappointing African Cup of Nations in 2002; he was head coach of Real Madrid for one unsuccessful season, 2003-04.
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article6444852.ece
Stick him up front with Altidore bringing in Adu on the wing seems obvious to me, not to coach Bradley though 
