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Europa League 2010-11
Topic Started: Jul 29 2010, 12:33 PM (1,681 Views)
The Artful Codger
Advanced Member
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Falcao was sensational for Porto and now has 15 goals in the competition so this was not the story of a forward just having one memorable night, he is a legitimate goalscorer. Great eye for goal and good heading ability even though he is not a particularly tall player. But timing and leaping ability he has. Porto walked away with the Portuguese league title and also won their domestic Cup, they are close to achieving a triple and will have done it by playing all Portuguese teams! Now that they crushed Villarreal, Porto will be overwhelming favourites in a Final against either Benfica or Braga.
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El Profe
Advanced Member
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Radamel Falcao is having a wonderful season, the best since he arrived in Europe and Porto really have been an all conquering team this season. They usually are a selling club but with money from the Champions League coming in for next season I hope they can keep this team together as I would like to see how they could do in the Champions league. To my eye this Porto team, if it had been in the Champions League this year, would have been competitive with all of Europe's big name and money teams.
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cafetero
Advanced Member
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Porto are building up quite a following in Colombia with their three Colombian players, Falcao, Guarin and the teenaged James Rodriguez. All 5 goals in this win over Villarreal were scored by either Falcao or Guarin too as each played very well. Porto are a very quick team with a lot of power but they have some skillful midfielders too, notably Guarin and Moutinho. I share El Profe's hope that Porto can keep its team together as it would be fascinating to see how this team would do against Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan or Manchester United.
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Pepe
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Absolutely beautiful work from Porto and their half time changes of putting more pressure on Villarreal's midfield really paid off. But my word, Villarreal's defence just fell apart in that 2nd period. Villarreal are a pretty good team but they do have this habit of occasionally just completely losing it. Last night's 2nd half was one of those occasions. And like others here I too would like to see Porto keep this team intact and see how they will do against the traditonal powers in the Champions League. Like Borussia Dortmund in Germany this is a team on the rise but one which because of finances will have many of its players being targeted by wealthier clubs.
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Manzanares
Advanced Member
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Villarreal 3-2 Porto (4-7 Porto on aggregate)
Braga 1-0 Benfica (2-2 on aggregate, Braga advance on away goals)

Villarreal got a late penalty to defeat Porto but they never came close to making up the 5-1 deficit from game 1. The surprise of the day, however, was Braga getting a goal from Custodio and making it hold up for a 1-0 win over Benfica which sends Braga through to the final on away goals after a 2-2 tie after both legs. Braga were holding on at the end as Benfica were in all out attack but their defensive organization which saw them get past Liverpool and Dynamo Kyiv in previous rounds also allowed them to hold off Benfica and advance to the final. A historic night for Braga who advance to their first European final. But the power of portugal, Porto await them as Porto, already league champion will be going for a triple as they also play the Portuguese cup Final later this month too. few would bet against porto but Braga may have the defense to keep the final close.
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Merengue
Administrator
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Impressive defensive work from Braga as Benfica just could not find a way through them. In many ways it is refreshing to see a modest club like Braga make it this far, but they have done so by primarily playing some pretty negative football.

Porto may have lost 3-2 to Villarreal, their first away loss in Europe this season but it mattered little after their big first leg win. In the league Porto, with 2 games left, have a 21 point lead on 2nd place Benfica and a 35 point margin over 3rd place Braga. There will be little doubt who will be favored in Dublin at this Europa League Final.
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Pepe
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Wow a league even more unbalanced than Spain's! Porto will be huge favorites but any club who can defend like Braga will still have a fighting chance. But an early Porto goal and the game could turn ugly.
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Manzanares
Advanced Member
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Tomorrow is the final Porto-Braga, two clubs situated only 47km apart traveling all the way to Dublin, over 1300km away!

Braga's coach Domingos used to be a good striker for Porto in the 1990s and tomorrow's final will be his final game coaching the club as he and peruvian defender Alberto Rodriguez are leaving for Sporting Lisbon this summer.

These are the expected lineups for tomorrow's game:

Porto: Helton; Cristian Sapunaru, Rolando, Maicon, Alvaro Pereira; Fredy Guarin, Fernando, Joao Moutinho; Hulk, Falcao, Silvestre Varela.

Braga: Artur Moraes; Miguel Garcia, Alberto Rodriguez, Paulao, Silvio; Alan, Vandinho, Custodio, Hugo Viana; Lima, Meyong.


Obviously Porto are the favorites and 1st place Porto finished 38 points ahead of 4th place Braga in the Portuguese league this season but Braga got here on their own merits and eliminated Liverpool, Dynamo Kiev and Benfica to make this, the first European final in the club's history.
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Martin
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I have not seen much of Braga this season but Porto have been a really enjoyable team to watch. Defensively they may be a little vulnerable which gives Braga some hope tonight but when Porto attack they are a very dynamic and entertaining team. And it is not just their excellent forwards Hulk and Falcao but winger Varela and midfielder Guarin also are very good at getting into dangerous positions while the club's wingbacks are good going forward. It is refreshing to read in our Portugal thread how Porto are trying to keep this all conquering team together and if they do then they will be a team to watch in next year's Champions League.
Club Sportivo Desamparados
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Don Balon
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A 1-0 victory for Porto. They were definitely the better team, especially in the first half but could not break through Braga's well run defence, until a defender gave the ball away just before half and Guarin cut the ball back and served a delightful cross for Falcao to head in.

During the 2nd half Porto looked a little nervy to me while Braga tried forcing the play but really lacked ideas and quality to threaten Porto's goal. Not a classic final but a deserved win by a team having an extraordinary season, well done to Porto who go for their own treble on Sunday in their domestic Cup final.
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Hector
Advanced Member
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A beautiful finish by Falcao and a nice cross from Guarin. I agree with Don Balon's view that Porto looked a little nervous in the 2nd half yet they to me always looked the better team. Braga never really tested Helton the Porto goalkeeper. A nice job to get to the final by Braga but in this game you could see the difference in quality. A little consolation for this Sevilla fan is Sevilla gave Porto their most difficult match in the knockout stage of the competition only losing out on goal difference. But a deserved title for Porto who are having a dream season.
iPuerta amigo, Sevilla esta contigo!
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Rufus T. Firefly
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What the others said, Porto were the better team, Guarin served the ball on a platter for Falcao but in the 2nd half Porto became surprisingly cautious. Yet no question they were the better team. Maybe it was a situation where each club's familiarity with the other made for a less thrilling spectacle?
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valenciano
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I will join the chorus here in commenting that while the game was not a classic, Porto clearly were the better team. And yes I do agree Rufus that the familiarity the two clubs have with one another led to some of the less than stellar play. We have seen it before when two clubs from the same nation meet in a final, Real Madrid-Valencia in 2000, Manchester United-Chelsea in 2008, even this year's semifinal between Barcelona & Real Madrid, when two clubs from the same league meet in Europe, their familiarity with one another enables them to generally blot out what the other intends to do.

But today Porto's greater quality eventually came through. I was curious to see how Hugo Viana would do in midfield for Braga, he was generally considered a wash up at Valencia and Newcastle but I had read he had a pretty good season for Braga. Well,in this game he was his usual self, at least to what I am accustomed, and his main contribution before being subbed off was getting a yellow card! I liked Porto's midfield of Fernando, Moutinho and Guarin and they successfully took control of this match. Hulk is a real handful with his movement, strength and dribbling ability and Falcao is simply one of those old time finishers, he may not contribute much to the build up of play but get him the ball near goal and he will find a way to score.

So at 33 Andres Villas Boas is the youngest coach to ever win a European club title. His future is incredibly bright but he has said he will be staying with Porto, his hometown club, next season and believes his players will remain too. Falcao said he intends to do the same and Hulk has just signed a new contract so there could be a good chance we will see this successful Porto side remain intact for next season's Champions League. That is a very enticing thought. And for Braga, this has been a wonderful run for them reaching their first European final, no shame in losing as they did to this Porto and this will be a season their fans will not soon forget.
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