We kick off our 2007/08 Champions League proper campaign this Tuesday and it's off to Porto's Estadio do Dragão (Stadium of the Dragon) for a match against the reigning Portuguese Champions. Considering both Liverpool and Porto are veterans of European Competition it's a suprise that we have only met once competetivley, in the two-legged UEFA Cup Quarter Final of 2001, a year all reds fans remember fondly. The away tie at Porto's then stadium, Estadio das Antas, finished 0-0. Liverpool went on to win 2-0 at Anfield, with goals from Michael Owen and Danny Murphy.
FC PORTO v LIVERPOOL FC
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE
Tuesday 18th September 2007
Estadio do Dragão, Porto
Kick-off: 19:45Porto's 2007/08 campagin began with a loss in the Supercup to Sporting, but they have since bounced back to win 4 out of 4 league games, and sit at the top of the table.
In order to lose my Spyin Kop virginity I've dusted down my Portuguese dictionary and spent the last few days on the site of the Super Dragões, the main group of FCP Ultras. I had a bit of apprehension that comes from seeing the world 'Ultras' but they were a very friendly bunch, so many thanks to them. I've translated their replies, a selection of which you can read below. Note that these replies were written before they played Maritimo on Saturday night (Porto won 1-0).
1. So, how has the season been going so far?l0uKO_FCP: It’s going beautifully, 3 games, 3 victories!
beerboy: Very well. Apart from the defeat in the Super Cup, the rest is all within normality.
Mr.ti: Bad. We lost the first trophy of the season.
2. What are your expectations for this season?l0uKO_FCP: To win the league, the cup, and to go as far as possible in the CL because we have the capacities for this
Mr.ti: To win everything in Portugal and in the CL, to get past the group stage, and after that…
Serg7o^^: We enter each competition to win it. Our objective is to win the the treble, but we know how difficult the champions league is.
beerboy: Domestically, to win everything. As for the Cl… we know that it’s more difficult, but care and luck, MOSCOW HERE WE COME!
3. Who do you think is your most important player(s)?l0uKO_FCP: All are important but the ones we can’t do without are Bruno Alves, Bosingwa, Lucho Gonzalez, Raul Meireles, and Quaresma
Mr.ti: Zebó!
beerboy: The team of FCPorto
4. And the worst?l0uk0_FCP: Worst? It’s difficult to answer because we still haven’t played much.
mr.ti: The fans that boo/whistle Zebó!
beerboy: The opposition
5. Any young up and coming players in the squad that we might not know about? Who is the next Quarsma?l0uk0_FCP: For me, the great player of the future of FCP is going to be Leandro Lima (“The Next Anderson”)
Mr. ti: Some young players have been making appearances. The one you might get to know is Leandrinho.
beerboy: We don’t need to have a next R. Quaremsa… we have enough, Bruno Gama, Vierinha, H. Barbosa, Paulo Machado, and Castro for example.
6. Speaking of whom, Quaresma is player that a lot of people have been talking about in the past year. What is your opinion of him? Is he your best player?l0uk0_FCP: They are all good but Quaresma makes the difference. For this he is one of the most important and one of the best.
Mr.ti: He is technically very good, but I value the whole team
beeryboy: Quaresma is a good player… but plays for a team, that lately doesn’t have best or worst players when all are working for the same objective
vera_teixeira: Very unstable. If he has a good night, he isn’t good – he’s fantastic. But if it’s not going well, he rarely finishes the game without a card, and also I think that he sticks to the sideline a lot… but it’s without doubt that he is very important for the team.
7. What sort of line-up will be put out against us?l0uk0_FCP: helton, b.alves, emanuel, fucile, bosingwa, p.assunçao, meireles, lucho, quaresma, tarik, (or lisandro), and adriano.
Mr.ti: Helton, Fucile, Zebo, B.Alves , J.Paulo, P.Assunção, R.Meireles, Lucho, Quaresma, Lizandro e Adriano
beerboy: The team that the manager believes that will go into the game, 100%, and play for victory.
8. Do you have any favourite/best chant(s) and perhaps any that require an explanation?l0uk0FCP: "ALLEZ PORTO ALLEZ, NOS SOMOS A TUA VOZ, QUEREMOS ESTA VITORIA CONKISTA-A POR NOS! E QUEM NAO SALTA E LAMPIAO! EM QUALQUER LADO EM QUALQUER ESTADIO SO PARA TE VER PORTO ALLEZ! ALLEZ QUARESMA ALLEZ! PORTO ES A NOSSA VIDA, ESTA CURVA NUNCA TE VAI DEIXAR! ALLEZ OH ALLEZ OH FORÇA PORTO FAZ O GOLO!"
Between others, lol.
Author: Allez porto allez, we are your voice, we want this victory, conquer it for us! And anyone who doesn’t jump is a lampião*, In any place, at any stadium, just to see you Porto, Allez! Allez Quaresma, Allez, Porto you are our life, this stand - will always be at your side! Allez oh Allez oh, Come on Porto, score a goal!
- * derogatory slang word for Benfica fans
- ** refers to the stand behind the goal
(thanks to Miura from SuperDragoes for confirming this, and making some corrections)
Mr.ti: Our anthem isn’t YNWA… Everytime I hear it [ynwa], I get goosebumps. Of the rest, I hope it’ll be a good night for the Super Dragões, so you’ll hear all our songs.
Beerboy: First, you are going to hear our Anthem. You can download it if you want, - (
www.fcporto.pt/sons/hino.zip ). After, the usual songs. (again, if you want to hear -
link)
Vera_Teixeira: "Pronuncia do norte, somos nós, ânsia de vencer" (Author:
The Northern accent, It's us, The winning angst.)
9. If you follow the english league, what is your opinion on our team? who do you think will win this year?l0uk0FCP: I think that it’s going to be Chelsea
mr.ti: Liverpool always have a good team and this year they have invested a lot, but I believe that MU and Chelsea are stronger.
Beerboy: Liverpool have a good team like all years, it’s a shame the others had better teams! I liked Millwall, but I’m having doubts because they’re not present on a major scale.
Serg7o^^: Excellent signings in attack with El Niño and Babel but I think that the defence is a little vulnerable. I think that Chelsea will win the league this year.
10. Which Liverpool player will you fear the most?l0uK0FCP: Gerrard
Mr.ti: Crouch, more than anything because of his stature!
BeerBoy: The twelfth. YNWA is simply fantastic.
11. Liverpool recently announced plans for a new stadium, which we will use from 2010. You have been in the Estadio do Dragão for a few years now, what is your opinion of this stadium, and do you miss the Estadio das Antas?l0uk0FCP: In terms of the conditions, the Estadio do Dragão is of course, much better, but the Estadio das Antas had a unique mystique. The Dragon does too but it’s not the same thing.
Mr.ti: I like the Dragão, it’s very practical and functional, and is amongst the best in Europe. Don’t talk about the Antas or I’ll cry…
Beerboy: Our Estadio das Antas… the true terror for the opposition… great days and nights that we will never better...
Serg70^^: It’s the most beautiful stadium in Europe. Do I miss it? The move is for better, so not much.
12. And finally, care to predict the score?l0uk0FCP: I think that we’re going to win 2-1
Mr.ti: We win in the Dragão and draw at Anfield.
Beerboy: We’re going to win both games!
I'd like to say Obrigadissimo to the admin of Superdragoes and to each Portista that responded. Also a very special thank you to me missus for correcting my various Portuguese grammar mistakes and putting up with me massacring her native language.
The original thread can be found here: link (Portuguese)
I translated all the other answers from the thread that weren't included above, and put them here: link
© Ben Nelson, 2007