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James Whittaker: I've been told by our Portuguese friends that we've been a bit Anglo-centric in our commentaries so far.

So, in deference to them, this round table is about diving and trying to get players sent off.... Er, I mean Portugal...

We've also recruited Tuff Dogs' president and Portugal fan Manny Faria as a guest pundit.

Seriously, can Portugal go on and win the World Cup now? How do you think they measure up against the other teams left in the tournament?

How important is the Scolari factor? Are Deco and Ronaldo going to step up and show they are among the world's best players or will the old master Zidane teach them a lesson?

More importantly, in my view, do Portugal have the strikers? They have pulled Pauleta off in both games and have played with no strikers at all at certain stages.



Chris Gibbons: Just about every team has been trying to cynically cheat the referees at some point (Brazil's Ronaldo gets the award so far for the clumsiest) so I don't think Portugal are that different from anyone else. It seems to be a sad fact of the game these days that is highlighted by the extensive and detailed TV coverage. It will continue to blight the game until FIFA allows officials to review video replays.

Can Portugal win the World Cup? At this stage it's anyone's cup to win. The match with France could be a cracker. Portugal certainly have the pace but to date have certainly lacked the penetration. If Zidane is on form again, then it could tip the balance. Portugal need to keep a tight rein on Henry. With the classy skills of Trezuguet, Saha and Wiltord available, it puzzles me why France don't play with more than one upfront. I think Portgual have the edge defensively and in Ricardo they probably have one of the best big-match players in the world right now. Penalties again, anyone?



George Holdipp: I hate to say this but I am still not convinced by Portugal. England should have won that match on Saturday. Joe Cole and Frank Lampard failed to convert golden opportunities. They had chances that should have been put away at this level but failed to convert them and the Portuguese took it on penalties. France with Zidane, Viera and Henry however are a different proposition altogether — they are a classy outfit, the French defence looks solid and they are peaking at the right moment. Quite frankly, I believe Scolari's luck will finally run out. I just hope the Portuguese supporters, including my mate 'Fusebox', will be able to handle it!



Chris Gibbons: I agree, George. All this talk about Scolari outwitting Eriksson in three matches is nonsense. I'm not decrying Scolari's obvious talent nor defending Erikkson's often bizarre selections and formations, but winning twice on penalties — both matches that England should and could have won — doesn't mean the man's a tactical genius. Portugal didn't win either match — England lost them. Me, bitter? Not much.



JW: Personally I'd like to see Portugal win and put another name on the World Cup honours roll.

I think they need to step it up a gear, but they have the capacity to do so. My main concern is the form of Pauleta. The Portuguese defence is solid, the midfield is a bag of tricks and their keeper, as Chris says, is a match-winner. Up-front, Pauleta is not firing. He never seems to bring his A-game to major tournaments and Portugal don't have any options on the bench in that department.

On the subject of Scolari — he may not have outwitted Eriksson over three matches but he's done it over the course of three tournaments. The head-to-head games may not be as clear cut as they first seem. But the tournament record speaks for itself. World Cup winner with Brazil, European Cup runner-up with Portugal, who he has now taken to the semis of the World Cup.

Let's not forget this is a Portugal side that had done absolutely nothing in World football for the last 30 or so years until Scolari took over — even with the so-called 'golden generation'. I don't know if he's a tactical genius or not... But he's good at winning football matches.

Manny Faria: I'm a bit sick and tired of every English fan blaming Carvalho and Ronaldo for their loss on Saturday. I am confident most of us would have shared the same expression as Carvalho if Rooney's boot had found our prized possessions. You call it acting, I call it agony. I can't possibly see how Rooney's red card was Ronaldo's fault either. I dare you to find out how many fallen players have had a teammate approach the ref after a foul.

Ronaldo's action was not uncommon. I also find it hard to believe that this young player has the power to order a referee to send off another player. If he does have that ability then maybe he should just tell Blatter to hand over the trophy to Portugal now.

MF: Just to finish my point. The English press always looks to blame someone for their losses. It's never their fault. It sure wasn't Portugal's fault that Sven took two injured strikers and only two healthy strikers, including an unproven 17-year-old. How many Arsenal reserve games did Sven actually watch in scouting this player? It's not Portugal's fault that he decided to play a 4-5-1 even though Portugal were missing key players in their midfield. It's not Portugal's fault that Sven can't find a system that allows his two best players to co-exist in the same midfield.

Gerrard and Lampard were disappointing to say the least. It's not Portugal's fault that Rooney stomped Carvalho. It's not their fault that Lennon was not utilised earlier. It's not Portugal's fault that England couldn't score and it's not Portugal's fault that England missed three penalties. In saying that, I was impressed with the determination England played with after going a man down. It was a tough loss. It could've gone either way but I'm happy it ended the way it did. I see Portugal is once again an underdog on Wednesday. That suits us just fine. That is the type of fuel Scolari needs to energize his team. Everyone talks of how Scolari is a great tactition, but I think his great ability to motivate his team is his greatest asset.

JW: Couldn't agree more about England. I think English fans are tired of excuses now. Through the tournament we weren't good enough to be in the last four and although the diving of some of the Portuguese players was a bit over the top it wasn't the decisive factor. England didn't play well all tournament. Ironically, the performance against Portugal (with 10 men) was probably their best. Still not good enough, though. Haven't been over-impressed with Portugal either and think they will need to find a cutting edge up front if they are to go any further in this tournament.

MF: I agree. We can't keep relying on our midfield to win games. Pauleta is one of the few players who doesn't spark under Scolari. Players such as Maniche, Miguel, Meira and Ricardo look like stars playing for Portugal. As good as Ronaldo is for Manchester United, he's a much better player for Portugal. Everyone was ready to give up on Figo and he looks far better than he did four years ago. This is what Scolari gets out of his players. He would have been the perfect fit for England. Can you imagine that England team playing with some spirit, passion and belief in one another?

As for the Portugal versus France game I must admit I'm a bit nervous. I can't believe France has flown under the radar. They have an exceptional team. Their midfield is old but fantastic. Viera, Makelele and Zidane have looked as good as ever. This guy Ribery has also been fantastic. Keeper Barthez is the weakest link.

Portugal does match up well with them in midfield and will have Deco back. Remember he has won three European trophies in the last four years. I also think Portugal will be better organized than Brazil in defence. They have only conceded one goal so far in the tournament. Carvalho has been awesome and Portugal won't gift France a goal as Brazil did. The difference will be up front. I don't see Pauleta scaring the French backline all that much. But since he plies his trade in France he might have something to prove. As far as predictions go, I think it will be a very cagey match. I will say Portugal 2-1 with all goals coming in the last 30 minutes. Ronaldo will finally score after one of his runs. Either Deco or Maniche will seal the game with a long range effort.

JW: Another penalty shoot out, I believe, with Ricardo the hero again.[[In-content Ad]]

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