Flyers - 2008/2009 Portuguese “Superliga” season preview (part 1):

Here's my 2008/2009 Portuguese “Superliga” season preview:

Porto
Porto is the current title holders and has won the title in the last 3 seasons.
They lost influential players like right back Bosingwa (Chelsea), defensive midfielder Paulo Assunção (At. Madrid) and star winger Ricardo Quaresma seems to be on his way to join Italy’s Inter Milan. If Quaresma does leave the club this will be a big blow for them.
The new hirings are still failling to impress and Porto, usually a defensively tight team at the back, might have some trouble there this season in particular at the wings where they currently look vulnerable.
They still have a very good team and some top stars like Argentina Internationals Lisandro Lopez (who had a tremendous season last year scoring a total of 24 goals) and midfielder Lucho Gonzalez and also Uruguay International winger Christian Rodriguez who moved from Benfica.
Despite being weaker (this season) in terms of defensive processes IMO, I still expect them to be top contenders for the title.

Benfica
Benfica had one of their worst seasons in their history last year, so this year they can really do nothing else but to improve.
Star playmaker Rui Costa stopped playing, is now the new head of Football Operations and is doing a terrific job so far IMO.
Benfica kept all their best players (except Christian Rodriguez who was at the club on a one year loan and moved to Porto), hired Spanish coach Quique Flores who I see as a great coach and predict a great future within the next few years.
Among other players, Benfica also hired Portuguese International midfielders Carlos Martins (Huelva) and Ruben Amorim (Belenenses), Argentina International Pablo Aimar (Zaragoza) and Jose Antonio Reyes (At. Madrid) and is still expected to sign either Luis Garcia (Espanol) or Suazo (Inter Milan).
Benfica has all the resources they need to have a good season (IMO they could and should still improve at the right back position) but as they have several new players they might need some time to adjust and play as a team and not a group of players.
I expect them to fight hard for the title this season (1^st game away to recently promoted Rio Ave and 2^nd game at home against Porto are crucial to start the season “in the right foot” and give them momentum) and have a good run in the UEFA Cup.

Sporting
Sporting won the Cup and the Super Cup last season (they just won this season’s Super Cup last weekend against Porto) but had a mediocre season in the league mainly because they did a horrible job when playing away from home.
They will be looking at improving their league performance and hired Portuguese International defender Marco Caneira (Valencia) and defensive midfielder Fabio Rochemback (Middlesbrough).
There are still talks in the Portuguese Media about Captain and Portuguese International midfielder João Moutinho moving to Everton before the transfer deadline, which would be a loss for Sporting in the short term.
Sporting will also have to live without their top striker Liedson until, at least, late September or early October as he’s still recovering from a knee surgery.
Sporting’s weakness IMO is the right back and left back positions and also the fact that the keeper is inexperienced when compared to Benfica’s and Porto’s keepers.
In order to be strong title contenders they will need to improve their away performance and to improve their away performance they need to improve in terms of psychological strength.
If they can do that, we’ll see the closest title race in many years in Portugal.

Braga
I rate Braga as this season’s 4^th club in the country right after the 3 usual “big boys” but in sports and in soccer in particular, you never know…
Braga has a very good coach in Jorge Jesus (hired from Belenenses), kept their best players and hired some very good players like Keeper Eduardo (returned from a tremendous season at Setúbal where he was on a 1 year loan), Alan (Guimarães), Mossoró (Marítimo) and Meyong (Belenenses).
I surely expect them to be close to the “top 3” for most of the season and look for one of the big clubs to have a poor season and get to the podium.

flyers you forgot about one of my favorite players, BALBOA a young spanish player (he is actually grom guinea I think,he is black) plays as a right midfielder, really fast, he is tall, he comes from real madrid I think it was for 4,6 millons, keep an eye on him,

flyers you forgot about one of my favorite players, BALBOA a young spanish player (he is actually grom guinea I think,he is black) plays as a right midfielder, really fast, he is tall, he comes from real madrid I think it was for 4,6 millons, keep an eye on him,

hahaha ok flyers, im I die hard fan 4 real madrid, and he have been one of my favorite player for aloooong time, believe me he would do greeeeeeat I think I would wach all benficas game only for him, looking foward to see balboa-reyes-aimar

Hi Flyers cant wait to follow your picks tokorrow.  Always good to see your posts.  Thanks for all the tips

Great player, should add some more firepower upfront!

thats what they need very badly!

I'll be on a box seat with my kid tonight cheering for Benfica