BIG PHIL Scolari can change a game, Sven can’t.
He is a boisterous character who lives each game. He lets the game pulse through him and responds to it and plays a role in it.
So Big Phil is a player during the game, while Sven just sits on his hands.
Since most games in the last eight are close, and often won by one goal, that gives Portugal a big advantage on Saturday.
Big Phil’s unerring grasp of the ebb and flow, the nuts and bolts of who should be marking who, was shown clearly in the Portugal-Holland game, where his responses, his substitutions, his tactical switches, were bullseye every time.
He started with 4-5-1 and they scored after 23 : Ronaldo to Deco on the right, low cross, two tiny touches by Pauleta to set up Maniche, a dummy to deceive centreback Ooijer, a quick skip two feet to the right and bang !
When Costinha was sent off in 45, Big Phil delayed his choice of sub till the whistle went for the interval.
At half-time I thought Portugal could win 1-0 with ten men. Holland did not impress me. They were clogging and diving and striker Dirk Kuyt was average and found it hard to play with Robben and Robin van Persie.Who doesn’t?
Big Phil did not need another goal, so he brought on Petit for Pauleta, and put Figo up front with Simao floating and Deco supplying them, a 4-2-1-2 formation.
The Dutch were not good enough to score against ten men, although Cocu hit the bar.
After 62, the thuggish right back Boulahrouz was at last sent off, and after 77 Deco followed him and in stoppage time Gio van Bronckhorst got the fourth red card of the game.
MARCO VAN BASTEN handled defeat with dignity. He has learned a lot in the last three weeks and will sign an improved contract.
ENGLAND have conceded only two goals in four games. But they haven’t played anybody yet.They beat Paraguay with an own goal, Trinidad with two late goals, drew with Sweden, and beat Ecuador with a free-kick.
Against Ecuador, Joe Cole stunk the place out.
If Joe ever plays well for England again, he should be dropped. Because he will have a stinker in the next game.
Without Mourinho screaming at him, Joe reverts back to all his bad habits. Against Sweden he scored a goal, made a goal, won man of the match, got surrounded by backslappers. So in the next game he thought he was Pele.
BECKHAM’s free-kick was the difference.
But he was ill going onto the field. He had not told his manager or the medical staff.He didn’t play well but when he needed one kick to win the game, one kick with a new ball that nobody can keep down, he hit the inside of the post and we won.
If Beckham had missed, and we had lost 1-0, he would now be accused of putting his ego before his country.
As the FA Cup shows us every year, there is a very, very fine line between success and failure in knock-out football. Ask Cocu.
TODAY I SAW John, my gambling greengrocer. He had £100 on Italy to draw at half-time and win in 90 minutes and Italy got a penalty four seconds from the end and John won £350.
Today he bets on Ghana not losing by more than two goals.
I’m so pleased for Ukraine keeper Shovkovsky.He has had a career with too many heartbreaking moments : Effenberg’s 40 yard free-kick for Bayern v Dynamo Kiev, last day dramas and blunders in qualification for 2002 and 2004.
Last night Shevchenko missed the first penalty in the shoot-out against Switzerland but Shovkowsky saved two and one hit the bar and they won the penalties 3-0.
Ukraine carry the ball too much in the middle third. Passing is quicker and more penetrating.