Match Day: Angola vs. Portugal

This is the day we have all been waiting for. Angola makes its World Cup debut tonight against Portugal with most people in the world seeing the Palancas Negras play for the first time. I’ll admit I am going to probably be a little choked up when they walk out onto the pitch and play the national anthem.

There aren’t many people giving Angola a chance to win this game. But there weren’t many people who thought Trinidad and Tobago would draw against Sweden. As we learned from that game yesterday, anything can happen in the World Cup if a team plays hard and has a little bit of luck on its side.

Some things I will be looking for in this match are:

1. How Angola plays early. If they come out scared or nervous it could be a long night. Let’s hope the guys concentrate on playing mistake-free football for the first 15 minutes and they settle into a good groove.
2. The battle in the midfield. Our midfield is overmatched on paper but if they play hard they can neutralize Portugal’s excellent players.
3. The bench. For some reason I think a hero might emerge from the bench. Call it a haunch.

Bob and the gang will be liveblogging the match so go ahead and join them. I’ll offer some thoughts on the game after the final whistle.

I am so excited that it is hard to type any more. I wish both teams the best of luck. Go Angola!