Ricardo picspam - part 3

Some of Ricardo's photos while playing at his current club Real Betis Sevilla.

It's still a mystery for me why he had chosen Betis which is not too big club...











Photos from the match with Barcelona (February 2009).



Dueling with Eto'o in the penalty box (not a good idea).



He was amazing at Betis Sevilla - FC Barcelona match.



If glance could kill... Look-of-doom!



Only a week later there was a distastrous match with Real Madrid. Betis lost it 1:6, all goals scored in the first half.





Another look-of-doom. This time for the defenders I guess.

I really prefer to see him happy.



Defenses:



Portugal - Angola, World Cup 2006.



Betis - Barca. He had 12 interventions.





And few caps from Portugal - Poland match at Chorzów (fall of 2006, eliminations for Euro 2008).



Before the match.



During the match. Can you see that look full of reproachful? Portugal defense had bad day, left Ricardo more than once in situation one to one, two to one, three to one (on the contrary Polish attack had very good day - it usually happens once a year).



Bad thing of this result of the match (it was first time since 20 years when Poland actually win with a team from the top of UEFA ranking) and of the draw year later (ball bouncing from Ricardo's back near the end of the match and there was 2:2 after Krzynówek's shot.



Another look-of-doom. I couldn't stop myself from posting this as well. This is Polish goalkeeper, Wojciech Kowalewski, also one of my favorite goalkeepers. That look was for the refeere who gave him a yellow card.

It was after that situation:



Portugal just scored a goal nearly the end of the match in additional time.





As you can see Ronaldo and Nuno Gomes were trying to take the ball from Kowalewski. Bad idea trying to take anything from him... I don't now what it was all about because after scoring the goal by Portugal it was Poland turn to start the game.

Back to Ricardo.

Another unhappy topic, friendly match with Greece, just before Euro 2008.





Portugal lost it 2:1. Ricardo's performance was not too impresive.



Boavista vs Celitc



Sporting Lisboa time.



One more portrait photo from his debut.

















Now I follow many players, all of them are goalkeepers. But Ricardo was the very first one.

I will always remember him like at Euro 2004. He was at the beginning of his international career, Euro was his first big event. His focused, defiant look at penalty shoot-out with England. Penalty save. Scored goal. Portugal in semi-final.



Hope to see him in the goal soon...

Ricardo picspam - part 2

Ricardo was back in Portuguese goal at World Cup.



And this time I was watching matches also at qualification level. To be honest they were not too interesting, but from the match with Angola I remember comments from the Internet: 'Two Ricardos in the goals, who is the real one?'



Of course this one.

That was great time for Portugal.



Ricardo stopped England second time. He became first goalkeeper who defended three penaties at penalty shoot-out in the history of the Championships.



He saved Lampard's penatly.



And Gerrard's.



Here Carragher shot a penalty but Ricardo didn't move. It was before the refeere's whistle so why bother?



And Ricardo did it again. Saved the third one!

And another match.



Despite what someone may think Ricardo defended that goal, not concieded it.



He was really good during that Championships.



Quick look at the bench and there is goalkeeper Quim. I like him too :)

And as for Quim...



Finally at qualification matches for World Cup 2010 he get his dreamed jersey with number 1.



And one more photo with Quim in the jersey with nr 1 (and of course the rest of the team, but I'm focused on goalkeepers). Pity that after waiting so long he didn't kept it too long...



But came back to Ricardo, it's his picspam! I like this photo, he looks really nice here.

Okay, just one more:



LOL! The defense at training. Quim is in the background (I will recognize his hair style EVERYWHERE).

Now came back to World Cup 2006.



Despite his great performance during the World Cup Ricardo was not able to defend the penalty which gave France the victory in the semi-final (I don't remember who fouled France player in the penalty box and I don't want to know).



He was so close!



But he doesn't have arms 2 meter long so...



It's really sad!

But no one blamed him after this. His performance during the World Cup was great.



Obrigado, Ricardo. Thank you.



Ricardo was named one of three best goalkeepers of the World Cup 2006 to all star team.

Unfortunately I must say that at Euro 2008 he was not as good as he should be. But he was not an exception. Portuguese team performance at Euro was far from being great.



It started nicely, but then the match with Switzerland come.



The team before the match.



It was Ricardo who gave the speech before the game to the team. I bet they didn't listen to him or he was bad at motivating them because Portugal lost 2:0. But the worst was yet to come.

Quarter-final with Germany.



Shoting Klose a look-of-doom didn't help.
Ricardo was not able to stop Germany. Portugal was eliminated :(