Lucho's Porto ready to seize their chance
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
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An impressive performer in last week's 2-2 draw with Manchester United FC, FC Porto captain Lucho said "there are some butterflies but we are confident and know what we have to do" ahead of Wednesday's decider.
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Lucho may have recommended a nice Argentinian wine for his coach Jesualdo Ferreira to deliver to Sir Alex Ferguson, but the FC Porto playmaker is confident that this is all Manchester United FC will take away with them from the Estádio do Dragão on Wednesday night.
Belief
One of the impressive Porto performers in last week's 2-2 first-leg draw, the 28-year-old Lucho said: "There are some butterflies but we are confident. We know what we have to do." And if Porto raised eyebrows with their bold attacking display at Old Trafford, Lucho insisted he was not in the least surprised. "I don't know why people said [United] were favourites and we weren't. We believed in our qualities and we showed them. Now everyone is saying we played a great game but we are relaxed and we will try to do tomorrow what we need to do to get through."
Mischief
Can they expect a tougher match this time against a United side fighting to retain their crown? "I hope not. We'll try and make sure they aren't better." Just as Porto did not defer to United on the field of play last week, so the team captain mixed his praise with a touch of mischief when asked which opposition players he admired in addition to Cristiano Ronaldo. "I never said at any moment that I admire Cristiano Ronaldo," he replied. "Obviously he is a great player and was voted the best in the world right now. But they have other good players. All the players at United are there for a reason – that is why they are the best in the world and have won the trophies they've won. We know they have great players but it doesn't mean anything to me."
'Great spectacle'
This is the Portuguese titleholders' first UEFA Champions League quarter-final since their triumphant campaign in 2004 and Lucho believes they will enjoy the occasion, just as they did the first leg. "We know that a lot of players would like to be in our position, and we have to enjoy this moment. As I see it, it will be a hard game like the game in Manchester. We will try to play our game and do what we have to do. I think it will be a great spectacle above all and we hope to enjoy it."