That was of course our rather farcical 1-1 (or 4-4 after a penalty shootout) draw against Olympiakos last night, which leaves us with a chance of becoming only the second side from outside Portugal to win, to give it its full name, the Trofeu Internacional de Futebol do Guadiana.
To do so we’ll have to overcome a face that should be familiar to most of us. Hugo Viana signed for us ten years ago now and stayed with us for three seasons. He was dubbed as the next Portuguese superstar and arrived at St James’ Park with a better reputation than a young Cristiano Ronaldo who cam through the Sporting Lisbon academy at the same time as Viana.
Unfortunately for Viana his career path took an entirely different route to that of Ronaldo and I would say that it’s fair to suggest he was ultimately a failure during his spell on Tyneside. That’s not to say that I don’t think it could never have worked for him, but I just think everything weighed on him and he took his time to settle and adjust even though he did show brief glimpses of quality.
Still time moves on and so must we. Viana now plays for the “other side” tonight where he has become an integral part of their team. SC Braga are in the Europa League this season and, like us, must qualify from the same round that we are in so they aren’t a poor side by any stretch of the imagination.
On our part we can expect to see come faces who were rested last night. Jonas Gutierrez, Fabricio Coloccini, Danny Simpson, Cheik Tiote and Ryan Taylor all sat out the match last night so it’s fair to assume they’ll get the nod tonight. Yohan Cabaye will have to settle for a cameo role however, and that is only if the game is going a certain way according to Alan Pardew. That “certain way” is presumably not the way that Olympiakos were going about things last night!
The game is being shown live on ESPN, making my three month free offer seem like a really good deal as I’ve now watched the last four pre-season matches without the hassle of finding an internet stream listening to it legally and above aboard. However for those who don’t have ESPN I’m pretty sure it will be available somewhere… Kick-off is at 8:45pm UK time.
Team news will be added in below as and when it becomes available.
Howay the lads!
Newcastle: Steve Harper, Danny Simpson, Fabricio Colocini, James Tavernier, Jonas Gutierrez, Ryan Taylor, Cheik Tiote, Sylvain Marveaux, Demba Ba, Sammy Ameobi, Papiss Cisse
Subs: Tim Krul, James Tavernier, Paul Dummett, Steven Taylor, Davide Santon, James Perch, Romain Amalfitano, Gabriel Obertan, Gael Bigirimana, Haris Vuckic, Mehdi Abeid, Shola Ameobi
We should be good for a win tonight, and the first piece of silverware arriving at SJP. Howay the lads !
Munich Mag(Quote)
Nice save Toonsy 😉
Just watched the highlights of yesterdays game, learnt 3 things
1) S.Taylor is beast at going forward AND defending
2) Williamson wasn’t as much to blame for the goal as many made out
3) Cisse must NOT take penalties(as shouldn’t Ba)
andymag(Quote)
MM
😎 , the cabinet will need a major dusting job 😀
Do we actually get to put it in the cabinet ❓
andymag(Quote)
Hope it does not go too penaltys , i can’t handle the tension and pressure if it does 😯 😉
Axel(Quote)
ANDYMAG our penalty taker should be the Mackem slayer .
Axel(Quote)
andymag you said it mate….. get the old duster out, the toon are coming home with the pot !!
Munich Mag(Quote)
Should be Axel 😉 Mind you don’t know that Pardew would sub him on just to take a penalty 😆 . Cabaye is supposed to be pretty good, used to take Lille’s penalties and got the majority of his goals from them.
andymag(Quote)
Axel, are you going to the Den Haag game ?
My mate lives in the Hook of Holland, and I’m thinking about heading up north for the match…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Andymag, most likely neither of the gadgies you mention will be on the pitch tonight by the time the pens come round… 🙁
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM
Tis’ fine so long as neither of our Senegelese contingent takes one 😉 Pardew will get Krul to take one befor then 😀
andymag(Quote)
*before
**them 🙄
andymag(Quote)
MUNICH MAG yes ,i have already got the tickets , they are for the home section i could not get them for the away end . If your coming up this way we should meet up for a couple of beers before the game .
Axel(Quote)
http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/transfer-talk-show/120728/van-der-kraan-newcastle’s-interest-pieters-and-van-der-wiel-177533?
Interesting to hear what the agent complications are with Douglas. Also claims we still want pieters but are waiting to see if his injury heals this summer before we move onto other targets
Dubtoon(Quote)
dub
aye, saw that on the last article, seems certain that we’ll sign “a dutch international”.
andymag(Quote)
I had such high hopes for Viana 😀
Andy I wouldn’t rule the Demba’s out of taking pens just because of one **** up, some of the best players can fuk up a pen, I would say if they get the chance to take another they would slot it home
Big Dave(Quote)
Aye, even Shearer missed one v the Mackems and lived 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Tis true Dave 😉
Anyone got a link for the match (a totally legal one of course 😆 😉 , and no one say ESPN 😡 )?
andymag(Quote)
DUBTOON apparently he is another player that has more than one agent , the thing is here in holland its gone quiet in the media about our move for him for quite a while now . As for Van Der Wiel its obvious he wants a pay rise at Ajax or else wants out , but no club names have been mentioned with real interest .If he goes , their will be a fair few big clubs interested i can tell you that for nowt .
Axel(Quote)
Sorry andy, I just came on with the new article 😳
Dubtoon(Quote)
Toonsy
Bet a part of him died 😥 😉 Seem to recall people saying Shearer’s penalty was just like Ba’s v the mackems(vice versa).
andymag(Quote)
Andy – ESPN 😛 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Axel
Yeah I thought Chelsea were gunna sign him a month or so ago but nothing happened about it.
andymag(Quote)
Toonsy
😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 👿 👿 👿 👿 👿 👿 👿 👿 👿 👿 👿 👿 😥 😥 😥 😥 😉
andymag(Quote)
Andy the link I have is clear as a bell 😉
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave
🙄 😕 😐 😉
andymag(Quote)
Axel, I’ll give you a shout if I come up north mate. 😉 😉
Munich Mag(Quote)
Andy sorry I just realised that its ESPN I have 😉 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Axel I would ignore his shout cause he’ll get you into a lot of trouble when he gets the drink in him, well so Ice says
Big Dave(Quote)
I figured that Dave 🙄
andymag(Quote)
DAVE ime always watching mind keep your nose clean 😉
icedog(Quote)
Thought Cabaye was on the bench 😕
andymag(Quote)
Ice I just realised as soon as I hit leave a comment that I wrote Ice instead of Richie 😀
Big Dave(Quote)
BIG DAVE he has a mate that lives here in holland and my dutch mate is going as well , so if we meet up we have 2 cloggys to keep us oot a trouble .
Axel(Quote)
That looks like a decent team made better by the fact Willo isn’t in it 😆 still no Cabaye 😕
Big Dave(Quote)
Andy, dave. Nufc twitter said everyone is on the bench except gosling. Maybe toonsy just forgot the name?
Dubtoon(Quote)
Axel @ 33 did he tell you he has mates ❓ as Richie said he normally gets ones from friends R us 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
http://www.coolsport.tv/stream2.php
Axel(Quote)
found it i think
Axel(Quote)
oops wrong game Sorry
Axel(Quote)
axel have a kit kat a cuppa tv and relax
it should come on here if not i will post another
http://www.vipbox.tv/watch/63509/1/sporting-braga-vs-newcastle-united-live-stream-online.html
highlights are on at the minute
ice pup(Quote)
Axel, if we aren’t gonna get into trouble on the drink I’m not coming … 😉
Munich Mag(Quote)
Big Dave@36, …if they are owt like yee I’ll stay well clear of them that’s for sure… 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM you’ll end up getting you’s all lifted and locked up
Big Dave(Quote)
MUNICH MAG believe me an evening on the drink in Den Haag and the trouble comes too you m8. 😯 😈
Axel(Quote)
BIG DAVE thats nee probs me misses is a copper .
Axel(Quote)
Axel, you’re the local, you’ll keep us reet…. diplomatic to the core you are mate…I can tell you’re a canny lad…
Munich Mag(Quote)
game just started on that link and its perfect
http://www.vipbox.tv/watch/63509/1/sporting-braga-vs-newcastle-united-live-stream-online.html
ice pup(Quote)
Reet lets get it on
Howay the lads
Big Dave(Quote)
canny stream that like…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Great stream I’ve got
andymag(Quote)
Typical Newcastle game of late, where we don’t get to see much of the ball, and when we do get it we cannot keep it… 🙄
Munich Mag(Quote)
welcome boyz
ice pup(Quote)
MM
Sounds more like England Newcastle 😆
andymag(Quote)
*than newcastle 🙄
andymag(Quote)
Europe will be an eye-opener for the toon, where most teams will be more adept at keeping the ball than us 🙁
Munich Mag(Quote)
Oh ****, Tiote knackered ? 🙁
Munich Mag(Quote)
Mr T on the deck hurt 🙁
kimtoon(Quote)
ESPN commentator – “No reason why the game should be stopped”
Because it’s a friendly you throbbing *****!
toonsy(Quote)
Toonsy… did you notice you’re assistance was requested on the dark side… 😳
Munich Mag(Quote)
🙄 @ 58 I thought he was a little acorn 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
These ESPN commentators actually know nothing at all… 😯
Munich Mag(Quote)
Tiote struggling so far tonite… 🙄
Munich Mag(Quote)
Yeah the commentators are ***** ” Demba Ba was lurking ” 😯
Big Dave(Quote)
Demba Ba was lurking was lurking there 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Cisse and Ba are each getting more tackles in than Raylor and Simpson combined 😯
andymag(Quote)
Sammy’s a poor man’s arjen Robben 😕 , looks good at times but relies to much on cutting in to his left foot, he’s like a striker who’s playing RM.
andymag(Quote)
that was cool by cisse 😎 shame it didnt work 😕
andymag(Quote)
oh Cisse you should have buried that lad
Big Dave(Quote)
AHHH thats not our Cisse, he would have scored that.
andymag(Quote)
Sounds like the “Magpie Ranger” has made it to the Algarve 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
That was awesome
andymag(Quote)
He’s obviously faking ref, c’mon 😀
andymag(Quote)
Tiote 😯 what are you doing Lad
Big Dave(Quote)
We’d cuff this lot with our proper first team out .. 🙄
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM
But we wouldn’t play our ‘proper first team’ in the Europa(early stages anyway) so we need to see these boys perform, otherwise we havent a hope in hell.
andymag(Quote)