It was more than 10 years ago now. A bright-eyed, Brazilian-born midfielder by the name of Stefani Miglioranzi stepped onto the Fratton Park grass for the first time, marking his debut for the club and his debut as a professional soccer player.
Looking back on the three years he spent as a Portsmouth player, Miglioranzi is pleased with the memories he was able to make at the club.
“My debut was great,” said Miglioranzi told MLSsoccer.com Friday. “It was Sheffield United at home and the feeling of playing your first professional game in front of a really great crowd and I did pretty well, so that will always stick with me. I’ve also made some great friendships in my time there and those will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Fast-forwarding to Saturday, Miglioranzi is preparing to take on FC Dallas with his current team, the Philadelphia Union, while his old side Pompey will be playing in the FA Cup final earlier in the day, a match that he thinks could do so much to help their current state.
Relegated from the Premier League due in large part to the fact that were forced to go into administration earlier this year, an FA Cup trophy would go a long way in raising the team’s spirits before a year in the Championship.
“It could do wonders for their confidence because I don’t know that they really deserved to have those points deducted,” said Miglioranzi. “I guess that’s kind of how the FA works over there and they got in financial trouble and had those points deducted. Otherwise they might have managed to stay in the Premier League. So it’s a great end of the season for them and one that they can carry on to the next season by gaining promotion. “
One of the best parts about playing for Portsmouth, according to the 32-year-old Brazilian, is the avid fan support. Pompey should expect a huge following with boisterous support at Wembley.
“As far as their fans are concerned, [during] my time there, they were some of the best I’ve ever played in front of,” said Miglioranzi of the crazed support the team receives. “Whether you win or lose, you could be five goals down and they’re still behind you chanting that you’re going to win 6-5, so they’re definitely a great fan base.”
Pitted against newly crowned English Premier League champions Chelsea, Miglioranzi understands Portsmouth are the underdog in the match, but he certainly has faith they can pull out a result and lift the trophy for the second time in three years.
“Portsmouth have a great team,” said Miglioranzi. “I think they have nothing to lose. I expect them to play one of the toughest games they’ve played all year and I expect them to be running around like there is no tomorrow. Chelsea is a class team and I think they’ll know more or less what to expect from them. They’re going to have to be prepared for a Pompey side that’s raring to go.”
