Presentation of the Portuguese national team.
The Portuguese national team has recently been ranked among the giants of world football. And even though the Portuguese do not have the most talented generation playing now, this team is extremely dangerous for any opponent.
History of the Portugal national football team
- Participation in the final stage of the world championships: 6 times.
- Participation in the final stage of the European Championships: 7 times.
Achievements of the Portuguese national team
- World Championships - bronze medalist (1966), 4th place (2006).
- European Championships - champion (2016), silver medalist (2004), bronze medalist (1984, 2000, 2012).
Portugal team at the World Cup
For a long time, the Portuguese national team remained outside of major football tournaments, and the reason for this was the lack of professional football in the country.
With the formation of such came international successes - first at the club level, and then at the national team level.
At the 1966 World Championships, the Portuguese team, being a debutant in the tournament, immediately became a prize-winner. Having defeated the teams of Hungary (3:1), Bulgaria (3:0) and the current world champions Brazil (3:1), the Portuguese confidently took first place in the group.
But, unfortunately, the Portuguese were remembered not only for their game. In the match with Brazil, the Portuguese national team players staged a real hunt for Pele, deliberately trying to injure him. And they succeeded - Pele left the field, and when he returned with a bandage on his knee, he, by and large, no longer participated in the game. Substitutions were not allowed then, and he had to remain on the field until the end of the match.
In the quarterfinals, the Portuguese were opposed by the DPRK team, which created a sensation at the tournament by defeating the Italian team. But still, few could have imagined that by the 25th minute the North Koreans would lead 3:0. But Portugal had the great Eusebio, who scored 4 goals against the Koreans (two of them from penalties) and Portugal won 5:3.
In the semi-finals, Portugal had to play the home team. Two goals from Bobby Charlton predetermined the victory for the British, and another penalty converted by Eusebio only sweetened the bitterness of defeat for the Portuguese.
In the match for third place, the attitude towards which in those days was somewhat different than now, the Portuguese football players defeated the USSR national team 2:1, scoring the decisive goal a minute before the end of the second half.
The “European Brazilians,” as this team is also called, had to wait twenty long years for their next entry into the World Cup. The start of the Mexican championship went well - a 1:0 victory over the English team. However, defeats from Poland and Morocco dropped Portugal to last place in the group.
The next break from participation in world championships was a little shorter - the Portuguese missed “only” three world championships and got to the 2002 world championship. In Portugal, high hopes were placed on this team, made up of players from the “golden generation”, because at Euro 2000 they almost reached the final.
However, even here the Portuguese were disappointed - defeats from the US and South Korean teams, which did not have players of the level or Rui Costa on their roster, did not allow them to advance to the playoff stage.
But four years later, the Portuguese were again one step away from the world championship final. Players such as Maniche, Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo appeared in the team.
Having won the group quite easily - 3 wins, in the 1/8 finals the Portuguese national team players defeated Holland in that very famous match, where the Russian referee Valentin Ivanov showed the players 16 yellow and 4 red cards, setting a world championship record.
Having defeated the English in the quarter-finals on penalties, the Portuguese lost to the French 0:1 in the semi-finals, and the match turned out to be a kind of deja vu: as in the Euro 2000 semi-finals, Zinedine Zidane scored the winning goal in the match from a penalty.
In fact, this was the peak of the Portuguese national team; after 2006, Luis Figo, Paulo Sousa, and Pedro Pauleta finished playing for the national team.
In 2010 and 2018, the Portuguese were eliminated in the 1/8 finals, losing to the Spaniards 0:1 and the Uruguayans 0:2, and at the Brazilian World Cup they were unable to leave the group at all.
Portugal national team at the European Championships
The amazing is nearby - so one might say, having learned that the debut of the Portuguese team at the European Championships took place only in 1984! But the debutants did not look like extras at all. Having drawn with Germany (1:1) and Spain (0:0), and defeating the Romanian team, the Portuguese reached the semi-finals of the tournament.
The hosts of the tournament and future champions, the French national team, were waiting for them there, and the match turned out to be, perhaps, the best of the tournament. The French opened the scoring, the Portuguese equalized it 15 minutes before the end of the match. In extra time, Portugal already took the lead, but the French players not only equalized the score, but snatched victory - Michel Platini scored the decisive goal a minute before the end of overtime.
Since Euro 1996, the Portuguese have constantly qualified for the continental championship. At that tournament, they confidently took first place in the group, only in the 1/8 finals the Czech national team became an insurmountable barrier for the Portuguese - remember that match when Karel Poborsky scored his famous “scoop” goal?
Subsequently, the Portuguese national team often lacked just a little bit of luck to win the European Championship.
In 2000, they easily reached the semi-finals, winning 4 times - over England, Romania, Germany and Turkey. But in the semi-finals they lost to the French, conceding the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the 117th minute of the match.
In general, the French are a kind of “curse” for the Portuguese - three semi-finals at the World and European Championships ended in three defeats for Portugal with a minimal score.
In 2004, Portugal hosted the continental championship. The young Cristiano Ronaldo was added to the “golden generation” players - this was a great chance for Portugal. But, alas... The gray and nondescript Greek team, which inspired boredom with its play, managed to defeat the Portuguese team twice, in the opening match (2:1) and in the final (1:0).
In 180 game minutes, Portugal's excellent attack was unable to find the key to the Greek defense, scoring only one goal, and that was from the penalty spot with the score 0:2 in the 93rd minute of the first match. Four years later, the Portuguese again took first place in the group, but they were unlucky enough to meet the German team in the quarter-finals, then the Germans won 3:2.
Not only did she reach the semi-finals, but she also managed to hold off the “champions of everything” - her neighbors on the Iberian Peninsula, the Spanish team. The Portuguese football players played that match on the brink, and even beyond the limits of human capabilities, tightly blocking all approaches to their goal and insuring each other.
But having fulfilled the minimum task of not conceding, they were unable to score, and in the penalty shoot-out, the misses of Mautinho and Bruno Alves blocked their path to the European Championship final.
The Portuguese did not go to Euro 2016 as favorites, even if they were shadow ones. Apart from Cristiano, only Pepe and, with a slight stretch, João Moutinho could be considered world-class players. Ricard Carvalho turned 38 on the eve of the championship, Nani and Quaresma finished out the Turkish championship.
The group stage matches seemed to confirm the pre-start situation - the Portuguese ended in a draw in all three matches, and their group opponents were clearly not top - Iceland, Austria and Hungary. There was a 3:3 draw with the Hungarians, and the Portuguese players fought back three times, and the second and third goals were scored by team leader Cristiano Ronaldo.
Thanks to him, as well as the expansion of participants in the European Championship, the Portuguese national team slipped into the playoffs from third place. In the 1/8 finals they were awaited by the Croatian team, which won the Spanish group. The match was heading towards a goalless draw; in the 117th minute, Quaresma managed to score the only goal. The Poles were defeated in the quarter-finals only in a penalty shoot-out, and only in the semi-finals did the Portuguese manage to win in regulation time - 2:0 in the match with Wales.
In the final, everything seemed to be going against Portugal - in the middle of the first half, Cristiano Ronaldo left the field due to injury, and it seemed that the hosts of the tournament, the French players, who had gained momentum, would simply sweep away the Portuguese. But they endured it, and in the 109th minute, substitute Eder hit Hugo Lloris’ goal with a shot from outside the penalty area.
So the Portuguese national team became the European champion in approximately the same style as the Greek national team in 2004. It is noteworthy that the Portuguese defeated the hosts in the final with the same score with which the Greeks beat them in the home Euro. Solid symbolism.
Portugal national football team players
Record holders for the number of matches played
- Cristiano Ronaldo - 147 matches.
- Luis Figo - 127.
- Fernando Couto and Nani – 110 each.
- Joao Moutinho - 100 each.
- Rui Costa - 94.
A joint special project between Rexona Men and the website. We continue the story about the participants of Euro 2012, in whose company the Portuguese made their way through the play-offs. The oddities of Paulo Bento, the scattering of former Sporting players in the starting lineup, the super-performance of Cristiano Ronaldo and the expulsion of Ricardo Carvalho and Jose Bosingwa - all this accompanied the Portuguese national team on the way to the European Championship.
Trainer
Under the leadership of Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese national team was either silent or shouting: there is no other way to describe three dry games at the World Cup, between which the Portuguese scored seven unanswered goals against the DPRK. In the early fall of 2010, Queiroz was kicked out with a scandal, and his assistant Agustinho Oliveira scored a modest point in two qualifying matches, playing a fun hole-in-one game with Cyprus (4:4) and losing in cold Norway. Amid endless rumors about Jose Mourinho joining the team, the Portuguese federation hastily agreed with the 41-year-old, who by this time had been idle for a whole year without work. For four years, this specialist headed Sporting Lisbon, where he did not win anything more serious than domestic cups, but at the same time he filled the entire club museum with them, becoming the second coach in the history of the club in the number of titles won. Under the leadership of Bento, the Portuguese famously dealt with the Danes, Norwegians and Icelanders, defeated the Cypriots and scored four unanswered goals (!) against the Spaniards in a friendly match. A Seleccao lost the decisive match for first place in Denmark, but in the playoffs they beautifully dealt with the Bosnians and qualified for Euro 2012, giving a breathtaking concert at Da Luz with six goals scored for every taste.
In general, modern Portuguese coaches are a completely different caste, to which separate articles are usually devoted. You won't get bored with them: alone rides on his own players, another fights with rivals And sends them through their mother, third . In the case of the idol of Portuguese parodists, Paulo Bento, there is a lot of funny stuff, just watch his favorite activities after scoring a goal ( once , two , three) or .
Compound
Rui Patricio - Pereira, Pepe, Alves, Coentrão - Moutinho, Meireles, Veloso - Nani, Postiga, Ronaldo.
Tactics
It's no secret that Paulo Bento has long been in love with the scheme 4-3-3 , although during the reign of Sporting he was not against playing 4-1-3-2. In the gates of the Portuguese national team, the young and reliable Rui Patricio, Pepe and Bruno Alves have already managed to play in the center of defense after Ricardo Carvalho was expelled, the left flank of the defense is covered by the talented and clever Fabio Coentrão, and on the right there was a place for a little-known hard worker from Sporting named João Pereira. The team's powerful engine is in the middle of the field - where Raul Meireles, Joao Moutinho and Miguel Veloso are responsible for movement, tackling and passing, while at the edges the Portuguese have powerful electric wires with frantic energy in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani. If the whole chain were closed on a forward of the level of Hulk (who is already considered a Portuguese by default), the Portuguese national team could safely predict reaching the Euro semi-finals, but the powerful shine of Nuno Gomes of the 90s has long been replaced by the dim rays of Almeida or Postiga - players, of course, talented but ineffective. And it's not just about the number of goals.
The Portuguese have a lot of strong midfielders in their reserves: here is the favorite Carlos Martins (whom Paulo Bento once personally kicked out of Sporting, and during the qualifying tournament he regularly promoted to the team's base), and the reliable Ruben Mikael and Ruben Amorim, and the talented but spineless technician Ricardo Quaresma, and the creative Zenit player Danny. There are far fewer options in attack, and the defensive line is quite meager: Silviu was lost in Atlético, Eliseu is more effective in midfield, and it’s better for Roland not to let things get to the point of entering the field: in matches for the national team, Porto’s great defender often doesn’t look like himself to myself.
Pride
As the Portuguese beat Bosnia, fans happily counted the number of current and former Bosnia players in the starting line-up. It turned out that as many as seven players of the national team at different times defended the colors of Sportinguistas. In general, the club that gave the world Ronaldo and Nani regularly supplies highly professional players to the national team, unlike, for example, Benfica and Porto, whose trainees are much smaller here. But the Lisbon “lions” themselves are neither hot nor cold from this: the last time Sporting became the national champion was ten years ago.
Prejudice
It would be a great exaggeration to believe that many in Portugal liked the “pride of Sporting.” After the defeat from the Danes, the national team was subjected to severe criticism at home: Paulo Bento was demanded to refrain from club preferences and stop dragging “friends from Sporting” into the team, believing that the issue of team composition should be approached more harshly. Considering that there are few Portuguese in the starting lineup of Porto, and there are none at all in Benfica, the reproaches look very strange, and besides, the level of the other teams in the Sagres League (with the exception, of course, of Sporting and Braga) is obviously below. In the end, it’s not Sporting’s fault that so many talented footballers passed through it, who helped Paulo Bento develop. However, this is the fate of all domestic coaches - in the event of high-profile failures, they will constantly be poked with their noses at their own past.
Joy
The common opinion that he looks much brighter at Real Madrid than in games for the national team is solemnly consigned to the trash bin. Now Cristiano is the captain, leader and personification of the Portuguese team, he has 7 goals in the qualifying matches, three of which were scored with fantastic free kicks. Having scored a double in the game against Bosnia, Ronaldo proudly shared third place with Luis Figo in the list of top scorers, having already scored 32 goals for the national team by the age of 26. At this rate, Eusebio (41) is just around the corner, and Pauleta (47) is not too far away.
Sadness
“Carvalho and Bosingwa will be watching the Euros on TV,” concluded a ruthless Paulo Bento, ending speculation that the Real Madrid and Chelsea defenders would soon return to the Portugal national team. All these squabbles are painfully familiar to Russian fans - something similar regularly shook our team before the era of Hiddink & Advocaat. called the coach almost a grabber, accused him of arrogance, and Paulo Bento kicked both of them out for unprofessionalism, suspecting the first of lying, and the second of feigning an injury before a friendly match. The Portuguese now have minimal options in defense, and the level of Alves can be discussed long and hard. However, next to him is the strong defender Pepe, ready to come to the rescue and provide backup at any moment, and Joao Pereira, although not as useful in attack, does the main job no worse than Bosingwa. In the end, the main striking force of the Portuguese is in any case on the left flank - where there is the motor Fabio Coentrão and the magnificent Cristiano Ronaldo.
Quote
“Whatever the result tomorrow, nothing will change for me. I will still be a married man with two daughters,” said Paulo Bento at a press conference a day before the return match against Bosnia.
Number
80% matches won (in other words, 8 victories in the starting ten games) made Paulo Bento the record holder among Portuguese coaches in the history of the national team. Besides him, no one had ever begun their journey to fame so vigorously.
Getting to know Russia
The Portuguese national team is simply a nightmare for our country: every match with them means elimination from the tournament or a painful defeat. In 1966, the USSR national team lost third place to the Portuguese at the World Cup, and 17 years later said goodbye to hopes of a trip to Euro 84, losing in the last round of the group stage with a score of 0:1 (although in the first match they managed to score as many as five unanswered goals against Portugal ). The Russian national team was the first to leave Euro 2004, losing 0:2 to the hosts of the tournament, the Portuguese, who four months later humiliated our team with seven goals in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. There was a lot of talk about some kind of revenge, but a year later a stubborn match in Moscow ended in a goalless draw.
He continued his career at Euro 2004 until 2014. During this time, Ricardo managed to move from Sporting to Betis and appeared in Leicester. The goalkeeper's finest hour was the 2006 World Cup. At the end of the tournament, he was included in the symbolic team. Since 2012, the goalkeeper played for Olhanense, where he ended his career.
RICARD at the 2006 World Championships. Photo by AFP
CMM. At Euro 2004, Kim did not play a single match. Until 2010, the goalkeeper played for Benfica, then spent three seasons in Braga, and now defends the colors of the modest Aves from the second league of the Portuguese championship.
MOREIRA. Another one hundred percent reservist of that team competed with Kim for a long time for a place in the Benfica goal, then went to Swansea for a season (where he did not play a single match). Moreira was able to become number one only in the Cypriot Omonia. He currently plays for Olhanense of the Portuguese Segunda.
DEFENDERS
Paulo FERREIRA. Immediately after Euro 2004, Paulo Ferreira followed Jose Mourinho to Chelsea. The defender played for the Blues until the end of his career in 2013. After that, he remained in the London club system. Paulo Ferreira keeps an eye on the players on loan.
Ruy JORGE. The veteran retired from Belenenses in 2006. Since 2010, Rui Jorge has led the Portuguese youth team. The former defender led the youth team to silver medals at Euro 2015.
Jorge ANDRADE. At Euro 2004, Andrade played all 6 matches. In 2009, Juventus terminated the contract with the defender. The Portuguese tried to continue his career in Malaga and Toronto, but these clubs did not sign an agreement with him. Now Andrade is the head coach of Oriente from the Portuguese third division.
Fernando COUTA. One of the most famous Portuguese defenders ended his career at Parma in 2008. He worked as a sports director and assistant head coach at Braga and headed the Indian club Kolkata.
MIGUEL. He spent most of his career at Valencia. In 2012, the “bats” did not renew the contract with Miguel. Until 2014, the defender trained on his own, hoping to find a new club.
Nuno Valente. He retired from Everton in 2009. For some time he worked as a scout for the Toffees in Portugal. Since the 2010/11 season, he has been a member of the coaching staff of Sporting Lisbon.
BETU. Betu's last club was the Spanish Alzira, where he was registered in 2011, but did not play a single game. Immediately after finishing his career, Betu returned to his native Sporting, where he works as director of public relations.
Ricardo CARVALHO. The favorite of Jose Mourinho immediately after Euro 2004 moved to Chelsea, and then, together with the “Special One,” he moved to Real Madrid. The 38-year-old defender currently plays for Monaco. Ricardo Carvalho was included in the Portugal national team squad for Euro 2016 and played three matches in the group stage.
MIDFIELDERS
COSTINHA. A year after Euro 2004, Costinha moved to Dynamo Moscow, but was remembered more for scandals than for his confident play. The midfielder retired in 2010 at Atalanta. He has been working as head coach since the 2012/13 season. He headed Beira Mar and Pacos de Ferreira. Next season he will work at Akademik.
A year after Euro 2004, COSTINHA came to Dynamo Moscow. Photo by Alexander FEDOROV, "SE"
Luis FIGOO. The legendary Portuguese ended his career at Inter in 2009. He worked in the Milan club system. Actively involved in charity work. In 2015, he ran for the post of FIFA President, but without success.
PETIT. He finished his career in 2013 at Boavista and immediately moved to coaching at this club. Since December 2015, he has been heading Tondela of the Portuguese Super League.
Rui COSTA. Another legendary midfielder ended his career in his native Benfica in 2008. He was invited to the post of sports director of the Eagles, where he continues to work successfully to this day.
MANICHE. The midfielder became part of Dynamo's "Portuguese project" in 2005, but played only 12 matches for the blue and white. He finished his career at Sporting in 2011. In the 2013/14 season, an old acquaintance of Costinha invited him to his headquarters in Pasusha. At the end of June 2016, Maniche, following Costinha, moved to Academica.
Euro 2004 vice-champion MANICHE (right) played 12 matches for Dynamo Moscow. Photo by Alexander VILF
TYAGU. Together with Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho and Jose Mourinho, he moved to Chelsea in the summer of 2004, but failed to gain a foothold in England. He played for Lyon and Juventus. Since 2011, he has been defending the colors of Atlético Madrid.
DEKU. The naturalized Brazilian played for Barcelona and Chelsea, but ended his career in his historical homeland - Fluminense in 2013. Now he is actively involved in charity work and has founded his own foundation.
FORWARDS
Pedro PAULETA. He spent a significant part of his career at PSG. He hung up his boots in 2013 after a couple of matches for the amateur club San Roque from the Azores. He worked as a youth screening specialist at PSG. Until recently, he worked for the Portuguese Football Federation. Founded his own football academy.
May 31, 2009. Pedro PAULETA greets fans after the friendly match between Portugal and PSG. Photo by AFP
Simão SABROSA. In 2007 he moved from Benfica to Atlético Madrid. He played for Besiktas and Espanyol. Now he continues his career in the Indian club NorthEast United.
Cristiano Ronaldo. The youngest player of that team made a dizzying career. Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or three times, the Golden Boot four times, and won the Champions League three times (with Manchester United and twice with Real Madrid). In order to dismiss the last doubts that he is truly the greatest football player in the history of Portugal, only a little is missing - the title won with the national team.
Nuno GOMES. The striker retired from Blackburn in 2013. He currently holds the post of General Director of the Benfica Academy.
Elder POSTIGA. The author of the saving goal against the English in the Euro 2004 quarterfinals has traveled around the world quite a bit. Postiga played in England, France, Greece, Spain and Italy. Last season he reached the Indian Atlético from Calcutta, and has now returned to his native Portugal. The forward plays for Rio Avi.
HEAD COACH
Luiz Felipe SCOLARI. "Sergeant" from Brazil worked with the Portuguese national team until 2008. During this time, he managed to bring the red-greens to the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup, but at Euro 2008 he lost to the Germans in the quarterfinals. Then the Brazilian worked at Chelsea, surprised with a sudden move to the Uzbek Bunyodkor and tried to lead the Selecao to success at the 2014 home World Cup. It all ended with two terrible defeats from Germany in the semi-finals and Holland in the match for third place. Now Scolari heads the Chinese Guangzhou Evergrande.
You read: The composition of the Portuguese national team for Euro 2012.
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Portugal national football team
Despite sufficient stability in world championships, the Portuguese national team is participating in the European Championship for only the fifth time, and played for the first time in 1984 in France. By the way, starting this year at the Euro they stopped holding matches for 3rd place. Thus, the “bronze” of the tournament was shared by Portugal and Denmark, who lost in the semi-finals. Portugal made it through the group stage of Euro 1984 with difficulty. It started with draws with Germany and Spain, and in the final match against Romania the equal score remained until the 81st minute, when Nene finally hit the opponents' goal. At that time, Germany was leading the group with four points, but lost to the Spaniards in the 90th minute, which brought two Pyrenean teams into the semi-finals and left the reigning champions behind. The main time of the semi-final with France also ended in a draw. In the extra period, Domergue and Jordau scored doubles, and in the 119th minute, the eighth of Michel Platini's nine goals in this championship brought victory to the French. Four years later, Portugal failed to qualify in a group with Italy and Sweden. Four more years later, in 1991, the Portuguese suffered two defeats in the selection - from Greece and the Netherlands, and allowed the latter to participate in the Euro.
"Golden generation" of the national team
By 1996, Portugal had found a “golden generation”, easily qualified from the qualifying group with the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and easily won the group in the final part against Croatia, Denmark and Turkey. But after that she was eliminated immediately in the quarterfinals, having been defeated by the future finalists - the Czechs. The only goal for Vitor Baye was scored by Karel Poborsky, who never became a star larger than the Czech Republic. The year 2000 brought the Portuguese another bronze medal. In the group round they met their opponents in qualifying - the Romanians, as well as England and Germany. Who would have thought that the last two would actually be the last! Moreover, Portugal showed a 100% result, scoring three goals to everyone except Romania - with that they had to wait 90 minutes for Costinha’s goal and another 5 minutes of stoppage time.
A double from Nuno Gomes, who became one of the tournament's top scorers with four goals, sealed the team's victory in the quarterfinals over Turkey. And in the semi-finals, our heroes again lost to the future champion, and again it was France: Zidane’s penalty in the 117th minute became the “golden goal” - then this rule was still in effect, and even if the Portuguese had the opportunity to continue the game, it was unlikely that three a minute would have been enough for them to save themselves. Despite Gomes and Sergio Conceição's three goals, only Luis Figo, for whom Euro 2000 was truly his finest hour, was included in the symbolic team of the tournament.
Home European Championship
In 2004, the trophy came to Portugal, but only because Euro 2004 itself took place in this country. The owners were in excellent shape and had a chance to really keep him, but fate decreed otherwise. The captain of the national team, Figo, was gradually eclipsed by Cristiano Ronaldo. Among the losses of the “golden generation”, only Vitor Baia could be noted, but Ricardo, with his charisma, coped well with replacing the goalkeeper position. The basis of the defense was made up of Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira, known later from Chelsea, while Dynamo losers Maniche and Costinha dominated in the center. In the attack, perhaps, all the possible forwards of Portugal of the new era came together: veteran Pauleta, Benfica leader Siman Sabrosa, the already mentioned Ronaldo and Gomes, as well as Helder Postiga, who is always restless in clubs, but still scores goals. In short, it was no longer possible to better solve the traditional problem of forwards in the national team. The tournament began with a sensation that seemed like an accident at that time: the hosts lost to Greece, and not because of one random goal, but quite as a matter of fact - 1:2, and Ronaldo scored a prestige goal only in stoppage time. The key victory, however, was won in the third round: in a stubborn match, Portugal celebrated a victory over Spain - 1:0, and before that they beat Russia, which was falling apart on the move, - 2:0. The Red-Greens, as expected, finished the group round in first place, the defeat from the Greeks was still perceived as a misunderstanding. But while the Portuguese heroically beat England through extra time and penalties, and then into the main game - Holland, Greece methodically squeezed the juice out of France and the Czech Republic. And for the first time in history, the teams that played the opening match met in the final. As they said, Greece beat everyone, because their opponents approached them with the thought “Well, we won’t fail,” and Portugal in the final - “Well, now we won’t fail.” Failed: Charisteas scored the only goal of the final early in the second half and the hosts bid a tearful farewell to what may have been a once-in-a-lifetime chance of winning the Euros.
Almost flawless clip
The generation of Pyrenean football players has somehow changed imperceptibly. Now Cristiano Ronaldo not only flaunts the captain’s armband, but is one of the best players in the world, and much more unconditionally than Figo in the old days. The center of defense is made up of the aggressive Zenit player Bruno Alves and Pepe from Real Madrid, with the promising Fabio Coentrand helping on the flank. The center is filled with a powerful fist of Miguel Veloso, Joao Moutinho and Raul Meireles, previously known only locally, but have been promising for a long time. Nani easily duplicates Ronaldo on any flank of the attack. Only the positions of the goalkeeper and, obviously, the only forward are in doubt, but Postig is still in place, and Ronaldo will probably have to play at the forefront more than once - as a true leader. He is already one of the top ten scorers in the history of the national team and will not stop soon.
Costinha, Nuno Gomes and Capuso. Photo: AFP
Of course, one can argue that Ronaldo was unlucky with the national team, and if he were of a different origin, he would have long ago won a big trophy at this level. Perhaps someday the Portuguese national team will still be led by Jose Mourinho, and then, at a minimum, the European championship will practically not be played (especially if the star generation of Spaniards fades away). But for now everything is as it is. The same Spain constantly had advances and flew out of the final tournaments in the frivolous early stages, but at one point they cultivated the psychology of success. Portugal also has everything for this. In qualifying, the Portuguese looked like clear favorites, but they did not take this role with due composure: for example, they managed to lose points at home with Cyprus. True, the outcome in the group was still decided by the last match: Portugal lost away to Denmark and gave them first place, while they themselves went to the playoffs, beating Norway. A goalless draw in Bosnia and Herzegovina made us a little worried, but in Portugal Edin Dzeko's team suffered a crushing defeat 2:6, and the Portuguese expected at the Euro were still there. The “group of death” in which Paulo Bento’s team ended up at the Euro, of course, cannot be encouraging, but practice shows that those who are given at least minimal preference do not always make it out of such groups. With successful results in two out of three matches, you can easily count on the playoffs, and, in addition, at this stage you can get rid of the most dangerous opponents and hope to meet them again only in the finals.
Portugal
How many times have you played at the Euro: 4 (1984, 1996, 2000, 2004)
Best result: 2nd place (2004)
How I got to the EURO: 2nd place in Group H (with Denmark), victory in play-offs with Bosnia and Herzegovina
Team leader: Cristiano Ronaldo
Matches at Euro 2012 in the group stage:
the 9th of June. Germany - Portugal. Lviv
June 13. Denmark - Portugal. Lviv
June 17. Portugal - Netherlands. Kharkiv