World Cup 2010 Team Spotlight – Portugal
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The WORLD CUP FINALS had their final draw on Dec 4th, 2009. 32 teams were picked out of their respective pots and we now know the matchups for World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Need predictions for Portugal?
From the Coach
Analysis from the coach: “”Portugal are candidates for the trophy. We have great players and we made a statement with great pedigree and determination.” Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz
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After making it to the finals at UEFA EURO 2004 and then reaching the semifinals against France at Germany 2006, Selecao das Quinas have qualified for its fifth World Cup appearance. Portugal has put on many displays of fantastic football, but are yet to be awarded a major prize.
The Portuguese set the bar extremely high in their first FIFA World Cup appearance in 1966, walking away with a third-place finish.
Group G: Brazil, Ivory Coast, Portugal, and North Korea
FIFA Ranking: 27
Portugal Odds to win World Cup: +2800
Matchups:
June 15 vs. Ivory Coast
June 21 vs. North Korea
June 25 vs. Brazil
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Now they will set their sights on hoisting its first ever-international title.
Can the country’s golden generation of players finally produce on the world stage? They will need some luck to reach the second round.
After failing to progress past the first stage in 1986 and 2002, the side is led by boss Carlos Queiroz who has guided the likes of Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Fernando Couto to consecutive FIFA World Youth Championship titles in 1989 and 1991, and is revered as the mastermind behind Portugal’s ‘Golden Generation’.
The Mozambican-born Queiroz has also served as an assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, as well as a short stint as head coach of Real Madrid.
This is Queiroz’s second term as the senior national team coach. He first coached Selecao das Quinas from 1991 to 1993, but after a disappointing period during which he failed to lead them to either EURO 1992 or the 1994 FIFA World Cup, he was sacked.
Portugal needs to make it to the second round if coach Carlos Queirós wants to keep his job.
Now the 57-year old will get his chance to win back the hearts and minds of the Portuguese fans with a magical run to this year’s finals. He will have plenty of weapons starting with Real Madrid star–skipper Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 2008 FIFA World Player played a subdued role in qualification, watching mainly from the sidelines with an ankle injury, but has been declared fit and will no doubt rise to the occasion at South Africa 2010.
He will be aided by midfield stars Deco, Simao and Pepe, along with defensive talisman Ricardo Carvalho, and Paulo Ferreira of Chelsea Fame.
With one win from their first five group qualifying matches the side found themselves in early jeopardy of missing out on the 2010 finals, but turned things around scoring eight goals without reply in their last four group qualifiers to earn a playoff with the dangerous Bosnians.
Portugal made short work of the Balkan nation winning both at home and away to clinch a comfortable 2-0 aggregate victory over both legs and easily finished second overall to Denmark in group play of European qualifying.
Portugal will have to use all of their experience and expertise to get out of difficult Group G, with their opening match with Ivory Coast being the most critical.
They should have enough to get b North Korea but will most likely fall to Brazil.
As strong as Portugal’s squad is, I am not sure they will make it out of the group stage, let alone win it all.
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Matt Martz is a sportswriter for the Bakersfield Californian located in Central California. “ Football (soccer) is a game in which a handful of fit men run around for one and a half hours watched by millions of people who could really use the exercise.”
