|
For many years Portugal have been dubbed the Brazilians of
Europe. Bursting with flair and sublime skills, they now have
the chance to parade their new samba style in their own back
garden under the watchful eye of their Brazilian coach Luiz
Felipe Scolari.
Time for silverware
Once again blessed with a vast pool of wonderfully talented
individuals, Scolari's side must now do what Brazil have done
so consistently over the years and convert their undoubted
potential into silverware.
Home advantage
A poor showing in the 2002 FIFA World Cup saw them exit in
the first round, eliminated along with Poland from a group
featuring the United States and hosts the Korean Republic
which had been seen as a formality for the European sides
before the tournament started. But, just as the Korean Republic
did at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Portugal will hope they can
make their home advantage count as they push for their first
taste of European glory.
Gold and platinum
Their current side is an irresistible blend of youth and experience.
Although this may be their European Championship swansong,
they can still draw upon the key personnel from their "golden
generation" of players discovered by Carlos Queiroz in
the late eighties. The golden generation came close to success
in UEFA EURO 2000™, losing a tightly-contested semi-final
to eventual winners France.
Match winner
In Luis Figo, they possess a world-class playmaker capable
of practically anything with the ball at his feet. But with
Figo, João Pinto and Rui Costa now in the autumn of
their careers the real excitement in Portugal surrounds the
new "platinum" generation of stars.
New generation
Manchester United FC’s Cristiano Ronaldo is perhaps the
pick of this latest batch of players but his contemporaries
Hélder Postiga, Hugo Viana, Simão Sabrosa, Tiago
Mendes and Ricardo Quaresma give the Portuguese a formidable
back up if the old boys fail to perform. Ronaldo can play
in any of the attacking positions but is most likely to be
employed in more of a cameo role by Scolari, who has so far
adopted a 4-2-3-1 system with a packed midfield and Figo on
the right wing.
Chance to sparkle
After giving the youngsters the chance to impress at youth
and Under-21 levels, Scolari has gently eased them into his
side in 2003 with EURO 2004™ in his sights. Doubtless
he will combine their youthful exuberance and individual flair
with the technically gifted and physically awesome Figo.
World Cup winner
The big question is whether the coach can knit the two generations
together to produce a team capable of overcoming the likes
of France and Italy. Scolari, who guided Brazil to 2002 World
Cup success, appears to think he can. On the day of his appointment
he announced that his intent was to win EURO 2004™.
Defensive tactics
In his time with Brazil, Scolari received criticism from some
quarters of the Brazilian press who believed that his tactics
were somewhat negative. He prefers his teams to play with
a European-style pragmatism, instructing his players to use
any means possible to prevent the opposition from finding
a rhythm.
Attacking zeal
How this will go down with the Portuguese fans who are used
to seeing their side deploying the kamikaze attacking game
that has been so successful in the past remains to be seen.
The current squad is certainly better renowned for its attacking
zeal than its defensive muscle. But, if his track record is
anything to go by, Portugal could do a lot worse than listening
to their Brazilian coach
|
