On the 4 July 2004 Portugal finished as runners of the European Championship. The Seleccao have not been able to achieve the same feat in any major international competition since losing to Greece 1-0 a decade ago.
The Portuguese national team is heading to Brazil ranked in the fourth position by FIFA and as the third highest ranked European nation.
The Navigators are set to feature alongside Germany, Ghana and USA in Group G.
Head Coach: Paulo Bento
Paulo Bento took over from Carlos Queiroz on September 2010 following Portugal’s exit from the last World Cup. Since then, Bento has won 24 games of his 42 games in charge, leading them to the semi-finals of the European Championship in 2012 and into this year’s big event. Bento signed a new contract in April 2014 keeping him in his current position as the head coach of Portugal till 2016.
Bento, a former player himself with Benfica and Sporting, is praised by many for his relentless attitude. His toughest challenge will be to assemble a competitive team with the possible absence of two time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo. He has relied on experience as Portugal are the fourth oldest side at the World Cup, with an average age of 28.6.
The former international is known for putting emphasis on the defense. Portugal conceded only four goals in Euro 2012 and 11 goals in 12 games en route to Brazil. Bento usually employs a 4-3-3 formation but due to Ronaldo’s fitness concerns, he has adopted an alternative 4-4-2 system. Sporting goalkeeper Rui Patricio is certain to play in goal while Pepe and Bruno Alves are also assured a starting spot at the heart of defense. However, Pepe’s fitness problems have led to the inclusion of Zenit’s Luis Neto at the center of defense. The sides will be covered by Valencia’s Joao Pereira and Real Madrid’s Fabio Coentrao.
Dynamo Kyiv’s Miguel Veloso is expected to take up the role of a defensive midfielder but he faces competition from Sporting’s William Carvalho. Fenerbahce’s Raul Meireles is expected to provide balance and experience to this team while Monaco’s Joao Moutinho is the source of creativity in this team. Manchester United’s Nani will be likely to start on the right wing despite not appearing for most of the season while his former teammate and current Real Madrid goal machine Ronaldo will be starring on the left flank. Bento’s side will be spearheaded by one of Helder Postiga, Hugo Almeida or Eder.
Portugal finished second behind Russia in UEFA’s Qualification Group F, eventually having to face a playoff against Sweden before sealing their place at the World Cup. Since then, they have beaten Cameroon and Mexico while drawing to Greece in friendly fixtures prior to the tournament.
Key Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
The all time top scorer of Portugal scored the final goal in helping Real Madrid clinch their tenth European Cup when they defeated their rivals Atletico Madrid in final. Ronaldo has netted 49 times in 110 games for the Selecção. The former Manchester United man scored 17 goals in the Champions League and 31 in La Liga this season.
Despite playing at his peak, Ronaldo is evidently having concerns over his fitness. After missing two training sessions with a patellar tendinosis on his left leg, he was also absent for the two friendlies against Greece and Mexico.
While a Ghanaian witch doctor claims to have brought this on Ronaldo, he has returned to training but has been monitored with extreme caution. Bento has publicly admitted not having to rush his return but the progress of the Navigators in the World Cup will depend on the world’s best player.
Player to watch: Joao Moutinho
Moutinho made a €25 million switch to French side Monaco in the summer of 2013. Despite scoring only one goal, the former Sporting man provided eight assists to help Monaco finish runners to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 and thereby helping them to return to the Champions League.
Moutinho is one of the most experienced players for the Portuguese, featuring in over 60 games and scoring two goals. Moutinho is the creative head of this Portugal side and will look to help in the production of chances. He provided six assists in six games in the World Cup qualifying stages.
How Far Will They Get?
Portugal’s greatest feat in the World Cup came in 1966 when legendary striker Eusebio guided them to third place in the tournament hosted in England. Since then, the Seleccao managed to reached the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup before losing out to runners-up France. Paulo Bento is believed to have brought out the best out of Ronaldo while is also credited for grinding out results in games when they have looked unconvincing.
Having been drawn alongside Germany, Ghana and USA, Portugal are expected to progress past the group stages.
