Portugal need Ronaldo to lead team on deep run
After losing the opening game of UEFA World Cup Qualification Group B against Switzerland in Basel, Portugal won all their remaining matches to top the group and qualify automatically for Russia. After that initial setback, which Ronaldo missed through injury, Portugal scored 32 goals and conceded only two in the next nine games. Ronaldo and Andre Silva struck up a superb partnership, scoring 24 goals between them.
BIGGEST STRENGTH
Santos has instilled an iron will to win and an enormous unity of purpose since taking over in September 2014, with the team winning 20 and losing only one of 24 competitive matches under the veteran coach. The Selecao regularly made deep runs into major tournaments in recent history - five semifinals or better in nine tournaments this century - but were always seen as mentally brittle crunch time. Not anymore.
Portugal’s players have fully bought into the mantra of first and foremost making themselves difficult to beat, with the Euro 2016 triumph strengthening their belief in this approach and fortifying the newfound winning mentality. The fierce competition for places among a talented generation has not dented an impressive togetherness within the squad.
BIGGEST WEAKNESS
at
A reliance on veteran players could prove their undoing. Portugal have lost only two competitive matches since the 2014 World Cup, and both times Ronaldo was missing through injury. If the opposition manage to nullify him, the Selecao will struggle for goals.
At the heart of defence, 35-year-old Pepe is arguably at least as important for Portugal’s chances of going far, the form and fitness of the centre-back crucial, especially as he will likely be partnered by either Bruno Alves (36) or Jose Fonte (34), both of whose better days are behind them.
As mentioned above, Portugal’s traditional freewheeling and flamboyant style of play has been replaced by a more defense-minded approach, meaning creativity is in short supply. Ricardo Quaresma (34), despite being mainly used off the bench by Santos, has supplied more than double the number of assists by any other Portugal player in the past four years, and is likely to be key to unlocking the opposition.
o will be at the heart of it.
THE SQUAD Goalkeepers:
Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Beto (Goztepe), Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon).
Antunes (Getafe), Bruno Alves (Rangers), Cedric Soares (Southampton), Joao Cancelo (Inter Milan), Jose Fonte (Dalian Yifang), Luis Neto (Fenerbahce), Mario Rui (Roma), Nelson Semedo Pepe (Besiktas), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Ricardo Pereira (Porto), Rolando (Marseille), Ruben Dias (Benfica).
Defenders: Midfielders:
Adrien Silva (Leicester), Andre Gomes (Barcelona), Bruno Fernandes (Sporting Lisbon), Joao Mario