Portugal
European champions still have much to offer
Many Portuguese supporters have swiftly reverted to their traditionally pessimistic outlook
Amid the euphoric celebrations in the wake of the European championship triumph, Portugal fans began dreaming that something even greater may be afoot. The Selecao had reached the semi-finals or better in four out of the previous eight major tournaments this century, and the historic victory in Paris finally shattered the glass ceiling.
No longer could the national team be accused of lacking the mental toughness of winners. The fact that many of their best performers at Euro 2016 were young players nurtured the heady atmosphere surrounding the team.
Two years down the line, expectations have been tempered.
Raphael Guerreiro, Joao Mario and Andre Gomes have all suffered badly from injury and/or loss of form, while Renato Sanches’ decline has been as spectacular as his meteoric rise.
Suddenly four players who were expected to play key roles for the next decade or so for Portugal are at risk of not making the World Cup squad at all.
Add to that forgettable seasons for Adrien Silva and Andre Silva, and concerns about the centre-backs, and many Portuguese supporters have swiftly reverted to their traditionally pessimistic outlook.
However, it would be wrong to write off Portugal’s chances.
Since Fernando Santos took charge the Selecao have been beaten only once in 24 competitive matches, talismanic captain Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained his phenomenal scoring rate for both club and country, and the decline of certain players is offset by the emergence of new stars.
Should Sporting midfielder Bruno Fernandes, Valencia winger Goncalo Guedes and Porto right-back Ricardo Pereira take their club form to Russia, they are all in with a shot of becoming global stars this summer.
Santos has earned praise throughout his tenure for selecting players on merit, regardless of age or reputation, and constantly refreshing the squad, but he now faces a dilemma. Does he stick by the players who made history two years ago or does he take a revamped squad to Russia? His predecessor, Paulo Bento, opted for the former policy at the 2014 World Cup with disastrous results.
It would be a surprise if Santos fell into the same trap of being loyal to a fault, and should “The Engineer” utilise the players at his disposal with the expertise he has shown thus far, Portugal have the talent to surprise the world again.
Tom Kundert