| Player | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Ricardo Pereira | Goalkeeper | Sporting Lisbon |
| Paulo Santos | Goalkeeper | SC Braga |
| Quim Silva | Goalkeeper | Benfica |
| Marco Caneira | Defender | Sporting Lisbon |
| Ricardo Carvalho | Defender | Chelsea (England) |
| Ricardo Costa | Defender | FC Porto |
| Paulo Ferreira | Defender | Chelsea (England) |
| Fernando Meira | Defender | VfB Stuttgart (Germany) |
| Miguel Monteiro | Defender | Valencia (Spain) |
| Nuno Valente | Defender | Everton (England) |
| Costinha | Midfielder | Dynamo Moscow (Russia) |
| Deco | Midfielder | FC Barcelona (Spain) |
| Luis Figo | Midfielder | Inter Milan (Italy) |
| Tiago Mendes | Midfielder | Olympique Lyon (France) |
| Maniche | Midfielder | Dynamo Moscow (Russia) |
| Armando Petit | Midfielder | Benfica |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Midfielder | Manchester United (England) |
| Simao Sabrosa | Midfielder | Benfica |
| Hugo Viana | Midfielder | Valencia (Spain) |
| Nuno Gomes | Forward | Benfica |
| Luis Boa Morte | Forward | Fulham (England) |
| Pedro Pauleta | Forward | Paris St. Germain (France) |
| Helder Postiga | Forward | Saint Etienne (France) |
| Head Coach: | Luiz Felipe Scolari | |
Scouting Report
Style of play: Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has experimented and tinkered with Portugal's lineup, but is expected to use an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation in Germany. Scolari has instilled pragmatism and defensive muscle to the side, anchored by the strong central defensive pairing of Ricardo Carvalho and Fernando Meira. The left and right fullbacks, Miguel Monteiro and Nuno Valente, sometimes move forward down the wings, but generally stay back. The back four are protected by two central defensive midfielders, Armando Petit and Maniche, who act as the link between defence and the attackers. In front of them is the dynamic attacking midfield trio of Deco (in the middle), Luis Figo (on the left) and Cristiano Ronaldo (on the right) who are the team's creators. They play straight across the middle, but are given free licence to roam as they move forward in attack and try to deliver the ball to the feet of the lone striker, Pedro Pauleta. If Portugal is down a goal late in the game, look for Scolari to switch to a 4-4-2 setup with a diamond shaped midfield and another striker up front, usually Nuno Gomes.
Probable starting formation (4-2-3-1): (GK) Ricardo Pereira - (D) Fernando Meira, Ricardo Carvalho, Miguel Monteiro, Nuno Valente - (M) Armando Petit, Maniche (M) Luis Figo, Deco, Cristiano Ronaldo - (F) Pedro Pauleta
Strengths:
Potent attack - Portugal's offence is awesome. Barcelona playmaker Deco,
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo and Maniche run Portugal's potent
attack from midfield, often with the help of Luis Figo and Tiago Mendes. Up
front, Paris Saint-Germain forward Pedro Pauleta (11 goals in qualifying)
takes care of business.
Defence - Portugal is absolutely spoiled for choice in defence, even
with Jorge Andrade out injured. Ricardo Carvalho is a rock, one of the best
centre fullbacks in the business. Another talented defender, Paolo Ferreira,
can also in the middle as well right fullback. Miguel Monteiro, Nuno Valente
and Fernando Meira round out a defensive unit that is brimming with class
and talent to spare.
Coaching - Luiz Felipe Scolari is a w inner. One of Brazil's most triumphant
club managers, he successfully revived Brazil's ailing national team and led
them to victory at the 2002 World Cup. Tactically shrewd, he has a knack of
getting the most out of his players and is single-minded in his win-at-all-costs
philosophy. He's even hungrier for success after guiding Portugal to the finals
of Euro 2004.
Weaknesses:
Inconsistency - The fact they have been drawn into an easy group could
be Portugal's undoing because they always underestimate teams they should
dominate. They had an easy group four years ago (Poland, South Korea and the
U.S.) but didn't make it out of the first round. During 2006 World Cup qualifying,
they routed Russia 7-1, but were held to a 2-2 draw by lowly Lichtenstein.
At Euro 2004, they beat the Dutch and Spain, but lost twice to unheralded
Greece. Portugal can't afford to blow hot and cold in Germany.
Pressure - Expectations from Portuguese fans and media is high, especially
after the team made it to the finals of Euro 2004, and anything less than
an appearance in the semifinals will be viewed as a massive disappointment.
Coach Scolari has even said he expects his club to reach the quarter-finals.
Can Portugal deal with this kind of pressure? Past performances at the World
Cup clearly suggest it can't.
History - Portugal has a big reputation, but it's simply starling that
it has only participated in three World Cup finals and have a distinguished
record of underachievement. After making it to the semifinals in 1966, it
took Portugal 20 years to return to the big stage, but at Mexico '86, they
packed their bags after the first round, the same fate they suffered the next
time they qualified in 2002.
Players to watch:
Luis Figo - Retired from the national team in 2004 but came back last
year to help Portugal qualify for the World Cup. After a disappointing end
to his career with Real Madrid in 2005, he moved to Italian club Inter Milan
last year and enjoyed one his best seasons in recent memory. Blessed with
a wide array of attributes: superb dribbling, a rocket for a shot and visionary
passing skills. One of the players with a real point to prove in Germany.
Deco - A Brazilian-born midfielder who was granted Portuguese citizenship
in 2003, Deco has established himself as one of the best playmakers in the
game over the past two seasons with FC Barcelona. Combines attacking flair
with a solid work ethic and uses his sublime passing skills to create chances
for his teammates. One of the most talented midfielders in soccer today.
Ricardo Carvalho - A tough, talented battler, Carvalho cuts an imposing
figure in central defence. He's excellent in the air when covering high crosses
into the box, and is an attacking threat when he makes his penetrating runs
up field. A key member for English Premiership champions Chelsea, Carvalho
has often been compared to Italian legend Franco Barsei.
Key injuries/squad omissions: Centre fullback Jorge Andrade, normally a starter, was ruled out after undergoing surgery on his knee. A big blow for Portugal as Ricardo Carvalho must now team up with a new partner in the centre of defence. Andrade's absence opened the door for Ricardo Costa. Surprisingly, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari did not select left winger Ricardo Quaresma, who is coming off a strong season with Porto in the Portuguese league. Portugal's third-string goalkeeper Bruno Vale had to withdraw from the team because of a foot injury. Paulo Santos was named as his replacement. Midfielders Costinha and Maniche made the squad despite not featuring regularly for their club sides in recent months.
Prognosis: Despite producing a crop of players the quality of Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Joao Pinto, World Cup qualification - let alone World Cup success - has eluded Portugal time and time again. If Portugal's current form is any indication, however, 2006 could be the year they finally live up to their potential. Figo came out of international retirement to help Portugal through an impressive qualifying campaign that saw them go unbeaten in winning 10 of 12 games. Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has built a team that mixes Portugal's amazingly deep reservoir of youthful players with experienced veterans. Portugal is anxious to put past disappointing displays behind them and go on a serious run in the Germany. They'll win Group D hands down and if all goes well, progress to the semifinals. Could they even go all the way and win it? Don't bet against it.
Road to the World Cup
Current FIFA Ranking: #7
1st round matches:
June 11 vs. Angola in Cologne
June 17 vs. Iran in Frankfurt
June 21 vs. Mexico in Gelsenkirchen
2006 qualification route: Portugal finished in first place (30 points)
in Europe's Group 3 ahead of Slovakia and Russia (23 points each).
Qualifying record: 12 games played, 9 wins, 3 draws, 0 losses
Goals for: 35 Goals against: 5
Top goal-scorer in qualifying: Pedro Pauleta (11)
Qualifying results: (home team listed first)
Sept. 4, 2004 - Latvia 0, Portugal 2
Sept. 8, 2004 - Portugal 4, Estonia 0
Oct. 9, 2004 - Liechtenstein 2, Portugal 2
Oct. 13, 2005 - Portugal 7, Russia 1
Nov. 17, 2005 - Luxembourg 0, Portugal 5
March 30, 2005 - Slovakia 1, Portugal 1
June 4, 2005 - Portugal 2, Slovakia 0
June 8, 2005 Estonia 0, Portugal 1
Sept. 3, 2005 - Portugal 6, Luxembourg 0
Sept. 7, 2005 - Russia 0, Portugal 0
Oct. 8, 2005 - Portugal 2, Liechtenstein 1
Oct. 12, 2005 - Portugal 3, Latvia 0
World Cup History
FIFA member since: 1923
Team nickname: Seleccao das Quinas (Team of the Escutcheons)
All-time caps leader: Luis Figo (115)
All-time leading scorer: Pedro Pauleta (42 goals)
Number of Previous World Cup Appearances: 3
All-time record: 12 games played, 7 wins, 0 draws, 5 losses
Goals for: 25 Goals against: 16
World Cup History:
1930 - Did not enter
1934 to 1962 - Did not qualify
1966 - Semifinals (3rd place)
1970 to 1982 - Did not qualify
1986 - First round
1990 to 1998 - Did not qualify
2002 - First round
Biggest victory: 4-0 vs. Poland in 2002
Biggest defeat: 3-1 vs. Morocco in 1986
Overall top scorer: Eusebio (9 goals)
Most appearances: 7 players, including Eusebio tied at 6 matches
Hosted the World Cup: Never
Other Achievements:
Under-20 World Champions: 1989, 1991
Under-19 European Champions: 1961, 1994, 1999
Under-17 European Champions: 1989, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2003
Greatest Players:
Eusebio: Eusebio da Silva Ferreira joined Portuguese powerhouse Benfica
as a 19-year-old in 1961 and quickly became one of the best players in the
world. He scored nine goals in the 1966 World Cup, finishing as the tournament's
top scorer and helping Portugal to a third-place finish. Considered one of
soccer's greatest stars of all time.
Paulo Futre: A two-time Portuguese player of the year (1986 and 1987), Futre led FC Porto to victory in the 1987 European Cup (now Champions League) over Bayern Munich. Played 41 times for Portugal from 1983-95, including at the 1986 World Cup. A series of knee injuries cut his career short.