Portugal Football Team
The Portugal Football Team celebrates - after moving a step closer to the World Cup in South Africa 2010. Now they have a play off against Bosnia-Herzegovina and seem likely to secure a place. Portuguese Football.The Portuguese love Football and their national team is a source of great pride and sometimes disappointment. So close and yet so far - the glory of the World Cup Semi Finals in 1966 and European Championship Finalists in 2004.They have players with great talent like Ronaldo and Deco and their sides have flair and style but goals have eluded them especially at crucial moments. The latest campaign to qualify for the World Cup has been fraught with problems as the team has made it very hard for themselves. Losing and drawing the early games. They eventually found some form - beating Hungary and Malta in the last two games and finding a cohesion which they lacked in previous games. The new manager Carlos Queiros will be waiting to see if this new form can be replicated in the play offs. As the Portugal Football Team have the best players of all the play off teams they should qualify. However, the fans are still nervous and fingers will be crossed until the games are played in Novemeber. Portugal Football Team - HistoryThe Portuguese did not really begin to shine in football until the 1960s. The player that symbolizes this change was Eusebio. One of the most gifted players of all time. He led Benfica to league glory on many occasions and was the best player in the 1966 world cup and the leading goal scorer with nine goals. Portugal were third in the competition and only lost narrowly to england in the semi final. The venue of the game was controversial- as it was moved from Liverpool to London at the last moment- which was thought to give an advantage to England. In the 70s the team declined again - failing to qualify for major tournaments. The 1980s saw the Portuguese team recover and they almost beat the home side France in Euro 1984. There were still more disappointment in the next decade and controversy when Rui Costa, one of the golden generation, was sent off in a crucial qualifying game against Germany leading to complaints of bias and resulting in the failure to reach the world Cup of 1998. The Portugal Football Team did well in Euro 1996 and 2000, but failed to bring home the trophies. In 1996 they lost to a very good Czech team in the quarter final. In 2000 they were knocked out by France in a controversial semi final. France were given a penalty after a disputed handball. Nuno Gomes and Paulo Bento were seen pushing the ref and were suspended. The 2002 World cup was mired by controversy and the players were accused of being too concerned with shopping in Macau. The manager made a series of controversial decisions resulting in early elimination. In Euro 2008 the Portuguese began really well and faced Germany in the quarter final. The promise they had shown seemed to gradually evaporate in the face of German determination. They lost 3-2. Balack was the German hero. Sadly, Ronaldo did not quite manage the magic he had become famous for at Manchester United.
Euro 2004 - the moment of glory ?
Euro 2004 was set to be the moment of glory for Portuguese Soccer. Portugal was the venue, fantastic stadiums were built, the popular enthusiasm was immense. The campaign started badly with a 2-1 defeat by outsiders Greece. A shocked nation wondered if the party was over before it had begun. However, The team rallied beating Russia and Spain - no easy feat. They then faced England and got through on penalties. The Netherlands would be more difficult. In a nervous game of high passion and controversy they won 2-1. They had reached the final and surprisingly Greece were to be their opponents. The Portuguese were favourites, they had players of great skill like Figo, Rui Costa, Nuno Gomes and the young Ronaldo. The match was awaited like none other had been. Almost every car in the country had a Portuguese flag waving from it. They were let down by the inability to score goals when it really mattered. The Portuguese pushed forward. The Greeks defended tirelessly, all of Portugal waited for the breakthrough but when it came it was Greece who scored. The game ended 1-0, a dream was over. The Portuguese were despondent, but a sense of fate rather than failure prevailed. It was as if they had never imagined they could win. After the sense of national disaster had faded. the fact that that the championship had been a great success was a consolation and a source of national pride. It was the end of a footballing era too as Rui Costa took his bow and the team took on new players.
Portugal - EnglandThe Portuguese Team has been a thorn in the side for England - beating the English team several times at key moments. In Euro 2000, a vital goal By Nuno Gomes ensured a 3-2 victory. Euro 2004 was held in Portugal, the national side knocked out England in the quarter finals. After a passionate 2-2 draw the Portugal Football team won 6-5 on penalties. The goalkeeper Ricardo was the Portuguese hero saving from Darius Vassell and then scoring the last goal himself. David Beckham famously sent his penalty way over the crossbar. The Portuguese got to the Final but failed to beat a highly defensive Greek side and broke all Portuguese hearts. In the World Cup of 2006 at the quarter final stage the English again faced a confident Portuguese Football Team under the Brazilian Coach Felipe Scolari. It was neither teams finest hour and England had Rooney sent off for a stamp on the Portuguese mid fielder Ricardo Carvalho. The Portuguese won as England failed again at the penalty shoot out. After the game, the coach Sven Goran Erikson resigned. The Portuguese went on to play France and sadly lost in the semi final 1- 0. Luis Figo and Deco had good chances at goal but the French, with Tzidane up front, were too strong.
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