When legendary attacking midfielder Luis Figo retired from international football in 2006, Portugal had a ready-made replacement – Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portugal captain Ronaldo, 27, is the star player for Real Madrid. He bamboozles defenses with his pace and dribbling skills, and blasts goals from all distances and angles with his powerful shooting.
He scored an average of more than a goal a game this season.
Ronaldo and Portugal will need to be on top form at Euro 2012 to get out of a tough Group B.
“We know we are in the group of death with Germany, Netherlands and the team who knocked us out (into the playoff) in the qualification phase, which was Denmark,” Ronaldo said recently in an interview with Real sponsor BWin.
Preparations were hit on May 26 when Portugal, which is ranked fifth in world, drew 0-0 with minnow Macedonia.
The game against Macedonia left question marks over Portugal’s form ahead of the tournament. The team has one more warm-up game before the tournament against Turkey. “The result was not good and the exhibition was not good but we should not be overly concerned,” Paulo Bento said after the game against Macedonia.
Portugal, which lost in the final at Euro 2004, starts its Group B campaign against Germany in Lviv on June 9 before facing Denmark in Lviv and the Netherlands in Kharkiv. It’s probably the toughest group.
Portugal will be trying to get even with the Danes for a 2-1 defeat in Copenhagen that meant the team had to qualify through a playoff.
“Those are going to be some very tough matches but I am confident we will go past the group phase. I know we will not be favorites. Even better,” Ronaldo said. Portugal has seen a golden generation of stars retire since the home Euro 2004, including Luis Figo, Manuel Rui Costa and Pedro Pauleta.
For all his talent, Ronaldo has scored only one goal in each of the last three major international tournaments: Euro 2008 and the World Cup finals in Germany and South Africa.
Bento is also counting on rising Benfica striker Nelson Oliveira, whom he has labeled Portugal’s “future.” The 20-year-old forward burst onto the scene at the Under-20 World Cup in 2011 where he scored four goals as Portugal reached the final. Bento gave Oliveira his debut in a friendly against Euro 2012 co-hosts Poland in Warsaw in February.
“It has been a pretty good year for me, starting with the Under-20 World Cup, then with my season at Benfica and culminating with my call-up to the Euros,” Oliveira told reporters.
However, critics consider Portugal’s attack has been chronically wasteful with the chances that its stellar midfield created. Alongside Ronaldo is the speedy and tricky Manchester United winger Nani.
The team also has a youngster in goal in 24-year-old Rui Patricio from Sporting Lisbon.
He’s one of the most highly-rated young stoppers in Europe, blessed with great reflexes and concentration.
He and the rest of the team will need to be at their best if they want to banish the memories of the 2004 final, when they lost on home soil to unfancied Greece. Ronaldo, however, said he was expecting Euro and World Cup holder Spain to continue its winning streak.
“I don’t think there will be surprises in this Euro. Spain are very strong and there are teams right behind them which are also very tough so I don’t think there will be any surprises,” he said.
Portugal
Head coach Paulo Bento
Capitan and Star Player Cristiano Ronaldo
FIFA world ranking – 5
Best World Cup result – Third in 1966
Best European championship result – Finalists at Euro 2004
Base for Euro 2012 – Opalenica in Poland.
Games in Euro 2012 Group B – Germany (June 9, Lviv); Denmark (June 13, Lviv); Netherlands (June 17, Kharkiv)
The Kyiv Post is your guide to the Euro 2012 games
– Tell us your stories, tips and impressions – we’ll share them.
– Tell us your problems – we’ll try to solve them.
– Ask us your questions – we’ll find answers.
The Kyiv Post will publish a special 16-page Euro 2012 Guide in the June 8 issue.
All of our contacts are at www.kyivpost.com/contact-us
Or email us at [email protected],
or call us at 591-3344.
