World Cup 2010

Portugal Comment: Has Queiroz Found The Correct Balance for Portugal?

It was a long road, but the Portuguese have finally ensure their place in South Africa...

19-Nov-2009 5:13:49 AM

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Carlos Queiroz - Manchester United (PA)

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Portugal

Portugal Qualify - But Take The Hard Way

In a tense encounter in front of a deafening partisan crowd, Portugal booked their place at the 2010 World Cup with a confident 1-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina. The team managed by Carlos Queiroz dictated play and never looked in danger of losing their ticket to South Africa, however, the same cannot be said about the rest of their qualification campaign.

The Portuguese have often failed to impress during their bid to qualify for the World Cup, with Queiroz’s tactics and team selections drawing much criticism from fans and pundits alike. ‘As Quinas’ began qualifying strongly, with a convincing - but routine - 4-0 victory over minnows Malta. The first signs that things may not run as smoothly as would be expected came the following game, when the Portuguese lead 2-1 versus Denmark in Lisbon with ten minutes left on the clock, only for the home side to throw away the result in the final minutes, with a deflected Jensen shot sealing an unexpected 3-2 victory for the Danes.

From Bad To Worse

Portugal followed this home defeat with a series of disappointing results, including two 0-0 draws against group rival Sweden, and another uncharacteristic goalless draw, this time at home to Albania. As the pressure mounted on Queiroz and his underperforming side, ‘As Quinas’ scraped a 2-1 win away at Albania, with centre-back Bruno Alves scoring a 92nd minute winner. This unconvincing display left Portugal with virtually no chance of automatic qualification and in an uncomfortable race with Sweden for second place, which proved the final straw for the patience of many Portuguese fans, and left many calling for Queiroz’s head.

A telling weakness of the Portuguese side at this point was a lack of goals, which Queiroz attempted to counter by experimenting heavily with previously ignored attacking players, such as Hugo Almeida and Edinho, with such players failing to provide results. In addition, to the disdain of parts of the Portuguese media and fans, Queiroz continually ignored Nuno Gomes, Postiga and Quaresma during the campaign; 3 players with credible reputations in Portugal, who had been options frequently utilised by previous manager Luis Felipe Scolari.

Change of Fortunes

The turning point in the Portuguese qualifying campaign came not from the Iberian country, but with the arrival of Brazilian-born Liedson, who became a nationalised Portuguese player in 2009. The slender Sporting Lisbon striker got off to a flying start, scoring a late goal in Denmark, giving Portugal an invaluable 1-1 draw that kept qualification hopes alive, albeit out of their hands at this stage.

Liedson offered alternatives in attack, holding the ball strongly, providing pace, and the all-important deadly finish. With the presence of ‘O Levezinho’, the Portuguese registered two back to back wins over Hungary, whilst the Danes offered a helping hand to Queiroz’s men by beating Sweden, and therefore leaving Portugal needing a win versus Malta to seal a play-off place - a victory they sealed with a comprehensive 4-0 win.

Bosnia Played-Off the Pitch

Portugal drew Bosnia in the play-offs, and a 1-0 victory in the first leg in Lisbon, provided Queiroz and his players with a nerve wrecking visit to Zenica, with the tie wide-open. However, ‘As Quinas’ responded to this challenge, finishing off a stuttering qualification campaign with their best performance yet. The Portuguese dominated play in Zenica, and could have scored a handful, with Raul Meireles solitary second half goal more than enough to seal Portugal’s place at the World Cup.

As the visiting side celebrated jubilantly on the pitch, Queiroz breathed a heavy sigh of relief, with the performances versus Bosnia finally matching his pre-match statements; Portugal were a cohesive team, with a strong organised defence, and potent attacking threat.

Queiroz’s Task Understated

Carlos Queiroz has come under much stick from fans and the media alike for the Portuguese sub-standard qualifying effort. However, it is important to remember that the ex-Manchester United man has inherited a national side in reconstruction. When Scolari took ‘As Quinas’ to the Euro 2004 final and World Cup 2006 semi-final, his side was based around the engine of midfield duo Maniche and Costinha, the goals of Pauleta, and the creative genius of Luis Figo. With the disappearance of these players due to the onset of age, even Scolari struggled to cope with their loss, unconvincingly qualifying for Euro 2008, before crashing out to Germany in a limp quarter-final performance at the tournament.

Queiroz inherited a side in transition, and attempted to add his own mark to the national side by providing experience to previously under used players and creating new roles for existing players. This included trying to replace Pauleta with the physical presence of Hugo Almeida, giving Ronaldo more freedom in attack, converting Pepe to a defensive midfielder, and playing Duda - a left-winger - at left back. Some of these changes worked, and some clearly didn’t have the desired effect. However, the fact that ‘As Quinas’ have won their last 5 competitive games without conceding a goal, is surely a sign that Queiroz may well have finally found the correct balance in the side.

What Does The Future Hold?

Portugal go to South Africa on the back of a confidence boosting victory in Zenica, having won without injured captain and star player Cristiano Ronaldo, and will be feeling positive after a flying finish to their qualifying campaign. Queiroz seems to have settled on the base of this current Portuguese side, with particular importance given to Bruno Alves, Bosingwa, Pepe, Ronaldo and Liedson. However, Portugal have their limitations, and it is clear that this Portuguese side is not another golden generation, with the era of Figo, Rui Costa, Paulo Sousa and Fernando Couto a long gone time that leaves most Portuguese fans with an acute sense of nostalgia. In particular, the lack of depth of left-backs, attacking midfielders and goalscoring strikers, leaves the national side vulnerable should any long-term injuries effect these positions.

Despite the team’s limitations, in a tournament, anything can happen. The Portuguese will know this better than anyone else, learning this lesson the hard way at the hands of Greece in 2004. With the squad high on confidence, Queiroz finding consistency in his selections, and the presence of a World Player of the Year in their squad, the Portuguese will have high hopes of a strong performance in South Africa. ‘As Quinas’ and their fans will be seeking to at least reach the 2nd round of the World Cup, and will then hope for a favourable draw, and from there anything can happen. However, even the most ardent Portuguese supporter will still have some doubts over Queiroz’s selections, and few - if any - will allow themselves to dream of Cristiano Ronaldo holding the World Cup this summer.

Manuel Carvalho

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