The qualifying phase for the next Euro 2008 has come to an end. Disregarding the ups and downs, Portugal is, once again, in the final stage of an European Championship and that should be enough reason to be proud of our national squad.
Scolari is right when he says that the first step to win such competition is to assure that you make the final stages. No one wins titles or is remembered by scoring goals or performing well in the qualifying stages (pardon me the polish fans that nagged my head for such a long time over a 2-1 win against our side but…) It is in the final rounds that the title is decided, and there, honours to the man, is legion to find someone with the same credit.
Despite this, we face a time of reflexion. Our national team is, nowadays, a few points behind the one that took us all the way to the final in 2004 and to the semi-finals in 2006. Truth is we are in a 13 games unbeaten streak. Despite that we were incapable of winning against weaker teams, objectively speaking, such as Poland, Serbia or Finland.
Facing third line national squads Portugal encountered unexpected difficulties. The several injuries that haunted key players and the team renovation help to explain lower performances. Even though, Portugal should always aim to higher goals. We carry the winners sin and as so it is important to live up to it and also to prove it.
As a Portugeezer, I enjoy to see our team put up some classy performances. I will never understand playing only for one point, even if that is all we need, when the match is at home, especially against such a low rank adversary and facing the danger of a lucky strike from the counter part.
None the less, we are indeed in the finals and the time has come to show our football. There are only 16 that can aim to raise the cup on the 29th of June of 2008, and for what it counts, we are amongst them.
PS – Finland, that needed to win to go on to Austria and Switzerland, came to Portugal waiting to qualify perhaps using some magic potion. They forgot that in order to score you have to attack. Probably wondering if Portugal could score an own goal. (Christmas only comes once a year and we already gave away our present to Poland back in September).
Scolari is right when he says that the first step to win such competition is to assure that you make the final stages. No one wins titles or is remembered by scoring goals or performing well in the qualifying stages (pardon me the polish fans that nagged my head for such a long time over a 2-1 win against our side but…) It is in the final rounds that the title is decided, and there, honours to the man, is legion to find someone with the same credit.
Despite this, we face a time of reflexion. Our national team is, nowadays, a few points behind the one that took us all the way to the final in 2004 and to the semi-finals in 2006. Truth is we are in a 13 games unbeaten streak. Despite that we were incapable of winning against weaker teams, objectively speaking, such as Poland, Serbia or Finland.
Facing third line national squads Portugal encountered unexpected difficulties. The several injuries that haunted key players and the team renovation help to explain lower performances. Even though, Portugal should always aim to higher goals. We carry the winners sin and as so it is important to live up to it and also to prove it.
As a Portugeezer, I enjoy to see our team put up some classy performances. I will never understand playing only for one point, even if that is all we need, when the match is at home, especially against such a low rank adversary and facing the danger of a lucky strike from the counter part.
None the less, we are indeed in the finals and the time has come to show our football. There are only 16 that can aim to raise the cup on the 29th of June of 2008, and for what it counts, we are amongst them.
PS – Finland, that needed to win to go on to Austria and Switzerland, came to Portugal waiting to qualify perhaps using some magic potion. They forgot that in order to score you have to attack. Probably wondering if Portugal could score an own goal. (Christmas only comes once a year and we already gave away our present to Poland back in September).
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