by Jean-Pierre Thiesset (4/7/23)
Above: World Cup debutants Portugal. Photo: Football Arroyo.
Portugal, ranked 21 in the FIFA list, have made it to their first-ever World Cup. The Selecção das Quinas (corner selection) are out to make up for lost time by raising eyebrows with results in the tournament.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Rute Costa (Benfica Lisbon, Portugal), Inês Pereira (Servette Geneva, Switzerland), Patricia Morais (Braga, Portugal).
Defenders: Ana Seiça (Benfica Lisbon, Portugal), Carole Costa (Benfica Lisbon, Portugal), Catarina Amado (Benfica Lisbon, Portugal), Diana Gomes (Sevilla, Spain), Joana Marchão (Parma, Italia), Lucia Alves (Benfica Lisbon, Portugal), Silvia Rebelo (Benfica Lisbon, Portugal).
Midfielders: Ana Rute (Braga, Portugal), Andreia Norton (Benfica Lisbon, Portugal), Andreia Jacinto (Real Sociedad, San Sebastian, Spain), Dolores Silva (Braga, Spain), Fatima Pinto (Alaves, Spain), Kika Nazareth (Benfica Lisbon, Portugal), Tatiana Pinto (Levante, Spain).
Forwards: Ana Borges (Sporting CP, Lisbon, Portugal), Ana Capeta (Sporting CP, Lisbon, Portugal), Carolina Mendes (Braga, Portugal), Diana Silva (Sporting CP, Lisbon, Portugal), Jéssica Silva (Benfica Lisbon, Portugal), Telma Encarnação (Maritimo, Portugal).
Head Coach:
Francisco Neto, 41, has been in charge of Portugal for nine years. He led them to their first-ever qualification for the European Championships in 2017, and now to their maiden World Cup. They also played in last summer’s Euros, coming in as a late replacement for Russia.
World Cup History
This is Portugal’s first-ever World Cup qualification.
How they qualified
Thirteen games were necessary for Portugal to qualify. They came through a ten-match group phase and play-off matches against Belgium, Iceland, and Cameroon to make it to Australia and New Zealand.
Strengths
Their team spirit and their willingness to show to the world that they can be a great team. Nine players are from Benfica who have won the Portuguese championship for the last three seasons and played Champions League football as a consequence.
Development Areas:
They need to be more solid physically to be able to keep pace with the big-name teams and players.
Key Players:
Jéssica Silva: Forward. Formerly with Olympique Lyonnais and Kansas City, Silva currently plays for the top Portuguese side Benfica. Aged 28, she has played 100 times for Portugal and scored 13 goals. Personally, I think that she is one of the best players in the world.
Ana Borges: Forward. At 33 years old, Borges is an important player due to her experience of earning 157 caps and scoring 11 goals. She played for several big clubs in her career: Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, and Sporting CP.
One to watch:
Francisca ‘Kika’ Nazareth Midfielder. At the age of 20, Nazareth has 20 caps and six goals for Portugal. A professional since the age of 17 with Benfica, she has already won three Portuguese championships. Last season, she played 32 times for the Lisbon-based club, scoring 24 goals, and providing 15 assists. Incredible statistics.
Success would be:
To qualify for the round of sixteen.
Prediction:
It will be difficult for Portugal to make the round of sixteen but not impossible. If winning against Vietnam is almost a given, they will have to win against the Netherlands in their opening game to progress as beating their other opponent, the USA is unlikely. Personally, I think that they could get something from the Dutch and be the big surprise of group stages.
Group E Fixtures:
23rd July – Netherlands, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin.
27th July – Vietnam, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton.
1st August – USA, Eden Park, Auckland.
To read the other World Cup nation previews published so far, click on this link: https://impetusfootball.org/international-football/
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