No one lives and dies with each international match then me but I am not optimistic about our chances in this tournament. When you leave world class defenders like Carvalho and Bosingwa off the roster, you will have issues defending. Pepe and Alves are solid, but are always at great risk of getting carded for their sometimes dirty play. In any case, if this squad wants to have any hope of leaving its mark on Euro 2012, Ronaldo and Nani will have to prove their worth.

We're going to get skinned alive at left and right back which will a) lead us to conceding goals and b) greatly inhibit Nani and Ronaldo, our only hope up front. Good managers do not let differences/egos get to a point that undermines the teams they manage (look at Mancini with Tevez and what a mess AVB made at Chelsea). You simply don't leave two highly experienced defenders behind ahead of games against Germany and Holland. Who wins when we get dumped at the group stages?

I like the inclusion of Quaresma. He is not consistent, but off the bench can bring a lot of creativity or fail miserably. Definitely a wild card, but that is what is needed in some situations. Nelson should be used as starter in the friendlies. He needs to be given a chance to show what he can do. Postiga is a classic poacher, doesn't do much all game, but will finish if you forget about him. Therefore, best for him to come off of bench. Almeda, strong presence, big target, not very creative. I would use him off of bench also. So start Nelson, replace if he can't deliver. I actually think we can surprise Germany and beat them. In the past they have eliminated us from tournaments, but both teams are different. Once we beat Germany, our confidence we be sky high and we should have no problem with Denmark. Not that we are much better, but because we know how tough they are. But we have the talent advantage. Two wins in this group and we should qualify for the next round. Even a loss or draw to Germany will not be fatal. I think we can still win last two if necessary. We need Nelson upfront to help open up space for Ronaldo and Nani. As far as the bench, barring major injuries, most selections won’t make or break us. Martins shouldn’t be on squad, but maybe his intangibles as a team mate make up for his lack of International level talent. I am still having flashbacks with Costa, but as long as he stays on the bench we should be alright. The rest of the selections are OK, won’t make a big impact either way. Fernandes should have been included, just in case of issues in our midfield. But it seems Bento doesn’t mind playing people out of position, so he may have figured he has enough potential midfielders by converting some wingers. Otherwise, I can’t make sense of all the attackers he put on the team. Ultimately we have the talent to be anyone in the Europe. The important part is not the individuals, but how they play as a team. That has historical been Portugal’s Achilles heel. I am hoping that this year, they play as a solid unit and go all the way. Forca Portugal!

I have read some comments on youth and the players coming through, I believe we have a strong new generation coming through, not because of the U-20 WC and a few players that will become household names, but more so from what I have seen at the u-19 level, sporting has some world-class talent there, just look at individual and team play against other youth squads, tore them apart, and not just one player, but half a dozen, liverpool already signed one, then look at porto who just won u-19 club tournament in Zurich against some strong teams. Then you look at the national u-19 team and you say, we have some stars, but more importantly, potential world-class depth in almost every position. I must say, this is the best crop overall, (maybe not individually because you never can tell), I have seen since the golden generation and their exploits in Europe have proved it. Also, there is a strong sense of protection at sporting and porto with those squads including an eagerness to have them sign pro contracts immediately once they are eligible and liga loan experience with other teams.

Also there is some real quality outlying players that just need that kick-off to really be stars. I hope Pizzi moves back to Braga for real playing time, I hope Vieira moves to sporting to take his raw talent to new levels with against better players at home and in Europe, and some of the younger players like Danilo in Italy continue to develop, I see a very strong 2014 WC squad with youth and veterans.

FORCA!

Good seeing two Braga players getting the call up, custodio I think he would be good asset for the team, Nelson upfront will be a good option like Bento said he would bring something different to the team, plus hes young so its good to have these experiences. I think we have a strong starting 11, and I would say were better prepared for this tournament than the last world cup, and euro 2008 when rumors were circulating of Scorlari leaving to Chelsea. We haven't got a golden genertaion squad like euro 2000 or euro 2004, but we honestly have a good chance under Bento, I honestly think he knows whats hes doing... Making Cristiano ronaldo play to his strenghts will be important, Nani will be key also (missed him in the 2010 world cup), who ever plays upfront for Portugal has to link up well with the likes of Nani and C.Ronaldo, (no hugo almeida to start).. the 3 midfielders will be very important for defence and attack, Joao Moutinho I would say is the best player to create things for this team with his passing ability. Are partnership of Bruno Alves and Pepe will be very strong, with bombing full backs of Coentrao and Perreira, and Patricio in goal will be solid...We have a strong team, I got a feeling we might create surprises in a good way...FORCA PORTUGAL!!

decent side for the seleçao but this is the euros and we are in the group of death. very realistically we could lose all 3 games and bow out but just as easily a bit of luck from our forwards, a goal here a goal there and olha we're out of the group and into the semis. surely this is a strech but if we do happen to get that far, who knows. if somehow EVERYTHING is going in our favor, we have the talent in our first 11 to beat anyone. more realistically we'll get pounded by the germans, have a possibly to win vs holland and denmark, and if we do manage to escape the group, surely the lack of depth will see us out at either the semis or the group stage. regardless of the dismal outlook I still love my county and hopefully we'll win it all FORÇA PORTUGAL

Honestly, I'm not that disappointed. Bento is nothing if not fairly predictable, and the only surprises here are the exclusion of Manny Fernandes, and the inclusion of Custodio and Miguel Lopes. Carvalho, Viana, Carrico, Paulo Jorge were never going to be on that plane, and Rolando, Ricardo Costa and Carlos Martins were always going. Like SupremoGino said there's no one off the bench we can really count on to make an impact except for maybe Ricardo Quaresma, and he has as much chance of making a negative impact as a positive one. I fear we'll be fairly one dimensional in terms of personnel and tactics. If we were a goal down and needed to score we could have bought on Viana, or if we needed to shut up shop we could have bought on Carrico, and though I'm not saying those substitutions would guarantee us results, it would be better than just "everybody play harder". Anyway, we can still do well if we stay injury-free and suspension-free, and if the key players play to their potential.

Time to get behind our boys now. Forca Portugal.

Clarify if I'm wrong but you think this current XI looks better on paper than the one in Euro 2004?

Let us count the key players from our squad then and now

Starting XI: (then)

Miguel
Valente
Carvalho
Maniche
Deco
Figo
C.Ronaldo
Pauleta

Starting XI: (Now)

Rui Patricio
Coentrão
Pepe
Veloso
Moutinho
C.Ronaldo
Nani

Subs: (then)

Fernando Couto
Rui Costa
Simão
Tiago
Nuno Gomes

Subs: (now)

Eduardo
Quaresma?

In Euro 2004 we had more technically gifted players, depth, experience, and leadership. There is no depth today. Deco > Moutinho. Pauleta, Nuno Gomes > Postiga, Almeida. Rui Costa > Carlos Martins (lol)



Our team could still coast through groups A and D at the Euros even without depth. It sucks what happened with the draw. Even if we escape the group, The team will be too exhausted to go all the way.

if you have watched any malaga games this year , you would know that he's better than varela and quaresma , some people thought he should have been picked as a left back but he should have made the team at his natural positon

I think some people need to be reminded that Bento's job isn't necessarily to pick the Best 23 players available. Bento is clearly thinking strategically and methodologically. I'm surprised about Custodio but fact is that we need another defensive midfielder on squard. He picked Custodio over Carrico and Amorim I guess.

That said, I have my own reservations. I don't like that Queresma is on the squad. Does Bento really think he could trust him in tight games against Holland, Germany or Spain. Plus, I don't like Rolando and Costa in general.

Portugal being a small country punches well above its weight in football terms. We have a very good starting XI. In fact, I think only Germany, Spain, maybe Holland have a better starting XI. But we will never have the same depth as the other major football countries because of our small population. But that really doesn't mean we can't win this tournament.

In fact, looking at the team that lost to Greece in the 2004 final, I think this team is better at least on paper. But let's discuss if you disagree. Here's the start XI from 2004.

Ricardo
Jorge Andrade
Miguel Brito
Nuno Valente
Ricardo Carvalho
Costinha
Maniche
Deco
Figo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Pauleta

And the Subs:

Quim
Moreira
Paulo Ferreira
Rui Jorge
Fernando Couto
Petit
Rui Costa
Simão
Beto
Tiago
Nuno Gomes
Hélder Postiga

re: U20 world cup. I fully agree it was a great achievement, but that should not blind us from the truth: it was no brilliant group of players, rather one very well organized with some above average stars. We just have to look back to 89, when we won the first U19 (yes, it was under-19 back then) WC. From that group, there were 4 players that were world class: Baía (who didn't play in the tournament), Fernando Couto, Paulo Sousa (who was at the time a right winger) and João Pinto (who was 2 years younger than the others). One tournament does not guarantee a whole selection of high quality players.

Still, the worse is that many of those players are nowhere to be seen. Several of them already left the country, and at such young age that can be a huge gamble. From the starting 11, I think only Nelson Oliveira has been given some playing time this season. From the others, I guess only Nuno reis for Brugge, Caetano for Paços de Ferreira and Cédric Soares for Académica got any relevant 1st league experience. That does not bode well, talent notwithstanding. Hopefully I am wrong...

Depth is the issue in terms of the squad and this is where I think Bento has got it wrong in a number of ways. We know the starting eleven even with some of the changes to the squad as highlighted in other posts. I feel that fernandes (the closest we have currently to a #10 role) and carrico (defensive mid/central def) should have taken the places of micael and costa. However, vianna or jorge or etc. is really, meaningless, as they would be benchwarmers to the starting 11 and typical substitutes barring no injuries. Having said that, Bento should have worked it out with carvalho and bosingwa, those two additions in defense, and possibly Simao who is still brilliant, give us the top quality in depth matching any country.

What should be the starting eleven (subs) this gives up great depth:

Patricio (eduardo)

Bosingwa (J.P.) Carvalho (Alves) Pepe (Carrico) Coentrao (lopes)
Meireles (Martins) Moutinho (Fernandes) Veloso (Custodio)
Nani (varela) Ronaldo (simao/quaresma?)
Almeida-Postiga (Oliviera)

Because of the loss of the 3 players, they have been replaced but subs that are not on the same level hurting our starting 11 and depth to support.

Forca, who knows what will happen.

Note: those hating on varela should have watched Porto's last match of which he played amazing with world-class talent and if bento was smart, would push him into a strikers role or with ronaldo as the false striker in a 4-3-3 if the chemisty is not working. He is back from injury and well rested, we need some fresh legs.

Is anyone relly suprised that Bento would make some idiotic/questionable call-ups?

Good comments all. If nothing else, they show that people have genuine passion for the Seleção (even if that passion results in pessimism and despair)

@ João André: I think the future is brighter than you think. Perhaps you missed the U-20 WC last year? I don't think it was a fluke. Also, there are young players who were in the conversation for a call-up to the Euro who could play a role soon (Vaz Tê, Carriço, Adrien).

@Andre/UK: I agree completely re: choosing players who have some experience over risking roster spots on untested players. We don't need players with deer-in-the-headlights looks on their faces going up against Die Mannschaft or the Flying Dutchmen. You can probably get away with that sort of experimentation in the WC, but the competition level of the Euro is too tough for that.

At the end of the day Bento knows more about the game than I do. His style has been good and his tenure has seen good results for Portugal so far. He believes in his methods and his selection reflects that. Let's hope the team can do it on the big stage against the biggest competitors. If we play our best we can do it. May God be with us! May God really be with us! Forca Portugal!!!

I agree with some posts that there is a lot of pessimism regarding the squad and our overall chances. These are the players we have available, like it or not, and in most cases this was the best squad possible. I personally would've included Carrico and Fernandes (instead of Varela and Martins)...but I can see the logic of Bento. I think Fernandes' season at Besiktas was over-hyped...in reality they had a mediocre season and finished 20 odd points off the top in 4th place. I think both Fernandes and Quaresma should move on to a stronger league.

Martins has taken a lot of criticism, but let's not forget he gave a very good performance against Spain (scored a goal and could've had another), and is very used to playing with some of the other midfielders like Moutinho and Veloso. Micael offers more offensive qualities than our other midfielders and possesses that killer through pass to the forward which could be very beneficial (he demonstrated it with a great assist for Postiga in the win over Bosnia).

At the back, Costa and Rolando are not ideal of course. But they have international experience and Im sorry Paulo Jorge hasn't played a second for the selecao. I'd rather have a back up who's been there before than someone totally untested. Same goes for Almeida over Vaz Te. The likes of Paulo Jorge and Vaz Te should've been tested out in friendlies or qualifiers, not for the first time at a major tournament.

Quaresma has never been given a chance at a major tournament, and I hope to finally see his skills on display at the big stage (albeit coming off the bench of course). Fine he may have never really realised his potential and his attitude is often suspect, but his technique and natural talent is one in a thousand amongst players (football is an art-form too imo!!), and he's way too gifted to be left out.

Yeah i agree with Nathan, such is the difficulty of the group that we could invariably finish in any position. None of these 4 teams have a great defence and can concede goals, and all 4 have fire-power to score goals. Should be some fire-works in the matches! Germany are favourites to take one of the qualifying places, given that they just don't do first-round exits! But the other place is a 3 way battle, and we have just as much chance as the other two. Gotta prove it on the pitch now...FORCA!!

Well, as Paulo Bento said, no need to agree with him, but respect him. There is no right choice. Paulo Bento has a style and an approach in mind and he chose the players who would be right for it. Talking about physicality misses the point completely, since the team does not play that way.

Truth is: playing the best players is not the same as playing the best team. Sweden are constantly overperforming when they play without Ibrahimovic, which serves as an example of how NOT playing a great player can help the team.

Concerning the selection, my main gripe is the choice of only 23 players. Granted that only 23 can be registered, but there is nothing saying the selection has to comprise of only those players. In the preparation period it could be beneficial to have another 3 or 4 players. Players can be injured, appear in very bad physical shape, have fall-outs with Bento or the colleagues, etc. Adding immediately another 3 or 4 players would prevent late inclusions of players who had not practiced together (and who were on holidays) and would increase competition for the not-obvious places in the final selection. Adding Manuel Fernandes, Nelson or Carrico as an example would increase the competitiveness of Martins, Custodio or Miguel Lopes. As it is, knowing they are second choices but being guaranteed the trip, they may not put up the same effort.

Anyway, at a glance, if everything clicks, I can see Portugal losing to Germany, scraping a win against Holland and beating Denmark to go through. This is realistic. Also realistic is seeing Holland tearing Portugal apart with diagonal high balls to beat our full-backs using Kuyt and van Persie on the wings. This may well be enough to destroy Pereira and Coentrao, who are not adept playing the ball in the air. Against Germany I simply don't see Portugal doing much, unless the Germans have a really bad day. Good thing as mentioned before, is that if Portugal does go through the group phase, it should be comparably easier to reach the semis, where the jig should be up.

All in all, I don't expect much. Ronaldo is the best player Portugal produced in decades, but he will arrive with 60+ matches on the legs and, knowing that Portugal hardly ever has an alternative handy (meaning that the opponents can double or triple up on him), it is likely his impact is reduced. With the dwindling talent pool, this should be the last major occasion to shine. Brazil 2014 should be reachable, but Portugal should get used to realistic expectations: qualification is the most realistic target in coming years.

Very happy to see Quaresma at Euro 2012. i think he must to play ,not nani . He is special and deserve to play , maybe with Ronaldo as a striker and nani at the left wing .This is the best team of Portugal .Come on ,Portugal and Quaresma wake up , be the best at Euro !

I see a lot of negativity out there regarding the squad and I think it's important to once again practice the art of "expectation management". In other words, what shoud Portugal realistically expect to do at this tournament (again, keeping in mind we are in the group of death).

At this point, as much as I love Portugal and want us to win it all, I would say that realistically we should be pretty happy to make it out of our group. Having said that, if we do make it out of the group, we'll play a weaker team from Group A and should be able to make it into the semifinals. For me, I think this squad realistically gives us a shot at the semifinals.

Now, in fantasy land, I would say that we get out of our group in first place, play Poland/Russia in the quarterfinals, beat Englad in the semis and win the final against Spain. The reason I believe this is still a fantasy at this point is purely because of squad depth. I think yellow cards/injuries will wreak havoc on a squad such as this. I do think Lopes is a good defensive backup, which we desperately needed, but the likes of Quaresma, Varela, and Almeida provide little in the way of firepower should any of our starting attackers find themselves incapacitated.

All things considered, this squad is about as good as it gets at the moment and I think people should adjust their expectations accordingly. We honestly don't know what we're going to get next month in part because we don't know how well Holland, Germany, and the Danes will end up playing. In a group like this, at least one team is bound to come out completely flat, and one team is bound to come out on fire. Whether we will be on top, on bottom, or in the middle is too difficult to say at this point but if you try really hard to be unbiased I think a 2nd place finish in our group is probably our most realistic hope.

The only open criticism I'll make of this squad is the omission of Fernandes, which I think is a travesty. I like Ruben Micael, but he doesn't hold a candle to Fernandes in my opinion. Custodio makes a decent defensive sub for Veloso, but we need a forward-going midfielder to act as a sub for Moutinho/Meireles (who will both be at risk for suspension at some point this tournament, guaranteed), and that player was Fernandes. Of all the players that he could have left out, it shouldn't have been him. Having watched Besiktas play a ton this season, I would have left both Almeida and Quaresma at home just to include Fernandes in the squad. To be completely honest, I would probably have included Vaz Te over Almeida too, because at least in this point in his career, Almeida couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat. He missed more point blank sitters/one-on-ones with the keeper this season with Besiktas than I've ever seen in my life. I'll support him because he made the team, but let's just say that Postiga is indisputably the starting striker for this team in my opinion. Speaking of Postiga, he scored some truly cracking goals this year for both club and country, but the only wonder goal I can ever think of Almeida scoring was in a meaningless friendly against Luxembourg.

Overall, I support this team heart and soul, no matter what, whether they finish last in their group, or win it all.

I think i speak with most people who don't agree with the omission of Fernandes.

Goal Keepers - No Problems -

Defenders - Obvious choices - Pepe, Alves, Coentrao and even Pereira (i hate to say it)

Wrong Call - Rolando (out of form and not solid - bad call) Ricardo Costa (not solid he and is a sinking ship in defence - Bad call)

Good Call - Miguel Lopes - Provides options in both right/Left Back

Correct Call would be- For Rolando - it should have been PAULO JORGE (who has been a rock for Apoel and not to mention his champions league form)

Correct Call would be- For - Ricardo Costa - it should have been DANIEL CARRICO ( good defender, quick, good physical attributes and can also play as a defensive midfielder) he provides versatility and youth enthusiasm- something we need to start blooding.

Midfielders - Obvious choices - Veloso , Moutinho , Meireles

Wrong Call - Carlos Martins ( Lacks class and not a great passer and will get exposed)

Wrong Call - Ruben Miceal ( i was a fan once - but his lack of physical presence and does not impose himself - especially when it comes up against strong and classy midfielders of Germany and Holland)

These two players are not great back ups.

Good Call - Custodio - in form solid Def Midfielder - acceptable decision

Correct Call would be - For Carlos Martins - it should have been MANUAL FERNANDES ( Great on the ball, has had a great season, relentless and physically strong - if anything he would be in the starting eleven) to have player like this on the bench would give us some classy depth.

Correct Call would be- For Ruben Micael - it should have been HUGO VIANA ( Great on the ball, has had a great season, good passer of the ball)

These guys would provide class to the bench as well as good options and depth.

Forwards - Obvious choices - Ronaldo, Nani, Almieda , Postiga

Wrong Call - Varela - (out of form and has been injured)

Good Call - Nelson Oliveira (young and our future - enough said)

Questionable - Quaresma - as much i wish he had different attitude and his undeniable talent - he is still handy and maybe a joker that we can use - he must really take this opportunity - if not this will be his last call and chance with nataional side.

Correct Call would be - For Varela - an extra midfielder - in Fernandes or Carrico - my call would be Fernandes - he has an attacking flair that would suit us.

Overall - we Lack classy depth reling on the starting eleven who I still think is our best eleven. But it's the best we have considering the circumstances put before us.

Just to dream - this would be my ideal squad barring all the arguments and dummy spats-

Goal Keepers-

Patricio, Eduardo and MIKA (need to star blooding a future GK)

Defenders - BOSINGWA, Pepe, CARVALHO, Coentrao, Alves, PAULO JORGE, Miguel Lopes,

Midfielders - Moutinho, Meireles , Veloso, FERNANDES, VIANNA, CARRICO

Forwards - *Ronaldo* , * Nani*, Almieda, Postiga, Nelson Olviera, Quaresma, Varela.

this would mean you bench would be -

Eurado
Mika
Alves
Jorge
Lopes
Fernandes
Viana
Quaresma
Almeida
Varela

This would be a far better squad.

What Bento has chosen lacks depth and class - apart from first eleven we are thin - lets hope we dont get injuries and suspensions.

I can't believe what I'm hearing. This is possibly a better squad than in 2004 & 2006? This is a squad with flashes of world class in it (i.e. Ronaldo, Nani, Pepe, Moutinho, Coentrao) but is also littered with mediocrity (i.e. Postiga/Almeida, Miguel Veloso, Joao Pereira, Rui Patricio, and I won't even begin to mention the subpar players on our bench). The only thing we can hope for is that Bento somehow gets them to coelesce into a phenomenal team and that's what carries us past teams that are better than us from an individual standpoint (both Germany & Netherlands).

This could be the worst team we've fielded since the team that failed to qualify for the 94 world cup, but at least that team had future prospects like Figo, Rui Costa, Conceicao and the rest of the golden generation.

stop complaining about trivial selections like Ricardo Costa and Varela. Does it really matter if Costa is selected as the 4th CB? If he actually needs to be used, i.e Pepe and Alves get hurt, then the tournament is already done for Portugal no matter who the replacements are. Same thing with Varela. If they actually need to use Varela regularly then that means something has happened to Ronaldo or Nani. Stop overreacting.

For god Saik this really shows what sort of n idiot he is Manuel Fernandez should not only b I the squad but in the team,Jesus y o y ruben micael and nartis varela and Raul meriles will b awar flaw this year watch,terrible mistake not bringing Fernandez or viana couldn deserve it more, and then rolando and costa no Nelson no Carrico well done bento well done mate...

Which can be a good thing sometimes, often surprise inclusions to squads make a big impacts at tournaments. I can see the sense in the inclusion of Custodio, since we need some defensive steel in our midfield, considering the attacking players we will be up against in the group. I thought Carrico was the best option for that, but Custodia has been good for Braga, and deserves his call up.

I too was disappointed not to see Fernandes in the squad, but not surprised. I mentioned this in a recent post of mine that i wouldn't be surprised if Fernandes didn't make the cut, he was hardly used in the qualifiers and didn't really impress in the recent friendlies. We all agree he should've made the squad definitely, but that's Bento for you. Glad to see Micael there though, he offers something different.

Defensively, it doesn't look great in terms of central defense back up. Costa and Rolando being the back-ups leave us a bit shakey. But perhaps also we are being a little harsh on Rolando...sure he had 2 very bad games for the Seleccao last year, but let's not forget he played most matches for Porto, who won the Liga and had the best defensive record. Miguel Lopes being able to play left or right back is a bonus.

In attack, it's good to see Nelson Oliveira given a place. The right decision for sure, and he could give something different to the attack if given a chance. I'm happy Quaresma is there too, most people on these posts slag him off and are big critics. I think he's a great player, clearly not the most focused and can be very selfish...but he represents some of the things I like most about our game in Portugal: artistry and super technique! Of course he won't start matches, but could be a good wildcard to bring off the bench.

All in all quite a good squad. Could've been better, but we will all have our opinions on these matters. It looks like one of the more attack-minded Seleccao squads for a tournament in a long time.. 7 forwards brought, Bento is going for goals. But defense still looks our weakness with Carvalho gone from the squad. Makes for an exciting tournament, and I'm sure they gonna go for it in the matches, we're unlikely to see the kind of caution we saw in South Africa 2 years ago. Should be quite different this time, Looking forward to it!!

Sorry but Fernandes is over-rated and is not a very good player. Sorry to burst all your bubbles; he playered horribly when subbed in for Moutinho against Poland. Fernandes isn't better then anybody called up. In fact, he never plays great for the team. Custodio is a much better call, for tactical reasons, and has mch more experiance then Carrico.

I'm pretty certain that everyone will be rooting for the Seleccao no matter the squad.

I'm not surprised by the selections except for Lopes. I still think that Bento needed to be bolder.

Costa didn't see much time on the field, and Rolando was sat at Porto for his poor play. There seemed to be viable options for at least one replacement.

In my opinion Fernandes has to be picked. He had a better year than Quaresma. Martins makes you scratch your head. He's fiery, but usually commits a horrible foul in a bad spot. He also tends to lose the ball in bad spots.
Micael actually had a better year than I thought. But still sketchy.

Varela had an awful year and Quaresma hasn't changed. Both of those gone or at least one of them would free up spots for others people clamored for.

Bento just has to make it work now.

costa-varela-micael
fernandes , viana , carrico ,sereno

pretty average team.. maybe abit over but still.. very concerned now.

I would have liked have seen Vaz Te instead of Varela called up along with Manuel Fernandes for Martins and Carrico for Costa but since I'm not the coach, oh well.. i just hope those choices doesn't come back to bite Bento in the ass.

After looking at the starting 11, I'd say that we are better than the starting 11's from 2008 and 2010, and maybe even better than the teams of 2004 & 2006. However, our bench does lack the quality that our previous benches once had. It's not that we don't have the talent. Many talented players were left out of the squad for various reasons like style of play, form, experience etc.

We could have players like Manuel Fernandes, Ricardo Carvalho, Hugo Viana, Paulo Jorge, Daniel Carrico, and Andre Martins, but for various reasons, these players weren't selected. If we can stay fit and avoid costly suspensions, we can go very far in this tournament, but if the likes of Pepe, Alves, Meireles, Moutinho, Ronaldo, or Nani can't play, we'll have a significant drop in quality coming in to replace them. That's what worries me...

This must be Portugal's worst squad since the late 90s. Lack of depth will hurt us, especially in a crucial 3rd group stage game vs. Holland which will be a necessary win after the struggle we'll face vs. Germany.

Hopeful, but not optimistic.

Portugal will be eliminated in first round 110%, Germans unfortunatley will destroy them, and thenm all confidence will be DONE!.
Sardines and sumols for our boys after the first game.
Fact, take it to the bank.

Although i dont agree with some of the selections i will still be cheering for the national team. I would have brought in Viana and Fernandes for Micael and Custodio, but there is a reaosn Bento is the coach and the ones posting on this comment section are not.

Goalkeepers: No surprises here. Quim had an outside chance at getting the third spot, but his omission isn't a shock. Beto is a decent keeper.

Defenders: I am a little worried about the back-up center backs. Pepe and Bruno Alves have formed an excellent partnership, but there is a very good chance that either of them, or even both, will be suspended at one point during the tournament. Rolando can be great on his day, but this season, he's been very disappointing for both Porto and Portugal. I understand that Ricardo Costa is experienced and versatile, but he's average at best. I would have preferred Paulo Jorge and Daniel Carrico, but I knew that it was unlikely.

As for the fullbacks, I am extremely pleased to see Miguel Lopes on the list. When ever I watched him, he was extremely impressive. In the game against Porto, he was flawless defensively and very active in attack. He is a fantastic back-up to both Joao Pereira and Coentrao, and in my opinion, he's better defensively than Pereira

Midfielders: I was shocked to see that Manuel Fernandes wasn't called up. He had a brilliant season for Besiktas, and he seemed like the perfect option off the bench. I have no idea why he was omitted. I would rather see Fernandes than Martins and especially Micael. Hugo Viana is a very classy player, but as Bento said, he doesn't fit our system.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Custodio on the list. Like Miguel Lopes, Custodio always impressed me when I watched Braga, so his placement is well deserved. He is a composed and accurate passer, better defensively than Veloso, and as Bento mentioned, he is excellent in the air. He may prove to be an extremely important part of our team this summer.

Forwards: While he definitely won't be starting, Nelson Oliveira will definitely be an interesting option off the bench. His speed and direct play will give us something different off the bench. Varela had a poor season for Porto, but he is still a very good winger who importantly, has a knack for scoring big goals.

Overall, I disagree with Bento's choice of centerbacks and his exclusion of Manuel Fernandes, but I am very pleased with the inclusions of Custodio, Miguel Lopes, and Nelson Oliveira.

This selection is bs.

Why O WHY Ricardo Costa. That guys suxs