 |
 |
 |
| Thursday, 28 June 2012 12:27 |
Bento: “We played an extraordinary Euro”Portugal v Spain post-match reaction Portugal’s players spoke of their bitter disappointment but also their pride after the penalty shootout defeat to Spain in the Euro 2012 semi-final. PortuGOAL rounds up the post-match reaction.
Paulo Bento, Portugal coach:
“Portugal played an extraordinary Euro. We can’t forget we faced Germany, Denmark, Holland, the Czech Republic and Spain. We fell, but we fell like a great team should, with honour and with pride.
“I think we were the better team over the 90 minutes, but in extra time Spain had more possession and we showed signs of tiredness. It was not possible to stretch our game and this enabled Spain to dominate. In the penalties, Spain had the luck.
“We hit the woodwork six times in five matches in this Euro, and the last penalty hit the bar too. The luck factor, without taking anything away for Spain, has an influence, and we didn’t have luck on our side in this competition.”
(On penalty shoot-out) “Ronaldo was down to take the last penalty. The situation with Nani and Bruno Alves was not a change in our order – it was simply a slight mix-up. The order was defined and respected: Moutinho, Pepe, Nani, Bruno Alves and Ronaldo. Bruno Alves stepped up to take it and we signalled from the bench that it wasn’t his turn.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal captain:
“There is a feeling of sadness. Losing the chance of playing a final is always painful. Penalties are a lottery. I was down to take the fifth, but didn’t get the chance. We had a good European Championship. We were among the four best teams at the tournament, and we didn’t win today because we didn’t have any luck. “Do I produce as much for the Selecção as for my club? I always give my best. I’m satisfied with what I did here. We have to be proud. We deserved to be in the final, but penalties are like that.”
João Moutinho, Portugal midfielder:
“Unfortunately, despite playing an excellent match, we didn’t manage to get to the final which was our big aim. We tried to win it in the 90 minutes, knowing that Spain are a great team and we can’t pressure them the whole time. We created chances but unfortunately we couldn’t take them.” Nani, Portugal winger:
“We showed enormous effort and endeavour. It’s tough losing like this, after 120 minutes of fighting and suffering. We showed quality and proved that we can face any team. Congratulations to Spain, who have an excellent team.
“We always believed in this squad. Taking it one game at a time we gained more and more confidence and that’s why we reached where we did. I think the Portuguese people can feel proud of what we did. We deserved to be in the final and we showed a lot of people that we can represent the country with complete dedication. We have a fantastic group of players and we have to continue to work like this to achieve more success.”
Pepe, Portugal centre-back:
“The penalties are a lottery. During the game we were a well organised team, and Spain didn’t have chances. Our team deserves congratulations. Unfortunately we didn’t score. We are disappointed to go out. We wanted to give joy to the Portuguese. I think we played a great game and worked hard. We were a fighting team.” “What has Paulo Bento brought us? He has united the people behind the team. He has shown the ability to unite the team itself and the ability to support all 23 players at all times. He provides a calm climate for us to work in. He’s a leader.” Bruno Alves, Portugal centre-back:
“I feel I gave my best and I’m here if I’m called upon again. All the players, directors and staff believed in a good campaign, and the ability and quality of this Selecção shone through. We can go further and get better in the future.” João Pereira, Portugal defender:
“We are disappointed. It was a unique opportunity. Penalties are a lottery. Unfortunately luck was not on our side. We lost against a great team, we realise that.” by Tom Kundert
|
we all know from the start of this tournament that we might have to beat denmark and holland to progress and so we did. this team did not play better to that of the world cup in south africa either. we could have gone to the semis in the world cup if the teams were in small number as the euro or if we did not meet spain then.
Bento has not depht in this squard after the first eleven he himself believe no one even the players he selected. we diffend better in that world cup we put seven past correa while brazil strugled with them.
our match against spain in the world cup 2o1o could have gone to penalties too had the ref did not allow that off side goal for spain. we were more dangerous in attack we put casilas to work more, in this euro casilas did not even diffend one shoot from us.
Bento is stuburn with is selection. he said he called players who fit the stile of his game and has good experience. we all know that Liedson is better than postiga and almeida yet he did not call him if is a experience why he did not call Liedson superior to all the strikers we have till now, why he did not call Deco too.
why the hell he called quaresma if he is not going to play him.quaresma with all is mischiefs he has a better season than varela. stop telling me when varela entered he plays well, who knows about quaresma.
Bento did nothing especial. he did what any one apart from queiroz would have done. he even played more in diffence than queiroz. queiroz played diffence against brasil and spain but against correa and ivory cost he did not.
bento too played diffence against germany and spain too. bento was lucky to have NAni queiroz did not. there are still many things to compare if we want to. I leave it here.
I know the boys at Portugoal deserve a much needed rest after their great and nonstop Euro coverage, but...
A ton of stuff is happening in Portugal and Portuguese players in club futebol.
I believe that there were nine teams that aren't meeting the financial requirements in order to proceed in league play.
- One of them being Guimaraes which have already asked all Portuguese players to take a 50% pay cut. They are supposed to ask the same from foreign players once they return to Portugal. The question has to be asked, how were they allowed to get a B Squad? Maybe their A Squad should be in the league of Honra nevermind the B.
- Benfica has already made some tidy business in the transfer market. They sold Bastos and Eder for high enough to cover Eder's original cost. Wass, who I was hoping would come back, sold at a tidy profit after coming for free. They also obtained highly regarded Ola John.
- Porto still has Hulk and others. Lots of rumors which will most likely come true but so far no dice.
- Sporting is just trying to maintain. Pereira is gone for to low?
- What is Braga doing?
I can't find it anywhere or is that just for the World Cup.
Someone named Otto Gloria also did a very good job with the Seleccao. Many have said, including Brits, that Portugal would have beaten them if the game had taken place in Liverpool as originally scheduled.
I too was critical of Bento not putting Cristiano up first in the penalties. But after looking into it and seeing/hearing the overwhelming evidence, the best/strongest penalty kickers always kick last. Meaning you want your best to keep you alive or win it for you.
Moutinho for the most part has been getting pass on his miss. It was imperative for us to put the pressure on Spain after Patricio made the save and we let off the hook.
If anything I feel sorry for Alves, since he was mentally prepared and ready to kick when Nani tracks him down and replaces him in the lineup. Yes it is hard to walk away and have to make that long walk again in the right frame of mind.
The fact is we weren't good enough. Our team played really well, but throughout the whole tourney we missed on numerous opportunities. Even Patricio came up big verse Spain during match and penalties after not seeing any action all tourney, yet we couldn't score and put it away.
The way Bento handled the press, motivated the players and tactically set up the team? Brilliance.
The only adjustment I would have made is trying Ronaldo as a center forward (NOT a lone striker) with the freedom to roam anywhere in the middle, with Varela and Nani on the wings because Almeida is just plain awful.
Postiga sat out with a hamstring injury it's not like he had a broken leg. I'm positive he would've been able to take a penalty.
@Andres Don't even come here with that garbage. I can't remember if Spain had a single shot (on target) for the 90 minutes. They only managed to show up in extra time after Portuguese players were tiring out and that was with the fresh legs of Pedro and Navas to stretch the play. We might not have the quality replacements to freshen up our attack but take in consideration that Spain outpopulates Portugal 4 to 1 and don't even get me started on the dodgy referee calls or how the spanish man who picked him is head of the Uefa Referees commitee and the Spanish FA. Better keep your mouth shut because Spain would not have come this far without corruption.
DROPPED:
Eduardo (The opportunity has passed him by. Needs playing time)
Ricardo Costa (Aged 31. Mostly a bench player anyway)
Ricardo Queresma (Will never reach potential. Not a team player. Fights with coaches and other players. Received too many chances already.)
Hugo Almeida (Poor form since moving to Turkey. Need to look into younger strikers for the future.)
Danny (Might not recover fully from injury. There might be better options.)
CALL UP:
Veirinha (A popular player in Greece. Now plays in the Bundesliga for Wolfburg)
Andre Castro (Plays in Spain. Played for the junior national teams)
Andre Santos (Will be loaned to Deportivo this year)
Daniel Carrico (Could play central defence and in the midfield)
Ruben Ferreira (Has impressed at Maritimo)
Cedric Soares (Played regularly with Academica last year)
Adrein Silva (Underappreciated. Could play at Sporting next season)
Andre Martins (A good bet. Has played in the Europa League)
Salvador Agra (Bought by Real Betis)
Wilson Eduardo (From Sporting Academy. Good season at Olhanense)
Hugo Vieira (Recently bought by Benfica)
Mika (Benfica), Hugo Ventura (Free Agent) and Anthony Lopes (Lyon) could emerge as promising keepers as well if they get playing time.
Alot could happen in two years of course. Joao Carlos Teixeira (Liverpool) and Betinho (Sporting) could be in Brazil2014 too.
Anyone else have anyone in mind?
Looking forward now. I think this was a step in the right direction. Moutinho, Veloso and Patricio showed that they are world class talents and deserve to move on to bigger clubs. Plus, I think Bento has figured out how best to use Ronaldo.
Portugal was eliminated because of two primary weaknesses. 1) Lack of a world class striker 2)Lack of Depth
1) Portugal was deadly on the wings with Ronaldo and Nani but not having a good option down the middle is a big disadvantage. Postiga and Oliveira showed some glimpses. Oliveira didn't emerge this tournament but he's the great hope for the future right now. I hope Benfica play him more this year.
Almeida, I'm sorry is just not good enough. I know he is trying but he was hardly a factor against Spain and when he had his opportunities he was wasteful. I think his switch to Turkey has hurt his form. For me, he's done with the national team. I think we should look to other options.
2) Portugal, I thought was the better side after the 90min. But in extra time, you could tell that some players were tired. Spain was able to bring in some impact subs like Pedro and Fabregas. But Portugal could only counter with Oliveira, Custodio and Varela. And although good, they couldn't make a difference.
Looking ahead to WC2014 qualifying, Portugal is in an easy group. Hopefully Bento takes the opportunity to play some promising young players. If we show in qualifying how strong we could play, I think we will be one of the favourites going into Brazil.
Parabens Portugal e Viva Portugal!
I woke up this morning and the first thing I said to my girlfriend was "why did Ronaldo not take the first penalty?"
Still I understand Bentos plan for him to go fifth.
Forca Portugal.
You can't ever watch a game without having a fall guy, someone to blame. Unbelievable.
Hey smart guy - you would have picked Postiga huh? How is that when he wasn't in the game? He wasn't fit to play in the game but YOU - the all knowing (after the fact) all seeing (in your own world) would have picked Helder?
You are the incompetent one.
This was Bento's first tournament in charge and I believe in 2 years time in Brasil we could see his vision for the Seleccao fully manifested. I disagree with some posts that the players will be past their peak...CR7 will only be 2 years older and still younger than 30 (which is not at all old in today's game when players are generally playing for longer...just look at Pirlo!!), Nani, Moutinho, Veloso and Coentrao will be reaching their peak, only Pepe, Alves, Postiga and Meireles will be over 30...so I don't know where all the "ageing team" theories are coming from. Add to this the fact that we have some good young talent coming through (Nelson, Varela, Carrico, Andre Santos, Miguel Vitor etc etc)...and we would have a good balance of experience and youth. Bento is the right coach to lead us to Brasil 2014, and if this team carries on improving then we should be one of the contenders once again...
Time we developed strikers as all that talent and effort will never deliver the final result - I think that was easy to see yesterday - you can't squander chances at this level.
Proud of the efforts of our players, we showed the world we had more than our fair share of technical players but as stated tired of trying to win tournaments with 3rd rate strikers - it will never happen for a team like ours which will always be blessed with a strong midfield and more recently a great back line.
Who is the next Eusebio - you must be out there!!
Forca Portugal Sempre!!
I feel we once again showed the world that we are a team to be respected. Also we have a very youthful squad which could make for an interesting WC run. We now have 2 years to test out various striker options. I hope Hugo and Postiga get dropped from the team to allow other players a shot at playing for us.
All that’s left is to see if that was enough to earn Ronaldo the player of the year award.
However I would also like to thank the guys behind this site for all the great work they do.
Thank you for keeping us informed, and thank you for your tactical break downs.
I am confident that this team will win something big and Ronaldo will be complete before he retires.
FORCA PORTUGAL!!
______________________
1)We are playing semi final against France score 1-1 ref giving a penalty to the France for hand ball in the area.we all shouting but he never stop.some players going to hit him but he is not scare he got a devil face.
2)all going well we are going to get the place in knock out phase as the group winner.and that devil face ref again come and gives card after card.disallowed our clear goals.sent off our players.dying minutes Korean player score a goal.we are out
3)another semifinal France awarded a penalty by same ref .It was a great tackle from carvalho.we all shout but ref cant here.They scored.We try hard. Figo missing the easiest chance of his career.
4)David villa scoring a goal which is offside.any other linesman gives it as off side but this one got a devil face too.
5.)Same ref in this dream as well as others. who cant see handball in the area.then panties our players hit the post but ball going out.Spanish hitting the post ball goes in.
My only concern we lacked a bit of depth from the bench....Nelson O is still raw...I just hope Benfica give him more time on the pitch as he needs it or else he will be another wasted talent. The FPF need to make it a priority to excel our top young talent so they can be stronger and so we can plan for our future in the national squad. We need a striker and a play maker..although Moutinho....did very well. We need to start building a team of good youth just like the germans. Well done to Portugal..you exceeded expectations and did all the Portuguese proud. Well Done to Portugoal...you guys do a great job on this site....I like coming here to hear positive news unlike the Ronaldo bashing Goal.com.
Thanks again guys....Forca Portugallo!!!
Pepe was our best and most consistent player. He is the leader of our very strong back line, and without him, we'd be lost. I said it before, and I'll say it again, Pepe is our most important player. He put in yet another world-class display against Spain. Portugal's defense has restricted all of our opponents from creating many chances and this is mainly due to Pepe's brilliance.
Cristiano Ronaldo: A-
Our captain had his worst ever performance for the Seleccao against Denmark. Many people, including myself, were shocked with his performance. But boy, has he turned it around. He was unplayable against Holland, and fantastic against the Czech Republic. When he's on, no-one can stop us. Against Spain, he saw little of the ball, and when he did have it, he was often fouled. Overall, a very good showing from our captain.
Fabio Coentrao: A-
Fabio was arguably our best player in the world cup 2 years ago, and he has been excellent this year. Once again, he's proving that he is probably the best all-around left back in world football. He's a tenacious defender, and excellent going forward. Fabio always plays his heart out for Portugal, so it was definitely heart breaking to see him tear up after yesterday's defeat.
Joao Moutinho: A-
Hopefully, Joao Moutinho is finally starting to silence his doubters. He's been fantastic for both Porto and Portugal, and he's been excellent this summer. He is the heart beat of this Portugal side, dictating the play with his precise passing and closing down brilliantly on opposition midfielders with his tireless pressing. The Spanish will be relieved knowing that they won't have Moutinho constantly breathing down their necks in the final. Undoubtedly one of the finest midfielders in Europe.
Miguel Veloso: B+
After his poor performance against Turkey, I was very worried that Miguel Veloso would be overrun be the likes of Ozil, Sneijder, and Eriksen. Well, I'm more than happy that he's proved me wrong. He's managed to keep all three attacking midfielders from stamping their authority on the game with his fantastic positioning and marking ability. Against Spain, he marked Xavi out of the game. Incredible. He's calm and composed on the ball, and he consistently shows off his impressive passing range. Class.
Bruno Alves: B+
Bruno Alves and Pepe have formed the most formidable defensive partnership in the Euros. His passing is at times sloppy, and his lack of pace is evident, but he has done exceptionally well so far. He's unbeatable in the air and strong in the tackle. He put in another fantastic display against the Spanish, but was unlucky to see his effort hit off the crossbar. Overall, an excellent tournament for Bruno.
Nani: B
Nani definitely showed flashes of brilliance while also disappearing in matches. His performances against Denmark and Holland were pretty impressive, but we still didn't really seen Nani at his best. Overall, he was a little disappointing in my opinion. We all know that it terms of talent, Nani is probably the best winger in the world after Ronaldo, but he still needs to improve his consistency.
Helder Postiga: B-
Postiga's tournament came to an unfortunate end with his injury against the Czech Republic. While he still gets pushed off the ball too often, and can often disappear in matches, his work rate has been incredible. He also scored a great goal against the Danes. His hard work and intelligent link-up play was missed against the Spaniards.
Joao Pereira: B-
Pereira still seems like the weakest link in our strong back four, but overall, I've been pleased with his performances. He's been pretty solid defensively while also helping out the attack. He was fantastic against Holland. That pass to Ronaldo was something Ozil would be proud of. I'm confident that he'll be one of La Liga's best right backs this season.
Rui Patricio: B-
Due to our excellent defense, Rui Patricio has rarely been tested. He's had almost no chance against any of the goals scored against him so it's hard to rate his performances. He's looked pretty solid with corners and set pieces, and he hasn't made any costly errors. Even against Spain, Rui had very little to do, but in extra time, he made a fantastic save to deny Iniesta. Hopefully he'll be an excellent keeper for many years to come.
Raul Meireles: C
Along with Pepe, Raul Meireles has been Portugal's most consistent player since 2008. However, his poor form for Chelsea has seemed to carry on for Portugal this summer. As always, Meireles will always run his socks off for his country, but his passing/shooting have been way too sloppy. He made 2 or 3 great passes against the Czechs, but he still needs to improve his final ball. Against Spain, his pressing was, yet again, brilliant, but his final ball was poor. His pass to Ronaldo on the counter was under-hit. If Ronaldo took that pass in his stride, he would have had an easier shot at Casillas. Raul Meireles has been a great servant for his national team, but I think that Bento should start thinking about future replacements. Danny, Manuel Fernandes, and Andre Martins immediately come to mind.
Nelson Oliveira: B-
Nelson has played well. His hold up play, strength, and athleticism has been really impressive. In the end, his lack of maturity and experience showed, but I still have high hopes for Nelson. Hopefully he'll get more playing time at Benfica if Cardozo does leave.
Silvestre Varela: B+
Varela scored a massive winning goal, and he's been a great impact sub.
Hugo Almeida: D
Almeida's physicality did cause the Czech defense problems, but his finishing and link-up play was still poor. Against the Spanish, he worked hard, but in reality, he was almost useless. He's incredibly slow, clumsy in possession, and wasteful with his chances.
Great coach but you need some talent to win, I think his time at RM has proven that. His Inter team had a strong defense but as I recall they had some quality strikers.
He is not ready to take the job plus he will only take it when he knows the talent is there to compete. Coaching is not only winning with talent but overchieving with less talent.
I am not sure I am ready to say with all his greatness he will be the most influencial person in Portuguese soccer.
we were the better team man this so frustrating.1 bit luck could brought us at lest 1 major wining.I feel we were cursed by something.So many hart breaks omg how can we take all this pain after pain after pain.It is not only semis can you guy remember 2002 we were playing best football man that match against south Korea i remember that match like a family tragedy.waves of bad decisions.if we draw that day and went to knock out phase we really had the most clearest chance to win that cup.
yesterday we lost by inches man how unlucky was that Alves hit the post and ball goes out next Fabrigas hit the post ball goes in that's how unlucky we are.
and another thing can you guys remember we had a one single penalty in a major tournament i cant remember any.
Also i think we are team who hit the post most in all these finals.
We will also have a strong showing in Brazil (world cup)
We will only become champions when MOURINHO (the special one) takes control of the helm.
You have to realise that he will be the most influential person in Portugal's soccer legacy, not Eusebio, Figo, or Ronaldo
FORCA
PORTUGAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
p.s. Thank You Portugoal.net for all your great work and all the loyal portuguese fans that visit this site.
Win or Lose PORTUGUESE SOCCER IS THE BEST!!!!!!
I was too gutted to post last night - but in reflecting on the events of yesterday, what could have happened, what should have happened, what didn't happen...we should be very very proud of what these guys did.
No shame in the way they played.