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| Monday, 01 March 2010 18:44 |
Coentrao & Patricio hopeful on making World Cup squadU23s prepare for match against Wales  Benfica's Fabio Coentrao and Sporting's Rui Patricio are two of the more promising talents in Portuguese football and have received call-ups by Carlos Queiroz, but not for the senior squad, instead they will be with the U23s.
The pair have been selected for the "A" team on several occasions, but this time around they have been chosen to represent the U23s for a friendly against Wales on March 3, where they will play for the International Challenge Cup at the Estadio Municipal de Fatima. The U23s were devised mostly as a way for Carlos Queiroz to get a status report on many fringe players before he makes his final selection for this summer's World Cup. Coentrao assumed he would be a member of the senior squad, but adds that it is always an honour for a player to be called up for national duty, regardless of what level. "I expected that I would have been called to the senior team, but I am with the U23s and my head is focused on being here," said the winger/full-back. "I do think about making it to the senior team, but in order to do that one has to work hard and now with the U23s, I have to demonstrate that I do have the capabilities to be a part of the senior team." "I always think positively and my objctive is to be at the World Cup. I will give my maximum to show Queiroz that I deserve to be there." Team-mate and goalkeeper Rui Patricio echoed the same sentiments and added that his goal is also to be present in South Africa with the Portugal national team. "It is a great honour to play for the national team, regardless the level - the importance is equal. Everyone who is here with the national program has to dream about being at the World Cup," said the Sporting net-minder. In other team news, Yannick Djalo and Ruben Micael have been released by the U23s due to injuries. The Sporting striker had issues with his abductor muscles and Porto's Micael suffered a mild dislocation to his right acromioclavicular. Replacing the two will be Portimonense's Ruben Fernandes and Rio Ave's Silvio. by Marco Pereira |
As far as the left back position is concerned I still prefer Duda.