As a fan of the Seleção, I think it’s imperative to appreciate the transformation that has taken place in Portuguese football over the last 15-20 years. Though I was not yet an avid follower of the Portuguese national team in those early years, I count myself among those privileged to have born witness to the relative prosperity that Portugal has enjoyed through the emergence of world class players such as Deco, Luís Figo, Ricardo Carvalho, and of course, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Though it is the latter that perhaps best exemplifies the zenith of Portuguese footballing achievement, the role that strong defenders have played during Portugal's transition from “also-rans” to major tournament contenders must not go unnoticed.
Recall, if you will, Portugal’s impressive run to a 4th placed finish at the World Cup in 2006. In the six matches Portugal played prior to their eventual 3-1 loss in the third place match against Germany, the team allowed only two goals, one of them a Zinedine Zidane scored penalty. It seems, rather unfairly I might add, that defensive records have a way of going unnoticed unless they are subpar.
Consider the crucial goals that Bruno Alves and Pepe have scored over the years, many of which changed the fate of our national team. Alves had one such header against Albania during World Cup 2010 qualifying while Pepe secured an important victory against Hungary three months later with the only goal of the match. Pepe also scored the opening goal of a 3-2 victory over Denmark in the group stage of Euro 2012. And who doesn’t remember Fábio Coentrão scoring, albeit fortuitously, Portugal’s third against Israel to earn a vital point in World Cup 2014 qualifying? There are countless other examples just from the last few years of Portugal defenders providing essential contributions that are often overlooked. And that’s before we even consider Ricardo Carvalho.
The next Carvalho?
For me, Carvalho remains the player that embodies the principles of efficient defending better than any other Portugal has produced. Though not the goal scoring dynamo that Pepe and Alves have been, it is his composed, elegant style of defending combined with his skill in bringing the ball forward when needed that makes him the quintessential commander of the defensive line that has sustained Portugal for years.
This perhaps wordy discussion of the value of defenders finally leads me to the point of this article: José Fonte. The former Benfica defender joined Southampton while they were still in the third tier of English football (League One), and overcame great odds to marshal the best defence in the English Premier League today. Over the holiday period I watched several Southampton matches and came away with a much better understanding of the quality that has made José Fonte an indisputable first choice selection and captain of his club. Much like Carvalho, Fonte has a way of leading the back line without exploring the more inflammatory aspects of being a centre-back. Over the years, Portugal defenders, especially Pepe, have displayed an awfully inconvenient habit of abandoning self-control at the worst possible moments. The incident between Pepe and Thomas Mueller in the World Cup group stage quickly springs to mind. And while the worth of defenders with an added element of aggression cannot be dismissed, it clearly becomes a liability on the grandest of footballing stages.
Captain Fantastic
When I watch Southampton play, I’m often struck by how little I hear the name “José Fonte” mentioned by the commentators only to realise it is because he is so rarely troubled. Defenders that make the most dramatic interventions are often perceived as superior, but in my estimation it is those that defend so well that they don’t need to employ last-ditch efforts that are more valuable. Alessandro Nesta, the famous Italian defender, is often cited as an example of an unflappable defender who rarely relied upon theatrics to help his team keep a clean sheet. José Fonte approaches the game with a similar calm and collected mentality that enables him to remain relatively untroubled even against top-level opposition. Two clean sheets over Arsenal and Manchester United this month bear testimony.
Age is unquestionably catching up with the current version of the Seleção, especially in the back four, a point that I’ve discussed previously on this website. Fernando Santos’ first priority has to be qualifying for Euro 2016, and to do that he has leaned heavily on older players who can guide the Seleção through another difficult campaign in which the team made a poor start. It’s also obvious the commitment to defence that Santos has instilled in this squad, and this is crucial because if Portugal are to continue to evolve as a major contender in world football, the team must address the defensive lapses that became a plague during the end of Paulo Bento’s tenure. Portugal conceded 8 goals in the last 4 games of the Bento era, a record which Santos has already improved upon.
But at some point plans for long-term success must be made, and this is where José Fonte becomes a necessity. He possesses all of the essential qualities that make him an excellent candidate for the future of Portugal’s defence: he’s strong in the air, rarely gets caught out positionally, plays in a top league, and, though a late bloomer perhaps, is still only 31 years old. In fact, it could be argued that he is at the perfect stage in his career to play a key role in Portugal’s inevitable turnover of responsibility to the next generation. With young fullbacks like Cedric and Guerreiro being integrated into the squad, I would argue there is an even greater urgency for a strong, composed central defensive pairing that isn’t prone to being caught out of position. Furthermore, it’s only a matter of time before the talented crop of young centre-backs that have starred for the U-20 and U-21 squads begin to factor into the equation. Why not make José Fonte the cornerstone upon which to build Portugal's defence for years to come?
As the time of Carvalho, Pepe, and Bruno Alves draws to a close, Portugal seem to have a ready-made defender capable of providing the squad with just the right kind of imperturbable command of the back-line. Portugal has perhaps two more tournaments to take advantage of Cristiano Ronaldo’s superhuman abilities, but without top class defenders like José Fonte, the Seleção’s efforts to collect its first ever major championship trophy will remain an exercise in futility.
by Nathan Motz
