Portugal face Senegal in U20 World Cup opener

Portugal face Senegal in U20 World Cup opener

Portugal’s Under-20 squad is hoping to get their World Cup off to a winning start when they face African nation Senegal in their first group stage match on Sunday.

Hélio Sousa, himself a winner at this tournament in 1989, will once again be at the helm. He has brought along many of the same players that lost to Germany in the final of the U19 European Championships last summer.  Sousa warns that the squad must maintain the same level of motivation that has gotten them this far.

“We need to demonstrate an enormous desire to win, to progress to the next round of competition. That is our responsibility. That is part of who we are. This winning attitude will help up persevere when the odds are against us. Although we did not win the final [at the U19 European Championships] we demonstrated in that game that we know how to fight for a victory,” he told Portuguese wire service Lusa this week.

PortuGoal previews Sunday’s Portugal-Senegal match.

 

The Draw

Portugal will start the tournament against Senegal in Hamilton, followed by Qatar mid-week. They then travel to Dunedin to do battle with South American powerhouse Colombia next Saturday. Sousa insists that Portugal will need to be at their best in order to advance past the group stage.

“We have two runner-ups with us, and one champion. Qatar won the Asian Championship, while Colombia and Senegal finished second in their respective qualifying tournaments. These squads have the desire and belief needed to progress to the next phase of competition. It certainly will not be easy to progress. Every match in the group stage will be a final.”

The Opponents

This is the first time in its history that Senegal is participating in the U20 World Cup.  They qualified by finishing second at the CAF African U20 championships, losing 1-0 to Nigeria in the final.  Sidy Sarr and Ibrahima Wadji, who both play at home with Mbour Petite Cote, finished tied for second in the tournament in goals with three each.

The young Lions of Teranga will be coached by Senegalese manager Joseph Koto, who oversaw their qualification as well. He was briefly in charge of the senior side but was let go after failing to qualify for the 2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

Team News

Portugal defender Dinis Almeida was forced to withdraw from the tournament entirely after suffering a knee injury during training. He was not expected to be a starter. Rio Ave’s Nelson Monte was selected as a replacement and should be available on Sunday. Monte could play as a central defender and at right-back.

Tactical Breakdown

Hélio Sousa is expected to use the 4-3-3 formation, so long a staple of the Portuguese game. André Moreira was excellent at the U19 tournament and should start in goal once again. The midfield will be anchored by heart and soul captain Tomás Podstawski. Marcos Lopes will pull the strings in midfield. His effectiveness is crucial to the team’s success. Portugal boasts one of the best attacking units in the tournament, with a front-three of Gelson Martins, Ivo Rodrigues and André Silva.

They will also need a contribution from their bench players. Sousa praised many of his substitutes after the Brazil friendly, despite losing 1-0. He told PortuGoal’s Matthew Marshall: “We have a number of great players on the bench that could change the game at any moment.” Benfica winger Gonçalo Guedes could be a wildcard at this tournament.

Senegal is also expected to play a similar attack-minded game as their opponents. Portugal played Ghana in a friendly last week with Senegal in mind. The West African nation will obviously have the aerial advantage on Sunday. However, their backline will be their Achilles heel, a weakness that Sousa will be very aware off. Senegal conceded 10 goals in 5 matches in qualifying.

Probable Line-Ups:

Portugal: André Moreira; Rafa, Domingos Duarte, João Nunes, Rebocho; Tomás Podstawski, Rony Lopes, Francisco Ramos; Gelson Martins, Ivo Rodrigues and André Silva.

Senegal: Ibrahima Sy; Alhassane Sylla, Elimane Oumar Cisse, Mouhameth Sane, Moussa Wague; Mamadou Loum Ndiaye, Roger Gomis, Sidy Sarr; Moussa Kone, El Hadji Malick Niang and Ibrahima Wadji.

 

By Rui Miguel Martins

For more from Rui (twitter: @futebolfactory) check out Futebolfactory.com.