Rui Jorge’s Portugal squad begin their quest for a first UEFA U21 European Championship title this evening against England.
The Seleção won ten out of ten qualifying games, including victories over the Netherlands home and away in the play-off, making them one of the favourites at the tournament.
PortuGOAL highlights five Portugal players to watch in the Czech Republic.
Raphael Guerreiro, FC Lorient, left-back
The French-born defender enjoyed an outstanding season in Ligue 1 with Lorient. A move to the left side of midfield by manager Sylvain Ripoll early in the season helped unleash the 21-year-old’s attacking prowess. He scored seven goals in 34 Ligue 1 matches.
Guerreiro spent some time at the Clairefontaine academy, which has helped develop many of France’s greatest players. He was instrumental during the qualification play-off against the Netherlands which caught the eye of Fernando Santos who gave him his first senior cap in November 2014 against Armenia.
William Carvalho, Sporting, defensive midfielder
The midfield powerhouse has already accumulated 13 senior caps for Portugal. The Alcochete-academy graduate has been an integral part of the Sporting midfield since returning from a loan spell with Belgian club Cercle Brugge in 2013. He should form part of a strong Portuguese midfield.
Born in Angola, Carvalho reportedly rejected a chance to join Benfica in favour of Sporting. He appears to be back to his best after a relatively poor start to the season. He has an excellent combination of power, defensive instincts and attacking ability, which have drawn comparisons to Patrick Vieira and Yaya Toure. He has been linked with a move to the Premier League.
Bernardo Silva, Monaco, attacking midfielder
The 20-year-old could be the key to Portugal’s success. The former Benfica youth player had a relatively slow start to the campaign with his French club but really took off in January. He formed an excellent partnership with fellow Portuguese international João Moutinho, helping the club finish third in Ligue 1.
In an interview with UEFA’s website in February, Silva named Rui Costa and Zinédine Zidane as his favourite players. And he shares similarities with both. A classic playmaker, Silva possesses a strong sense of the game, dribbling skills, as well as a lethal left foot. He scored nine goals in 32 Ligue 1 matches this season.
Ivan Cavaleiro, Benfica, winger
The 21-year-old spent this past season on loan with Deportivo La Coruna, helping the club avoid relegation. Cavaleiro could play on both flanks, as well as a striker. Dribbling, speed and a powerful shot are among his best attributes. He was Deportivo’s dead-ball specialist this season as well.
A product of Benfica’s youth academy, Cavaleiro made a dream debut with the U21 squad in August 2013, scoring a hat-trick in Portugal’s 5-2 victory against Switzerland in a friendly. He received his first senior international cap for Portugal against Cameroon in March 2014, setting up a goal by Fábio Coentrão in a 5-1 victory.
Gonçalo Paciência, FC Porto, striker
The 20-year-old is the only natural centre-forward on the squad. He possesses a rare combination of size and technical ability. His father Domingos had a solid playing career with FC Porto and La Liga club Tenerife. The younger Paciência joined Porto’s academy at the age of eight and made his senior debut for the club in a League Cup match against Académica this past January.
Paciência was forced to miss the qualification play-off because of a knee injury, forcing U20 manager Rui Jorge to play with a ‘false 9.’ However, Jorge went back to Paciência in recent friendlies. He seems to have overcome a rare heart condition that threatened his career back in 2013.
By Rui Miguel Martins
For more from Rui (twitter: @futebolfactory) check out Futebolfactory.com.
Related: U21 European Championship preview - Portugal with high hopes
