England 1-0 Portugal
Portugal played their penultimate Euro 2016 preparation match tonight, going down to a late England goal at Wembley. The Seleção played for almost an hour one man down after a rush of blood to the head saw Bruno Alves sent off in the 35th minute.
Holding midfielder Danilo put in a fine display for Portugal and a solid defensive showing restricted a highly fancied England team to very few chances, but there was precious little from Fernando Santos’s side in an attacking sense, even before the Alves red card.
With the game still goalless substitute Ricardo Quaresma almost scored a wonder goal for the second match running, but Portugal can have little complaint about the justice of the final score.
In relation to Sunday’s friendly against Norway, Santos recalled No1 goalkeeper Patrício and the likely starting full-backs in France, Eliseu and Vieirinha, while Bruno Alves, who only joined the training camp on Monday, partnered Ricardo Carvalho at centre-back. Danilo was stationed as the anchor-man, with Adrien, Moutinho and João Mário making up the midfield, and Rafa Silva and Nani up front.
Portugal found it difficult to get any meaningful possession from the start, with the game played almost entirely in their defensive half of the field. On 12 minutes Rooney was denied at point-blank range by Patrício, but the Manchester United man had strayed offside.
The Seleção singularly failed to put any passing moves together, Nani’s shanked effort way over bar after a defensive mistake had presented him with a promising shooting opportunity summing up the lack of attacking inspiration.
Rooney threatened again when a cross found him unmarked, but his header didn’t trouble Patrício. Ricardo Carvalho again showed the advancing years have in no way diminished his powers with an unyielding display, and he was not far away with a firm header from Vieirinha’s well-delivered free-kick. A decent move by Portugal then led to an Eliseu cross that Adrien could not direct on target.
Alves sees red
Just as Portugal were starting to get a foothold in the game Bruno Alves flew into a reckless studs-up challenge near the halfway line with his boot catching Harry Kane’s head. It was not a malicious tackle, but was highly dangerous and the Fenerbahce defender could have no complaint when the referee brandished a straight red card. On came José Fonte, with the unlucky Rafa taken off.
England looked to take immediate advantage, a dangerous move playing in Kane, but the Tottenham striker hit his effort straight at Patrício. The pattern of the match did not change at all, with the hosts enjoying the majority of the possession but not doing much with it as Portugal’s defence continued to look secure.
The second half started in brighter fashion for Portugal, half-time substitute André Gomes, on for João Mário, looking lively, especially one fantastic run to create a shooting chance for himself, only to undo his good work by trying to dribble past more defenders instead of striking for goal.
But England began to dominate as the half wore on, several times getting into dangerous crossing positions, but failing to pick out the killer final pass. As both sides made a flurry of substitutions the game became even more disjointed.
Quaresma goes close
In a rare counter-attack Portugal almost took the lead. Renato Sanches, who played a fine 20-minute cameo, made a typically bludgeoning run through the middle and released Quaresma. The mercurial winger, fresh from his superb goal against Norway on Sunday, almost outdid that effort as he twisted one way and other to flummox two English defenders before curling a shot from a tight angle just wide of Joe Hart’s post. It would have been a sumptuous, albeit undeserved, goal for Portugal.
With time running out, England at last put in a cross that was not met by a Portuguese defensive header, Sterling’s inviting centre steered past Patrício by Smalling. There was still time for William Carvalho to spurn a chance for an equaliser in stoppage time, the Sporting man placing a free header over the bar.
Fernando Santos will have been pleased with the way his side defended, more so with Danilo’s tremendous performance, but worried by the lack of creative spark. The midfield trio of Adrien, Moutinho and João Mário looked bereft of any sort of cutting edge.
Less than two weeks before Portugal’s opener against Iceland, there is much for Santos to ponder.
By Tom Kundert
England: Hart, Walker, Smalling, Cahill, Rose, Dier, Milner, Alli, Rooney, Kane, Vardy (substitutes used: Wilshire, Henderson, Lallana, Sturridge, Sterling)
Portugal: Rui Patrício, Vieirinha, Bruno Alves, Ricardo Carvalho, Eliseu, Danilo, João Mário, Moutinho, Adrien, Rafa, Nani (substitutes used: José Fonte, André Gomes, Quaresma, Renato Sanches, William Carvalho, Éder)
