Ricardo Quaresma’s 117th minute winner against Croatia brought new life to Portugal’s tournament ambitions. But for me, it was the fitting conclusion of my small part in covering the Seleção in France. Though I would have loved to stay until the end (whatever that end might be), I had such an unforgettable experience that my departure hardly seems worth grumbling about.
Nine matches in 14 days, the vibrant atmosphere of 6 stadiums, food and wine like you would not believe, passionate football culture, arresting drama…and more up-close-and-personal adventures with our beloved Seleção as they’ve fought for their right to be in the quarterfinals.
Records have been broken as Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player ever to score at 4 European Championships. Statistical paradigms have also been shattered, as Portugal defied the odds and came from behind not once, but three times to earn the vital point against Hungary that secured passage to the knockout rounds.
But the conclusion to this fascinating tale has yet to be written. After the unexpected chaos of Group F, and the pulsating tension of the Round of 16, will another summer of football leave us with broken hearts?
For the Seleção, Euro 2016 has not always been quintessential Portuguese theater. You might say that some of the group stage was stereotypical Portugal, especially the profligacy on display against Iceland and Austria. But the gritty determination against Croatia, in a match that lacked aesthetic flair of any kind, was categorically unique by Portuguese standards. It was practically the mirror opposite of the Hungary match, a contest that required caution to be thrown to the wind in order to progress from Group F.
But my own emotive reaction notwithstanding, the victory over Croatia was met with some degree of stoicism by the Portuguese media contingent at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens. Rather than inspire, winning ugly often triggers contemplation and inquiry rather than acceptance that some victories, and even tournaments, cannot be won any other way. Fernando Santos said so himself in post-match comments.
Meanwhile, Croatian defender, Vedran Corluka, reacted by saying Portugal were worse than Turkey or the Czech Republic. International media outlets condemned the match as one of the worst in the “modern era”, for whatever that’s worth. Such terms are meant to paint a certain type of picture of course, so in that sense I understand the expression. That picture has evolved throughout this tournament since Ronaldo’s post-match remarks about Iceland, and has created a most unpopular representation of Portugal.
Euphemism aside, you get the distinct feeling that the international footballing community would rather like to see Portugal lose. Most seem to agree that our place in the quarterfinals wasn’t merited.
As it turns out, nobody enjoys being proven wrong, and as Portugal have progressed through this tournament, those that derive pleasure from watching the Seleção fail have had less and less to cheer about. Their predictions of gloom and doom for Cristiano Ronaldo have yet to truly bear fruit. Neither have their tired descriptions of a team wholly dependent on Ronaldo proven to be anything more than “click-bait” – the type of articles that appeal to an irrational, emotion-driven reader base. Portugal vanquished Croatia as a cohesive unit, but that headline won’t turn over the casual football supporter’s emotional wheel-barrow in a way that satisfies most media outlets.
Other results in the Round of 16 have clarified some of our group stage woes. How ironic that Iceland are indeed a formidable challenge now that they’ve beaten England? Football journalists, whether by intention or not, shrewdly proclaim the Three Lions to be the standard by which all good teams are measured.
But I won’t spend an entire article bemoaning the hypocrisy of the press. The Seleção don’t depend on anyone but themselves to achieve their goals. There are complicated decisions to sort out before the quarterfinals. With Moutinho and Andre Gomes struggling to be fit in time for the clash with Poland, Santos may need to adjust the formation again to accommodate Sanches and João Mario. Neither William nor Danilo have played well enough to be considered an automatic selection. Will Ricardo Carvalho displace Jose Fonte after his brilliant cameo against Croatia?
Watching Spain and Italy yesterday it was readily apparent the impact that good strategy has on the outcome of a football match. Player for player, Spain are superior to most teams in the tournament, but Antonio Conte had already outmaneuvered them in his mind before the match. Italy knew how to beat them, and executed their winning strategy perfectly.
I don’t know that Santos is the prodigious tactician that Conte is, but I think there’s a good chance that the match against Poland will be
another tight contest. It will be essential for Santos to implement a lucid gameplan, and select the right players to carry it out. In contrast with Conte’s Italy, Hodgson’s England got neither tactics nor player selection right, and were deservedly beaten by Iceland last night.
Maybe it’s just the beautiful French countryside influencing my thoughts, but is it safe to really dream yet? As I leave France I confess a certain degree of exhaustion from having defended the merit of the Seleção in so many Twitter sessions, op-eds, or conversations that I’ve had since well before the tournament began. Now I’d just like to bask in the memory of my experience, and relish the opportunity Portugal has to book their place in another tournament semifinal with a win on Thursday in Marseille.
My time in France sampling the chaotic world of professional journalism is over, but for the Seleção there is still work to be done. In keeping with their rich tradition of overcoming adversity, Portugal go into the quarterfinals knowing that world opinion is against them. And in the end it will be all the things we’ve talked about since before the tournament that must carry them through; bravery, unity, a willingness to suffer beyond the 90’ mark….and some decent finishing wouldn’t hurt either.
We’ve seen each of those in bits and pieces throughout the tournament. Watching from home, I’ll be on the edge of my seat hoping that the Seleção can finally put it all together and move one step closer to Paris.
Força Seleção.
by Nathan Motz
