“I’m not going home until after 11 July, and I’m not talking about holidays,” boldly proclaimed Portugal coach Fernando Santos early in the tournament.
The wily manager has, unusually for a Seleção coach, been unafraid to talk up his team’s chances of thriving in the tournament ever since taking the job in September 2014.
After three draws in Group F, his chutzpah looked at risk of being rendered nothing but empty words, but the dramatic win in a gruelling match against arguably the best performers in the group phase, Croatia, has injected Portuguese fans with confidence that Euro 2016 may yet provide them with something very special.
Unfair criticism
While the game against Croatia was no classic, it’s fair to say the inordinate amount of criticism hurled Portugal’s way by much of the world’s media was grossly unfair given the context of the game. The team had had just two days to recover from the manic 3-3 draw against Hungary, where three times Portugal came back to avoid an ignominious exit from France. As well as a physically debilitating match in the burning Lyon heat, that Hungary thriller was also a mentally draining encounter, with Santos paying tribute the character of the players: “Three times we were out of the Euro and on our way home, and three times we got back into it. I have to praise the belief and commitment shown by the players.”
It would have been a dereliction of duty not to formulate a plan to try and blunt Croatia’s most technically gifted players, Modric, Rakitic and Perisic, and Santos did so expertly. Likewise, Croatia did a fine job of blocking Portugal’s passing lanes to Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani, effectively cutting them out of the game for 117 minutes. The one instant they let their guard down, Portugal grabbed the winner from the only successful start-to-finish move constructed by either team all match. “It was a tactical battle. We defended very well, but could not get our attacking game going, also because Croatia didn’t let us,” was Santos’s assessment.
The fact the coach selected three players who had not played a single minute at Euro 2016 for the Croatia encounter – Cédric Soares, José Fonte and Adrien Silva – illustrated his concern about the fitness and freshness of his side. All three performed commendably, yet it is far from a given they will retain their place in the starting XI.
After the game PortuGOAL asked Santos if we could expect more changes ahead of the Poland match. This was his reply (translation below).
PortuGOAL: You made several changes for the Croatia game. Was it a question of keeping the team fresh or was it for tactical reasons, and can we expect many changes for the Poland match?
Fernando Santos: “Changes are made out of necessity, or because we feel we have to keep the team fresh, or because of important tactical and strategic questions. I’ve repeatedly said from the start (of the tournament) that I have 23 players who I can use, I don’t have just the eleven. It was proven again (vs. Croatia) that I’m right when I say I’m completely at ease in selecting a player who hasn’t played yet, and if I have to do so I’ll do it again. I have total confidence in the attitude, the determination and the abilities of all my players.”
All hands to the deck
Nobody can accuse Santos of failing to be flexible in this tournament. Only one outfield player in the 23-man squad has not seen the pitch in France, Bruno Alves, the fourth-choice centre-back. Only five players can be sure of their place in the Portugal starting XI in Marseille tomorrow: Rui Patrício, Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro (fitness permitting), Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.
The fact we are all second-guessing Portugal’s team, including the whole midfield, has its pros and cons. As well as retaining the “freshness” in terms of fitness, it sends out the right signals to the whole squad. Those who are selected know they must perform at their utmost to keep their place. Those who are on the bench know they are very much in the running to see some action, helping the spirit of unity and togetherness which was so obviously patent and which may have just made the difference against the Croats.
On the other hand, a stable side improves cohesion. The Selecão reached the semi-final of this competition four years ago with a squad less talented than the current crop. The then coach Paulo Bento picked the exact same line-up for all five matches at Euro 2012, with the exception of replacing injured striker Hélder Postiga with Hugo Almeida in the semi-final against Spain – a forced alteration. And a common theme in the torrent of criticism aimed at ex England coach Roy Hodgson in the wake of their spectacular capitulation against Iceland was his inability to hit upon a settled team, a job perhaps made more difficult by a broad range of talented individuals at his disposal.
The same can be said of Santos and Portugal. There is a distinct feeling the former Porto, Benfica and Sporting coach is still searching for the ideal combination and after four matches in France the Portuguese press contingent continue to ask the same questions: Will Renato Sanches start? Will Santos begin with Quaresma-Nani-Ronaldo? Vieirinha or Cédric at right-back? Moutinho or Adrien (or both) in central midfield? 4-4-2 or 4-3-3?
More of the same
The permutations are endless, but there is one thing we can predict with some degree of certainty. The match against Poland will most likely be similarly cagey to the Croatia clash. The Poles have conceded just one goal in four matches, while Santos continues to place much emphasis on sending out a team that is difficult to break down. With a place in the last four at stake, this is not the game where either side will throw caution to the wind.
For the reasons discussed above, it is something of a fool’s task guessing how Portugal will line up against Poland, but that won’t stop me giving it a go.
Predicted Portugal XI vs. Poland:
Rui Patrício, Cédric Soares, Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro, William Carvalho, Adrien, Renato Sanches, João Mário, Nani, Cristiano Ronaldo
by Tom Kundert
