The FIFA Under-20 World Cup begins tomorrow in New Zealand.
Portugal will be going into the tournament with a high sense of optimism after a string of good results at youth level in recent years. The squad qualified for the tournament after finishing second at the Under-19 European Championships last summer, losing in the final to Germany.
Manager Hélio Sousa will once again be on the touchline and he has kept together the same core of players. PortuGOAL highlights five players who will be key to Portugal’s success in New Zealand.
Tomás Podstawski, FC Porto, defensive midfielder
The 20-year-old will once again be wearing the captain’s armband for Portugal. The Porto-born Podstawski will anchor the Portuguese midfield in a 4-3-3 formation. He spent this past season with his club’s B squad and is yet to make an appearance for the senior team. Podstawski was recently featured on FIFA’s official website.
Podstawski grew up in a household immersed in athletics. His mother is a former professional gymnast. His father, who is Polish, is a physical education teacher. He can speak Polish, French, English and Portuguese and is currently studying international relations.
Marcos Lopes, Manchester City, attacking midfielder
Portugal’s biggest star, Marcos ‘Rony’ Lopes spent this past season on loan at Ligue 1 side Lille where he battled injuries but still managed to make 23 league appearances, scoring three goals. He is expected to be Portugal’s driving force in midfield. The 19-year-old was born in Brazil but moved to Portugal as a young child and has represented the Seleção all youth levels.
He famously scored only minutes after coming on in his first senior appearance for Manchester City in an FA Cup match against Watford two years ago. A good performance at this tournament should strengthen his chances of playing in the Premier League for City next season.
Gelson Martins, Sporting, winger
The latest in a seemingly endless pool of talented wingers coming out of Sporting’s famed Alcochete academy. He scored a magnificent solo goal at the U-19 European Championships against hosts Hungary, dribbling past several defenders in the process.
Martins spent this past season with Sporting’s B-team, scoring six goals in 40 appearances. The club recently handed him a new six-year contract, which includes a buyout clause of €60million. He was born in Cape Verde and moved to Portugal at a young age.
Ivo Rodrigues, FC Porto, winger
The 20-year-old recently made his senior debut with FC Porto in a League Cup clash against União da Madeira in January. He spent the second half of the season on-loan at Vitória de Guimarães, arriving as part of the deal that sent Hernâni to the Dragão. He appeared in only four matches for the club.
Rodrigues is a proto-typical Portuguese winger who can also score goals, registering 12 in 22 matches for Porto B this season before the loan. Speed, dribbling and versatility are also among his greatest attributes. He can play on the left and the right flanks, as well as striker.
André Silva, FC Porto, striker
The FC Porto academy graduate will be counted on to put the ball in the net which he has been especially adept at doing for Portugal’s youth squads. André Silva scored five goals at last summer’s U-19 European Championships, including four in one match against Hungary. He scored a hat-trick against Uruguay in a recent friendly in March.
Silva is a modern striker who is mobile, physically strong and blessed with good speed. He likes to move up into midfield to help recover possession, as well as support his teammates on the counter-attack. Arsenal and Chelsea are said to be monitoring his progress.
By Rui Miguel Martins
For more from Rui (twitter: @futebolfactory) check out Futebolfactory.com.
