Rattled Portugal aim to play more as team
Reuters - Monday 06 September 2010, 02:00
LISBON - Portugal need to play more as a
team when they face Norway in a Euro 2012 qualifier on Tuesday,
defender Ricardo Carvalho said after his team suddenly went soft
at the back in last week's shock home draw with Cyprus.
With coach Carlos Queiroz missing because of a ban, the
usually solid Portuguese defence conceded four goals in 90
minutes, having let in just one in four matches at the World
Cup.
"We need to be more compact and to play more as a team to
win in Oslo," said Carvalho ahead of the Group H match.
Agostinho Oliveira, standing in as interim coach after
Queiroz received a six-month ban for insulting anti-doping
agents, found it difficult to explain what had gone wrong in
defence against Cyprus.
"There was a lack of competence in a defence which is
normally competent," said Oliveria, who is without forward
Cristiano Ronaldo because of an ankle injury.
"This defence is solid... I find it hard to understand and
accept this result."
Portugal's experienced central defensive pairing was at
fault in two goals, Bruno Alves and Ricardo Carvalho looking
slow and out of synch.
Miguel lacked pace but is now Portugal's only solution at
right-back as Paulo Ferreira has quit the side and Jose Bosingwa
is out injured.
Options for left-back are also scant after Fabio Coentrao
was ruled out of Tuesday's game with a thigh injury. Braga's
Silvio may earn his first cap, though midfielder Miguel Veloso
can also fill the post.
Norway, who beat Iceland 2-1 on Friday, will have John Carew
back after a knee injury but coach Egil Olsen left it unclear
whether the striker would partner Mohammed Abdealloue in the
starting line-up.
Abdealloue scored the winner against Iceland and his pacy
style could fit Olsen's strategy perfectly.
"The draw with Cyprus tells us the Portuguese team does not
know how to deal with counter attacks, and that can be good for
us," Norway coach Egil Olsen said.
Probable teams:
Portugal: Eduardo; Miguel, Bruno Alves, Ricardo Carvalho,
Silvio; Raul Meireles, Joao Moutinho, Tiago; Ricardo Quaresma,
Liedson, Nani
Norway: Jon Knudsen; Tom Hogli, Kjetil Waehler, Brede
Hangeland, John Arne Riise; Henning Hauger, Christian Grindheim,
Morten Gamst Pedersen, Steffen Iversen; Erik Huseklepp, John
Carew or Mohammed Abdellaoue.
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