Portugal hopes for football feast
Reuters - Thursday 24 June 2010, 17:48
DURBAN - Carlos Queiroz is hoping for a
spectacular feast of football when Portugal meet Brazil in the
World Cup on Friday, but would settle for the point that will
ensure his team reach the World Cup second round.
The Portugal coach said it was a matter of national "honour"
for the teams to produce a match worthy of football's showpiece
tournament in the highly-anticipated clash, which will decide
which of the football powerhouses wins Group G.
"We hope to be able to play spectacular football, because at
the end of the day that is what the World Cup is all about," he
told a news conference at the Moses Mabhida stadium on Thursday.
"It's all about beautiful football, it's all about the
technical quality of the game and the creativity of our players.
"We have to endeavour to play that kind of football at all
times and the football must be king of the World Cup."
Brazil have already qualified for the last 16 courtesy of
wins over North Korea and Ivory Coast.
Portugal would secure their place with a draw. If they lose
to Brazil, the Ivory Coast, who face the Koreans in Friday's
other group match, would still need to turn around a nine-goal
deficit which looks highly unlikely.
Queiroz said the priority for Portugal, semi-finalists in
Germany four years ago, would be to ensure they did not follow
defending champions Italy with an early exit from South Africa.
"Tomorrow we will be playing to qualify, there can be no
mistake about that," said the 57-year-old.
"We don't want to play tomorrow to draw but we want to play
to win, we will try to win, but ultimately we want to ensure
that we accumulate another point."
Portugal lost 6-2 the last time the two teams met in a
friendly in 2008. Queiroz pointed out that his team had improved
greatly since then and not conceded a goal in 21 of their last
25 games, including their first two matches in South Africa.
"When two teams like Brazil and Portugal play anything can
happen .... we have defended well but we have to defend well and
attack well, that is the magic formula," he said.
"We've seen Dunga's team playing, if there's not a good
balance between our defensive play and our attack then they will
simply take us apart."
Brazilian-born playmaker Deco has not recovered from a hip
injury, while Ruben Amorim, who joined the squad as a
replacement for midfielder Nani, is also unavailable with a
thigh injury.
Queiroz said there were likely to be changes from the team
that crushed North Korea 7-0 on Monday, tactically at least.
"We will have to adapt our team of course because Brazil is
not North Korea."
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