Betting on Portugal at the World Cup 2010

Manager: Carlos Queiroz
Captain: Cristiano Ronaldo
FIFA World Ranking: 3
World Cup appearances: 5
Best World Cup: Third Place; 1966

Portugal Team Profile

The Portuguese have been one of the frontrunners in recent competitions over the past decade or so but only just about made it through to this summers show-piece after a dreadful qualifying campaign which seen them come within a point of not making the finals. Portugal, despite boasting some very talented individuals, none more so than one Cristiano Ronaldo, struggled throughout and only made it through to the play-off’s after a strong finish to the campaign which seen them win their remaining three qualifiers. However, even then they still had a lot of work to do as they were drawn against a tricky Bosnia & Herzegovina. Portugal did eventually book their spot in the finals with a 2-0 aggregate win, winning 1-0 in both legs, but they still weren’t convincing.

Portugal’s far from flawless qualifying campaign has led to Bookies pricing the Portuguese up as one of the outsiders and are currently available at around the 30/1 mark. They look a dream outside bet if truth be told as, at the end of the day, Carlos Queiroz does have the former World Player of the Year at his beckon call in Ronaldo. However, they will need their star player and captain to shine in South Africa if they want to better their previous effort in a World Cup when they finished the 2006 finals in Fourth Place.

We must also mention that this will be their third successive appearance in a World Cup after previously managing just one appearance in an almost baron 28 year spell.

Portugal Key Players

Cristiano Ronaldo

Sometimes known as the ‘whiner’ during his time in the English Premier League, but now referred to as one of the greats of the modern era, Cristiano Ronaldo will carry the hopes of nation into South Africa as he looks to carry one of the weakest Portugal squads for some time to World Cup glory in South Africa 2010.

Ronaldo, who last summer was bought for staggering £80Mil from Manchester United, is know the most expensive player in the world and to have ever lived, and doesn’t he just know it. His ego is about the size of his lavish price tag, which is rumoured to be around the Billion mark, and it’s sometimes his ego which gets him into trouble. For all Ronaldo’s silky skills and superior technical ability, he does have a temper and has been known to lash out when matters on the pitch aren’t going his way. Considering this Portugal side can frustrate even the calmest of players, Ronaldo could become hot under the collar in South Africa if he’s left to carry the slack.

Nevertheless a great player, and a prolific goalscorer. He hasn’t always carried his club form into his international games but he’s still an immensely talented player, one which every opponent will fear. Ronaldo will be the main creator and main goal taker in South Africa, aiming to take the phrase ‘Captain Fantastic’ to a whole new level.

Liedson

The guy is 32 years-old and yet he is the likely choice for Queiroz up front as Portugal’s attacking options are extremely limited. The Sporting Lisbon front man is more than equipped to play the solitary role up front but has only recently been introduced into the Portugal side and has but a few caps to his name. However, the age factor shouldn’t be too much of an issue as Portugal are renowned for their veteran strikers, with Pauleta & Nuno Gomes just two of their more recent 30+ strikers that have led the line for them in recent World Cups. The pressure on him to score Portugal’s goals will be enormous as Portugal did struggle for regular goals during qualifying and often had to rely on their Midfielders chipping in.

Strengths

Their strength is undoubtedly their biggest asset – Cristiano Ronaldo. The man has the potential and sometimes the audacity to win any game single handily, and with Portugal not at their strongest, especially in attack, he may well have to carry this Portugal side to success in South Africa. However, Ronaldo has struggled with a few injuries during the course of the season and that will be a concern ahead of the finals in what will be some tough and gruelling encounters for Portugal. If Ronaldo is fit then Portugal will be a threat against any nation. If he isn’t, however, then Portugal simply aren’t the same side.

Weaknesses

The big concern all around Portugal is their lack of fire-power and this factor was certainly evident during qualifying, as a usually potent and exciting Portugal lost their spark. To be fair their group wasn’t the easiest, consisting of Sweden, Hungary and Denmark, but even so, Portugal would have fancied their chances of making South Africa fairly comfortably but that was far from the case as they scraped through qualifying by the skin of their teeth, needing a play-off with Bosnia to seal their berth.

The reason as to why Portugal struggled? Well, everyone pinned the blame on the forward and the lack of talent coming through the Portuguese ranks. It got so bad that Carlos Queiroz had to seek inspiration from a player who had never even been capped for his country before, Sporting Lisbon’s Liedson. However, we mustn’t forget to mention that Liedson is Brazilian born and had to wait six years for a Portugal citizenship, but Liedson had always expressed a desire to play for Portugal and he repaid the faith with some big goals scoring 3 times in the 7 qualifiers he played. Liedson is set to be the oldest forward in the Portugal camp, although he could very well end up as the only recognised forward as well, as looking back down the ranks only Hugo Almeida stands out and even then he’s not proven his worth for Portugal, so scary times for the Portuguese in front of goal, so much so that the burden looks likely to fall upon Mr. Portugal once again, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Portugal Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: European
Group: 1
Position: 2nd
Win-Draw-Lose: 5-4-1
Goals Scored: 17
Goals Conceded: 5

Despite boasting a tidy defensive record during qualification, Portugal lacked that cutting edge in the final and it nearly came back to haunt them. They started poorly but a strong finish enabled them to grab hold of a lifeline in the form of a two-legged play-off with Bosnia. The Portuguese kept their hopes alive of winning their first ever World Cup by beating Bosnia 2-0 on aggregate.

World Cup Potential: 3/5

Portugal head into South Africa with one of the weakest teams they’ve ever produced, so fans back home will have been frustrated to see their side drawn in the ‘Group of Death’ alongside the Ivory Coast and Brazil. However, while their squad may not be the strongest, they still have one of the World’s best players in Cristiano Ronaldo and an ons-song Ronaldo will be a match for any team.

The Portuguese, because of the difficulty of their group, are a big price to South’s Africa show-piece, and while we don’t see them going all the way, simply because we reckon they will find one too good at some stage, they remain a stunningly attractive EW proposition. The gamble, of course, is whether they bypass a tough group. If they do, their price will plummet so it could be a gamble well worthwhile, as one their day Portugal can be a match for anyone so long as Ronaldo is fully fit and on top of his game.

Portugal World Cup Betting Odds:

Portugal to win the World Cup: 30/1 Bet365

Before the World Cup the odds on Portugal were 28/1 

Official Portugal World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Eduardo (Sporting Braga)

Daniel Fernandes (Iraklis Saloniki)

Beto (Porto)

Defenders

Miguel (Valencia)

Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea)

Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea)

Bruno Alves (Porto)

Rolando (Porto)

Ricardo Costa (Lille)

Duda (Malaga)

Fabio Coentrão (Benfica Lisbon)

Pepe (Real Madrid)

Midfielders

Pedro Mendes (Sporting Lisbon)

Danny (Zenit St. Petersburg)

Tiago (Atletico Madrid)

Deco (Chelsea)

Raul Meireles (Porto)

Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon)

Amorim (SL Benfica)

Strikers

Simão Sabrosa (Atletico Madrid)

Liedson (Sporting Lisbon)

Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Portugal Fixtures – Group G

29/06 – 19.30 – Round of the last 16: Portugal – Spain: 0-1

World Cup 2010 Group G - Table

 World Cup Fixtures and Results

Spain v Portugal Betting Odds

Spain to win: 11/10 at Bet365
Draw: 9/4 at Totesport
Portugal to win: 10/3 at SkyBet

Spain

The European Champions had more of a battle on their hands to reach the second round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup than expected. After picking themselves up after losing their opening match to Switzerland, Vicente Del Bosque led his squad to the top of the group. After creating a hatful of chances against Honduras and only finishing two of them, they needed a slice of luck in their final outing to beat strong South American challengers Chile to the top of the group. Spain have shown all of the qualities which had instilled them as pre tournament favourites, but there is something just lacking a little bit when you stand them up against the performances of Argentina and Brazil. Maybe they are simply feeling the weight of expectation upon them, and that choke factor is at the back of their minds. The defeat against Switzerland should have shaken them out of that mode, as that would have been something of a wake up call if they thought they were going to breeze through the World Cup. They have won their group as expected, as they have stroked the ball around the pitch as elegantly as Brazil. Have they done enough to show that they really are contenders to lift the title? Maybe not quite yet, but the undeniable talent is there. There are not many other sides left in the tournament who can take off a striker of Fernando Torres’s calibre (albeit he’s not sharp at the moment) and replace him with one of the most talented players in the world, Cesc Fabregas. What other nation would be able to sit Fabregas on the bench at the start of the match? Teams full of superstars often do not pull together as a nation, but Spain have been together for a long time now, and their impressive run of form speaks volumes.

They should be there in the semi finals, and the vital element of winning their group was secured, and everything else that transpired in the group is history. The loss won’t matter any more. The failure to convert scoring chances won’t matter any more. All that will matter is that they get the job done against Portugal. One of Spain’s enduring qualities, is that they are a patient side who will work and work to get the breakthroughs they need without compromising on their passing ethics. They didn’t break stride in upping the tempo against Switzerland, they just could not get the break through. Unbeaten runs are there to be broken. Portugal are on a great unbeaten run of their own under Carlos Queiros, and something will have to give in their second round fixture. The patience that Spain has, and the ability to swap things around with the array of talent they have, means that they are used to breaking down sides who set up defensively against them. When teams played the best sides, whether it is at International or domestic level, the underdogs usually go out with the mindset of trying to stop the better team playing, as opposed to going out and giving it a real go. More often than not, the underdog has to resort to giving it a real go when they find themselves behind anyway. But the passing qualities which Spain have, and the patience and being so comfortable in possession with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Alonso around, means that they should be able to break down Portugal. These are the games the European champions are expecting, running out to face tough defensive challenges. Is there a better side in the tournament in having the qualities to break down those defences? If David Villa continues to fire, then it will be made all that much easier.

Portugal

They really are all about one man, and that man is of course Cristiano Ronaldo. He is the engine room, the inspiration and goal getter, and despite his calls to his countrymen not to have to rely on him, they are, and they do. While Ronaldo can take on teams single handedly, having such as superstar in your side can often back fire, for when he is cancelled and marked out of the match, the rest of the team does not have much to fall back on. This is the problem for Portugal, who have turned into a very cautious and negative side. Many will remember the attacking football which the Portuguese showed in knocking England out of Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. That attacking side have long since departed, and as displayed in their battling qualification group to reach South Africa 2010, the priority was on defence. Somewhere along the line, attack got sacrificed, which is a bit of a crime when you have Cristiano Ronaldo in the side. Just as pre-World Cup 2010 Argentina were guilty of not using Lionel Messi properly, Portugal do not play to the strengths of Cristiano Ronaldo. Playing such as tight game, he does not have the space and freedom he enjoyed at Manchester United and enjoyed in the second half of his first season at Real Madrid.

Portugal have played out two very negative and dull 0-0 draws so far, coming against the Ivory Coast and Brazil. Against the Ivory Coast, they simply lost their way and lacked any kind of spark or imagination. Against Brazil they put out a five man midfield to try and cope with, and negate the threat of the South Americans. In what should have been a real show case of football, it instead petered out into dour midfield battle with no-one having any real space to play. That was what Portugal wanted and the kind of performance that you will probably see again against Spain. With their World Cup lifeline now at stake in the knockout, it is hard to see Portugal getting any more adventurous. Their defence holding out for as long as possible is the key to success, and the longer they can keep things at parity, without having to chase the game in terms of goals, the more they will grow in confidence of nicking that all important goal themselves.

Spain v Portugal betting tip: Cristiano Ronaldo anytime goal scorer 9/4 at Paddy Power
 

Current Spain V Portugal Odds:

Brazil v Portugal Betting Odds

Brazil to win: 13/10 at Totesport
Draw: 2/1 at Ladbrokes
Portugal to win: 11/4 at Bet365

Brazil

Brazil can wrap up Group F comfortably with three wins from three if they beat Portugal. In the supposed Group of Death, Brazil have barely blinked an eye, picking up maximum points from their first two matches. In their second group match, they made light work of Sven Goran Eriksson’s Ivory Coast, in a match which was supposed to be a lot tougher than it was. Brazil simply showed all of the qualities as to why they are now outright favourites in World Cup betting to win the World Cup. Basically they just make everything look so easy and effortless. The control with the ball at their feet,  the passing, the movement, the scoring of goals, the defending…it is as if the are playing an international friendly while the opponents are left huffing and puffy and scratching their heads at what to do next. Brazil are now down to 4/1 at William Hill to win the World Cup outright, after sitting just behind Spain for most of the build up to South Africa. There is a lot of fluctuation at the bookmakers between them and Argentina, but overall, across the board of online bookmakers, Brazil have the edge. They have the edge against Portugal as well, as the Brazilians, who will be missing Kaka after his red card against the Ivory Coast, look to move through to the next round as Group winners.

Dunga has put together a team which every other nation should fear. They are solid at the back, and even though they are not as gung-ho in attack as Brazil’s of past, there is still the feeling that even if the opposition score three then Brazil will effortlessly score four. It is a more conservative Brazilian team, who are out to make up for their disappointment of Germany 2006, by taking back their world crown. While they are more conservative, with a good eye for defensive duties, there are still as lethal as ever. The poise and invention with which they attack is unmatched, and Manchester City’s Robinho must surely count as one of the stand out players of the tournament so far. What Brazil do do, which has not been seen with any other team, is play with a great deal of respect for opposition and with a smile on their faces. Robinho looks to be laughing most of the time when the ball is at his feet. With the deadly Luis Fabiano up front opening his account with a brace against the Ivory Coast, it will take something special to bring down the Brazilians. With Europe’s top nations all having their problems, besides Holland, the South American sides simply look to be getting stronger. It is looking more increasingly likely that a European side will still not win a World Cup outside of its own continent.

Brazil World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: W2, D0, L0
GF/GA: 5/2
Cards: Y1, R1
Most Shots: Elano, 7
Top Scorer: Elano, Luis Fabiano, 2
Shots/On Goal: 38/16
Fouls Committed: 26
Total Passes: 1260
Pass Completion: 83%

Portugal

Can Portugal make more of a game of it against Brazil than the Ivory Coast did? While Brazil were always expected to beat both the Ivory Coast and Portugal in their group, it was not supposed to be quite so easy. The world will look to the Portuguese now to try and find and expose any weakness that may be in the Brazilian set up. Portugal go into the match on the back of a 7-0 demolition of North Korea in their previous match, and match which saw Cristiano Ronaldo end his two year international goal drought. It was a romp for Portugal in the end, as the North Koreans looked to physically tire. The result will really not have any meaning for Portugal, as they know they need at least a draw against the Brazilians to progress. There is a scenario where  a heavy defeat for them, and a crushing victory for the Ivory Coast over North Korea can seen the Portuguese miss out, but it’s all a bit unlikely. Portugal could lose against Brazil and still get through on goal difference.

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be the shining light of the Portuguese team, and when the cards are all laid on the table, he is carrying the country, no matter what he says. His presence and goals will be vital for Portugal, and now he gets to exhibit his skills against the best team in the World. What better a showcase for the Real Madrid star? Portugal had their troubles in European qualification, and they had their troubles against the Ivory Coast in their opening match, in which they looked completely devoid of attacking ideas. If that Portugal show up against Brazil, then they will get beaten, because Brazil will dominate them in the midfield, and cut through their defence like a knife through butter. Portugal have a pretty good defence actually, but it could be exposed, as any team’s would, against Brazil. Out of the Ivory Coast and themselves, Portugal have always looked the likelier to give Brazil a tougher time, and edge things in terms of finishing in second place. That is the way things should pan out, but they will want a big game from Brazilian born Deco in the heart of the Portuguese midfield, as well as Raul Meireles on the wing, who looks a very good player. They may not carry the threat in the tournament which Brazil do, but hopes are that they have a go at the South Americans and play a lively, spirited game.

Portugal World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: W1, D1, L0
GF/GA: 7/0
Cards: Y3, R0
Most Shots: Cristiano Ronaldo, 10
Top Scorer: Tiago, 2
Shots/On Goal: 33/15
Fouls Committed: 31
Total Passes: 1129
Pass Completion: 77%

Asian Handicap Betting Tip: Brazil, along with Argentina have been the stand out teams, and therefore it is hard to bet against them. Dunga may have to shuffle his pack a little bit for this one with Kaka missing, but they have such a talented squad, they can live with him for one match no doubt. It should not disrupt them too much.
Brazil -0.75 for 8/5 at Bet365
 

Current Portugal V Brazil Odds:

World Cup betting will pay much head to the deadline announcement day, as it is packed with some interesting International friendly matches. Team have to submit their final 23 man World Cup squads to FIFA on the deadline of June 1st, and while some, like Brazil, have already named their 23, there is much speculation about over the likes of who England manager Fabio Capello will cut from his squad after less than impressive warm up matches. All of the speculation will be over on June 1st, as the world learns who will be showing up at South Africa 2010 from all nations. It will also help in picking out the best of World Cup Odds, because some big players who are waiting on late fitness tests, could have a huge influence over proceedings, whether they make it or not. England’s Gareth Barry is one of the major names up there. All will be revealed,  but the announcements won’t take away from some interesting action, which could also influence your World Cup betting.

Australia v Denmark
The Australians can at least boast that they were the first team to arrive in South Africa for the World Cup. The Socceroos have landed themselves in Group D along with Germany, Serbia and Ghana, and so they have no easy task on their hands. They beat New Zealand in a warm up, but with all respect, that’s not much to write home about. Denmark won their qualification group ahead of Portugal, and it will be very interesting to see what they can do at the World Cup. They have a great chance of moving on to the second round, as they are in Group E with Holland, Japan and Cameroon. Denmark work well as a team and have some threatening talent up front, but it is their defence which will largely get them through. Their defence should be able to keep the Socceroos at bay, and further their claims as being an interesting outside bet.
Australia to win: 11/8 at Coral
Draw: 12/5 at Bwin
Australia to win: 9/4 at Victor Chandler

Switzerland v Costa Rica
Costa Rica gave France a good run for their money in a recent International Friendly, but are not on their way to the World Cup. Switzerland however, have a lot to play for, and will be quietly confident of reaching the second round. Much like Denmark, they are strong in terms of team spirit and fight. They impressed quite well in their qualification group from the European zone, but have to face leaders in World Cup Odds Spain, as well as Honduras and Chile. This match will give Switzerland some kind of taste of what is to come from the Latin sides they will meet at the World Cup, who will deal in speed and movement, whereas the Swiss will take a more neutral, efficient approach. Would lean towards Switzerland edging this one in the betting.
Switzerland to win: 3/5 at Totesport
Draw: 11/4 at Victor Chandler
Costa Rica to win: 9/2 at Bet365

Netherlands v Ghana
World Cup betting at Bet365 has seen Holland quietly creeping up in the World Cup Odds, shortening in price to 10/1 in the outright market. There has been little fuss or news coming out of the Dutch camp, as they have been going about their business without grabbing any headlines. The only big debate was over whether or not Ruud Van Nistelrooy would make the squad. He didn’t as the squad was cut down to size well ahead of the deadline. Holland made the USA look woeful in an international friendly, and took down Mexico as well. Now the Dutch, who got through their abridged qualification group with a 100% record, face World Cup participants Ghana.. For Ghana, they have lost Chelsea’s Michael Essien, but should still be a very strong team, as they showed at the African Cup of Nation. This match will be a great test of seeing where both teams are standing at ahead of the tournament, but Holland should edge it.
Holland to win: 5/11 at Coral
Draw: 10/3 at Bet365
Ghana: 8/1 at Victor Chandler

Portugal v Cameroon
Cameroon have been having to deal with a public spat between Samuel Eto’o and former World Cup star Roger Milla. Milla cited Eto’o for not having done anything for his country. Eto’o who has netted 44 times in 94 appearances for his country, was debating whether to go to South Africa 2010 after the personal attack on him, wondering why he should bother. But boss Paul Le Guen has picked him in his final 23, and the Inter Milan man will be going. Cameroon recently drew against Slovakia, and appear to be lacking a lot of punch, and may not be as much of a threat as hoped on African soil. Portugal have been unconvincing, and their World Cup Odds are reflecting that. They have plenty of talent, but coach Carlos Queiroz has not been getting the best out of them. They showed a lot of bottle in battling and scrapping to overcome a poor start in qualification to reach the finals, but don’t look strong enough. Interesting match, as both teams should be better than they are. Portugal maybe will have just a little more punch.
Portugal to win: 4/6 at Boylesports
Draw: 13/5 at Bet365
Cameroon to win: 4/1 at Paddy Power
 

Real Madrid defender Pepe has been given permission to train with the Portugal World Cup squad. After being out of action since last December, the attacking defender is still hopeful of playing in South Africa 2010. Coach Carlos Queiroz would naturally like to get Pepe back in the side, simply because of the threat he can pose from the back. Portugal’s build up for the World Cup has been somewhat understated compared to other European nations. While midfielder Deco has been playing up his country’s chances of winning the World Cup, ex Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has been more pragmatic in his approach. Ronaldo knows that in order for his nation to succeed, he needs to be part of a team, and in quite a humble way he has stated that he cannot carry the team. He knows that Portugal need more than just a few superstars, they need a solid team that can play together, and World Cup Odds reflect the thought, that that is not what they have. Betting on the World Cup at SkyBet has Portugal out at 28/1 to lift the trophy.

Portugal struggled through qualification, only putting up a late rally to finished second in their group behind Denmark. Following that, Portugal battled through a tough play off against Bosnia and Herzegovina to reach the World Cup finals. Their last international friendly though, on May 24th, finishing in a morale blow for the Portuguese, as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde Islands who are ranked 117th in the World. The side was packed with talent like Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco and Nani, but could not find a way through the Cape Verdeans. Portugal went into that match on the back of a 2-0 win against China in an International Friendly, and now step up their World Cup preparations, with a tougher international friendly against Cameroon on June 1st. This will be a tough test for coach Carlos Quieroz, but good preparation too, as they have to face the tougher African nation, Ivory Coast in their Group G World Cup fixtures.

It is against the Ivory Coast who Portugal will open their account in South Africa 2010. It is a crucial match, in which defeat for one of them, could spell very early disaster for their World Cup ambitions. Why? Because Brazil are also in the group, and outright favourites at the best bookmakers for World Cup betting to win it, leaving the Ivory Coast and Portugal to scrap it out for second place. Whoever finishes second, will likely have to play Spain in the second round. In the recent reshuffle of the Official FIFA rankings, Portugal have jumped up to third in the World, this coming after FIFA restructured the ranking points gained. Portugal have invention in their team, but as shown during European qualification, they often failed to turn possession and invention into a final product. Now there is no more room for error, as every chance will need to be taken if they are to progress through a tough draw in South Africa 2010. After the Cameroon friendly, Portugal move on to play Mozambique in their final match before taking on the challenge of the “Group of Death”.

International Friendly June 1st
Portugal to win: 4/6 at Boylesports
Draw: 13/5 at Bet365
Cameroon: 17/4 at Bwin

One of the most highly anticipated groups for World Cup Betting in South Africa, is Group G, which is otherwise known as the Group of Death. Portugal, who struggled and scrapped their way through their European qualification, and a play-off, are confident that they can reach the last 16 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, at the expense of either group rivals, Brazil or the Ivory Coast. Chelsea midfielder Deco, who is expected to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer, has a lot of faith in the ability of his team mates to go deep into the competition, while a lot of doubt surrounds their ability to get out of the group stage. The reason that Portugal find themselves out at longer prices in World Cup odds, is largely based on their lack of form through qualification.

It is not that they lack talent, with the likes of Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo in the fold, they just could not seem to get things together as a team during the early stages of qualification. It was only their ability to dig deep and scrap for results during the run-in, which saw them pinch second place in their qualification group behind Denmark. Now they will be thrown into the lions den for their opening World Cup Fixture against Didier Drogba’s Ivory Coast, a match which many think will be the decider for the second spot in the group behind Brazil. Deco is one of the players who has been caught up in battles between the two countries, as the Brazilian born player pledged his allegiance to Portugal early in young card. Since then, the midfielder has proven something of a thorn in the side of his birth country, as he has scored winnings goals against them, but a recent encounter in 2008 between the two sides, saw Deco suffer a harsh a 6-2 defeat.

June 25 will bring Portugal and Brazil together at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and there is no doubt that Portugal are one of the dangerous floaters in the competition. The race for top spot in Group G is quite a crucial one, as the runners-up in the group, will likely have to face Spain in the second round, as the Spaniards, favourites to win the World Cup, should win Group H. So not only will the second placed team have to navigate a group match against Brazil, but then will probably have to face Spain. The route to the final of the World Cup will not be an easy one for anyone from the Group G “Group of Death” but betting on Portugal at the World Cup look to be outside wagers at best, despite the quality of individual players they do have.

Manager: Carlos Queiroz
Captain: Cristiano Ronaldo
FIFA World Ranking: 3
World Cup appearances: 5
Best World Cup: Third Place; 1966

Portugal Team Profile

The Portuguese have been one of the frontrunners in recent competitions over the past decade or so but only just about made it through to this summers show-piece after a dreadful qualifying campaign which seen them come within a point of not making the finals. Portugal, despite boasting some very talented individuals, none more so than one Cristiano Ronaldo, struggled throughout and only made it through to the play-off’s after a strong finish to the campaign which seen them win their remaining three qualifiers. However, even then they still had a lot of work to do as they were drawn against a tricky Bosnia & Herzegovina. Portugal did eventually book their spot in the finals with a 2-0 aggregate win, winning 1-0 in both legs, but they still weren’t convincing.

Portugal’s far from flawless qualifying campaign has led to Bookies pricing the Portuguese up as one of the outsiders and are currently available at around the 30/1 mark. They look a dream outside bet if truth be told as, at the end of the day, Carlos Queiroz does have the former World Player of the Year at his beckon call in Ronaldo. However, they will need their star player and captain to shine in South Africa if they want to better their previous effort in a World Cup when they finished the 2006 finals in Fourth Place.

We must also mention that this will be their third successive appearance in a World Cup after previously managing just one appearance in an almost baron 28 year spell.

Portugal Key Players

Cristiano Ronaldo

Sometimes known as the ‘whiner’ during his time in the English Premier League, but now referred to as one of the greats of the modern era, Cristiano Ronaldo will carry the hopes of nation into South Africa as he looks to carry one of the weakest Portugal squads for some time to World Cup glory in South Africa 2010.

Ronaldo, who last summer was bought for staggering £80Mil from Manchester United, is know the most expensive player in the world and to have ever lived, and doesn’t he just know it. His ego is about the size of his lavish price tag, which is rumoured to be around the Billion mark, and it’s sometimes his ego which gets him into trouble. For all Ronaldo’s silky skills and superior technical ability, he does have a temper and has been known to lash out when matters on the pitch aren’t going his way. Considering this Portugal side can frustrate even the calmest of players, Ronaldo could become hot under the collar in South Africa if he’s left to carry the slack.

Nevertheless a great player, and a prolific goalscorer. He hasn’t always carried his club form into his international games but he’s still an immensely talented player, one which every opponent will fear. Ronaldo will be the main creator and main goal taker in South Africa, aiming to take the phrase ‘Captain Fantastic’ to a whole new level.

Liedson

The guy is 32 years-old and yet he is the likely choice for Queiroz up front as Portugal’s attacking options are extremely limited. The Sporting Lisbon front man is more than equipped to play the solitary role up front but has only recently been introduced into the Portugal side and has but a few caps to his name. However, the age factor shouldn’t be too much of an issue as Portugal are renowned for their veteran strikers, with Pauleta & Nuno Gomes just two of their more recent 30+ strikers that have led the line for them in recent World Cups. The pressure on him to score Portugal’s goals will be enormous as Portugal did struggle for regular goals during qualifying and often had to rely on their Midfielders chipping in.

Strengths

Their strength is undoubtedly their biggest asset – Cristiano Ronaldo. The man has the potential and sometimes the audacity to win any game single handily, and with Portugal not at their strongest, especially in attack, he may well have to carry this Portugal side to success in South Africa. However, Ronaldo has struggled with a few injuries during the course of the season and that will be a concern ahead of the finals in what will be some tough and gruelling encounters for Portugal. If Ronaldo is fit then Portugal will be a threat against any nation. If he isn’t, however, then Portugal simply aren’t the same side.

Weaknesses

The big concern all around Portugal is their lack of fire-power and this factor was certainly evident during qualifying, as a usually potent and exciting Portugal lost their spark. To be fair their group wasn’t the easiest, consisting of Sweden, Hungary and Denmark, but even so, Portugal would have fancied their chances of making South Africa fairly comfortably but that was far from the case as they scraped through qualifying by the skin of their teeth, needing a play-off with Bosnia to seal their berth.

The reason as to why Portugal struggled? Well, everyone pinned the blame on the forward and the lack of talent coming through the Portuguese ranks. It got so bad that Carlos Queiroz had to seek inspiration from a player who had never even been capped for his country before, Sporting Lisbon’s Liedson. However, we mustn’t forget to mention that Liedson is Brazilian born and had to wait six years for a Portugal citizenship, but Liedson had always expressed a desire to play for Portugal and he repaid the faith with some big goals scoring 3 times in the 7 qualifiers he played. Liedson is set to be the oldest forward in the Portugal camp, although he could very well end up as the only recognised forward as well, as looking back down the ranks only Hugo Almeida stands out and even then he’s not proven his worth for Portugal, so scary times for the Portuguese in front of goal, so much so that the burden looks likely to fall upon Mr. Portugal once again, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Portugal Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: European
Group: 1
Position: 2nd
Win-Draw-Lose: 5-4-1
Goals Scored: 17
Goals Conceded: 5

Despite boasting a tidy defensive record during qualification, Portugal lacked that cutting edge in the final and it nearly came back to haunt them. They started poorly but a strong finish enabled them to grab hold of a lifeline in the form of a two-legged play-off with Bosnia. The Portuguese kept their hopes alive of winning their first ever World Cup by beating Bosnia 2-0 on aggregate.

World Cup Potential: 3/5

Portugal head into South Africa with one of the weakest teams they’ve ever produced, so fans back home will have been frustrated to see their side drawn in the ‘Group of Death’ alongside the Ivory Coast and Brazil. However, while their squad may not be the strongest, they still have one of the World’s best players in Cristiano Ronaldo and an ons-song Ronaldo will be a match for any team.

The Portuguese, because of the difficulty of their group, are a big price to South’s Africa show-piece, and while we don’t see them going all the way, simply because we reckon they will find one too good at some stage, they remain a stunningly attractive EW proposition. The gamble, of course, is whether they bypass a tough group. If they do, their price will plummet so it could be a gamble well worthwhile, as one their day Portugal can be a match for anyone so long as Ronaldo is fully fit and on top of his game.

Portugal World Cup Betting Odds:

Portugal to win the World Cup: 30/1 Bet365

Before the World Cup the odds on Portugal were 28/1 

Official Portugal World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Eduardo (Sporting Braga)

Daniel Fernandes (Iraklis Saloniki)

Beto (Porto)

Defenders

Miguel (Valencia)

Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea)

Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea)

Bruno Alves (Porto)

Rolando (Porto)

Ricardo Costa (Lille)

Duda (Malaga)

Fabio Coentrão (Benfica Lisbon)

Pepe (Real Madrid)

Midfielders

Pedro Mendes (Sporting Lisbon)

Danny (Zenit St. Petersburg)

Tiago (Atletico Madrid)

Deco (Chelsea)

Raul Meireles (Porto)

Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon)

Amorim (SL Benfica)

Strikers

Simão Sabrosa (Atletico Madrid)

Liedson (Sporting Lisbon)

Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Portugal Fixtures – Group G

29/06 – 19.30 – Round of the last 16: Portugal – Spain: 0-1

World Cup Group G - Table

 World Cup Fixtures and Results

World Cup Group of Portugal