Betting tips Portugal

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

Group F World Cup Betting Preview: It has been dubbed the Group of Death, and it’s not hard to see why. While all the fun an anticipation of the World Cup 2010 Draw was about which groups France and Portugal, two of the dangerous floaters in the draw, would land in, it was Cristiano Ronaldo’s nation which drew the short straw.

World Cup Teams: Brazil, Korea DPR, Ivory Coast, Portugal

One of the two favourites for the 2010 FIFA World Cup are the great Brazilians, the nation with the most World Cup history and prestige about them. The mighty Brazilians have gotten their hands on the trophy five times, and they are always somewhere at the head of the prices when it comes to World Cup Betting. They won their qualification group in South America, but were pushed very hard by Paraguay and Chile. Brazil, managed by Dunga have been playing with AC Milan’s Ronaldinho, and that is a mark of the quality which they have. They have so much quality in their squad with the likes of Luis Fabiano, Nilmar, Kaka and Robinho that it is no surprise that they will be one of the strongest nations in South Africa. This is largely down to their style of play, and the inherent technical ability which seems to course through their individuals players. The current side legend Dunga has at his disposal, may not be one of out and out flair that the Brazils of the past may have been, but maybe this is playing up to new strengths. The current Brazil is efficient and strong in defence and has plenty of strength in depth as well. They are, and probably will always be the team to beat, and betting on Brazil at the World Cup will continue to be plentiful. Are they in a position to win the 2010 FIFA World cup in South Africa? The undeniable answer to that, is yes. Fabiano hit 9 goals in qualification, keeping up his incredible goal scoring record for his country, but Brazil did suffer two defeats along the way, once to Bolivia and once to World Cup dark horses Paraguay. That didn’t halt their progress though, as they finished as group top scorers, and the team with the best defence. Uncharacteristically, it could be the defensive side of the current Brazilian game which leads them to glory in South Africa. They open their World Cup 2010 account against Korea DPR, which set them on a good path. The Ivory Coast landed themselves a tough draw for the second World Cup running. After being lumped in with Germany and Argentina at the last tournament, they now have to deal with Portugal and Brazil. They had a disappointing African Cup of Nations, which resulted in them sacking their manager. They have now drafted in former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson, in the hope that the Swede’s experience can gel the team together and get them out of the group. Looking at the World Cup Fixtures for this group though, it won’t be easy, and their opening match against Portugal is something of a crucial decider. Whoever wins that would put themselves in pole position to grab an expected second place behind Brazil. The Ivory Coast have star players in the likes of the Toure brothers and their talisman Didier Drogba. The current side has been together for a long time, and it is a little surprise that they were so individualised at the African Cup of Nations. Whether Sven Goran Eriksson’s defensive and economic style will suit them remains to be seen, but he could bring the kind of qualities to the team that were successful in getting England through tricky qualification groups. The third factor in Group G is Portugal, who only qualified for the tournament by the skin of their teeth. For some reason they struggled badly through their European Group, and stumbled over the line behind Denmark. This put them out of the seeding and landed them an unfavourable draw. Like the Ivory Coast they have their stars in Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo, but whether the quality throughout the team is there, is another question entirely. There are two sides to look at when betting on Portugal. Yes, they had a hard time qualifying, but they showed quite a lot of resilience in actually managing to qualify under some considerable pressure. They do perhaps have the edge of the Ivory Coast, and that first World Cup Fixture will be crucial for them. Quite what the Korea DPR will be able to bring to the table in this Group other than being the whipping boys, is hard to determine. They performed above and beyond expectations in reaching the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals, in a group where the Korea Republic and Saudi Arabia were favourites, but they do hold one of the most remarkable pieces of World Cup history, as they famously beat Italy in 1966. The stand out name for Korea DPR is Jong Tae-Se, who is their star striker, and their speed could cause defences problems, but overall ability will fall short in this incredibly tough group. The draw could have been kinder to them, but if they go home with a point it will be a surprise. This is the toughest group because there are three genuine contenders, but only two tickets available for safe passage through to the last sixteen of the tournament.

Group F Betting Stats (World Cup History form in brackets)
(Final outcomes of Golden Goal, Extra Time and Penalty Shoot Out results count as wins or losses)

Brazil: The nation which has made the World Cup their own. They have encountered Portugal once before in the World Cup, back in 1996, with unhappy memories. In Liverpool, the Portuguese ran out 3-1 winners. No history against Korea DPR or the Ivory Coast in the World Cup. (P92, W66, D11, L15)

Ivory Coast: Still waiting to make their impact on the World Stage, and again they have been dealt a rough hand. Didier Drogba will need to shine, and need to get off to a strong start. No history against the other nations. (P3, W1, D0, L2)

Korea DPR:  Famously made it the Quarter Finals in 1966, beating Italy along their way, which was their crowning glory in their brief World Cup history. Who beat them in those Quarter Finals? Group rivals Portugal 5-3. (P4, W1, D1, L2)

Portugal: Just the one triumph over Brazil in the group stages of the 1966 World Cup, which was the last time Brazil failed to get past the first stage. (P19, W12, D0, L7)

World Cup Group G - Table

Group Stage Fixture List

World Cup Betting at SportingBet for Outright Winner of Group G, has Portugal at 7/2, Ivory Coast at 4/1, North Korea 100/1 and Brazil are favourites at 9/20 (and 5/1 to Win the World Cup Outright).

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