cristiano ronaldo

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

Full Name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Date of Birth: 5th February, 1985
Position: Forward (Winger)

Current Club: Real Madrid (Spain)
2009/2010 Apps/Goals: 35/33

International Appearances: 70
International Goals: 22

Personal Accolades: 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year, 2008 Ballon d’Or winner

Often dubbed as the ‘winker’ in the English press for cocky attitude when he was with Manchester United, but after a summer switch to Spanish giants Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo claimed sole rights to being the most expensive player in the history of the game after Madrid purchased the cheeky Portuguese sensation for a staggering £80,000,000 during the summer of 2009. Did Madrid fans get their moneys worth? Some would argue perhaps not, as despite an unsurprising fruitful season in front of goal – scoring 33 goals in all competitions during 2009/2010 season – Real ended the campaign without a single winners medal; losing out to Lyon in the UEFA Champions League and Barcelona with the Spanish Primera title.

While Ronaldo may have finished his first season in Spain trophieless, he was the stand out performer in the Real Madrid side and formed a prolific striking partnership with Argentine Gonzalo Higuain. Between them the pair racked up 62 goals, with Ronaldo laying claim to 33 of those. However, whereas at the Santiago Bernabeu Ronaldo is accompanied by a team brimmed with star-studded players, for Portugal Ronaldo stands head and shoulders above every other player, so much so that without a Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portugal starting eleven, many would struggle find a case for Portugal winning.

Many were cracking a few jokes at Ronaldo’s expense for not winning any silverware this season but winners medals will come in due course, believe us when we say that. We don’t, however, envisage Ronaldo getting his hands on a FIFA World Cup winners medal, or the trophy for that matter, as lets not forget Ronaldo is the Portugal skipper believe it or not. For all Ronaldo’s brilliance; his speedy foot-work, silky skills and ruthless eye for goals, the rest of the Portugal team just doesn’t come anywhere near the quality of Ronaldo. As Ronaldo was quoted as saying in an honest interview not so long, ‘I’m not a miracle worker’ and we couldn’t have summed up his and Portugal current situation any better. Everyone in Portugal is pinning their hopes on Ronaldo have a superhuman tournament in South Africa and while the most expensive player on the planet is more than capable of dazzling us with a few 10/10 performances in South Africa, his best efforts won’t be enough to drag the rest of the Portuguese misfits over the line.

Because of the mass amounts of pressure being piled onto Ronaldo because of the lack of quality and strength in depth within the Portugal ranks, we wouldn’t be too surprised to see the playboy have a quiet summer. For all his sublime play, heck even his commendable determination and untameable winning mentality, Ronaldo is prone to getting hot under the collar and in a Portugal side which is average at best, the Madrid star might spend more time shouting abuse at his team-mates than celebrating goals. We hoper this isn’t the case as a Ronaldo at his best, happy and beaming with confidence, is a pleasure to watch.

One of the more popular markets during a World Cup has proven to be the ‘Top Goalscorer‘ market, which in it’s simplest form means; who, as in player, will finish the 32 team tournament with the highest amount of goals. The ‘Golden Shoe’ is the official name for the award given to the player with the most amount of goals at the end of the tournament, and it’s second best only to winning the World Cup itself.

Some great names over the years have won the award, the likes of Brazil’s Ronaldo, Portugal’s Eusebio, even our own Gary Linekar, whom will be presenting coverage of the finals live on the BBC during the summers event, has a Golden Shoe in his trophy cabinet, while the current owner of the Golden Shoe belongs to Miroslav Klose of Germany. However, Klose didn’t have strain too much to land the award as his tally of just 5 goals was the joint-second lowest goal tally to have claimed the overall prize in the World Cup’s 80 year history.

So who will claim 2010′s Golden Shoe? Well, we’ve not had much luck predicting some of the previous years winners, with Klose not even on our radar back in 2006, but with some big names representing their country’s over the summer, we’re fairly confident we’ll get closer this time around. Here’s our brief assessment of some of the frontrunners in the betting market to win the 2010 FIFA Golden Shoe.

David Villa

Country: Spain

Club: Valencia

International Apps: 55

International Goals: 37

Club Form: 24 Goals in 40 Appearances

Odds: 11/1 Bet365

Ah, David Villa. One the most wanted strikers on the planet, and up their with the very best with a stunning goal return for both club and country. A fully fit David Villa is a scary thought for any opponent and he’ll be keenly watched over the course of the World Cup by every defender, although very few manage to keep the 2008 European Championship’s top goalscorer at bay for the entire length of a 90 minute game. He’s quick, skilful and so damn clinical in front of goal. You give him even the slightest whiff at goal and he’ll punish you with aplomb – This guy is deadly in and around the box and chances are you’ll see why.

Despite lacking in height (5ft 9in), Villa has this predatory presence in the opposing box, with any half-chance or defensive mistakes immediately snapped up by the little Spaniard. He also has so much to his game. An unlimited inventory if you like. He can take on a defender, weave in between the tightest of defences, take free-kicks and penalties under pressure, score from 30 yards… score from 2 yards; the man is a menace and it’s no wonder the bookies are no taking no prisoners by quoting Villa as the early favourite for the Golden Shoe award, although his price looks extremely generous considering he’s one of many world class players in the Spain squad. A team which will create plenty of chances during the course of the tournament, so Villa will get his fair amount of opportunities to score in South Africa and bolster his already mean International tally.

Fernando Torres

Country: Spain

Club: Liverpool

International Apps: 71

International Goals: 23

Club Form: 18 Goals in 35 Appearances

Odds: 13/1 Expekt

Liverpool’s No.9 is one half of a deadly striking duo for Spain. The name ‘Torres’ is now a household name around Europe after properly announcing himself on the scene after two prolific seasons in a tough and often gruelling English Premier League. In two seasons in England with Liverpool, Torres has built up a stunning goalscoring CV of 54 goals in just 77 appearances for the Reds, although his exploits for Spain are a tad more confined. Even so, the sheer sight of Torres on the starting sheet scares the living daylights out of defenders and he’s one of just a few who are almost guaranteed a starting berth for Spain in South Africa, that is providing he’s fully fit.

For all Torres’ amazing attributes; his lightening like acceleration and pace, his quick feet and skills, his composure in the final and his ability to position himself in the goalscoring areas… amongst others traits, he does seem prone to knocks and scrapes. Since joining Liverpool in 2007, Torres has endured a handful of injuries, some of which have kept him sidelined for several weeks at a time, and he’s had to deal with a stop-start season in England this year which will have affected his preparations for the World Cup somewhat. However, Liverpool’s talismanic forward appears to be back to his goalscoring best and if he keeps up his goalscoring form until the end of the season, his confidence should be sky-high, and so, Torres will surely be thereabouts on the top goalscorers list in South Africa.

Wayne Rooney

Country: England

Club: Manchester United

International Apps: 58

International Goals: 25

Club Form: 32 Goals in 38 Appearances

Odds: 12/1 SportingBet

One of the most energetic and enthusiastic players around is Wayne Rooney, of which he’s now added ‘Goalscoring Machine’ to his forte after a sublime season for his club in the Barclay’s Premier League. The Liverpool born forward has been enjoying his best ever seen for Manchester United, already lending a helping in hand in landing the Carling Cup trophy for the Manchester based club by scoring their winner at Wembley. Rooney will be hoping more trophies are still to come, with the biggest of them all being the Jules Rimet trophy in South Africa, but Rooney hasn’t faired too well on the big stage for his country in past events; suffering a tournament ending injury in the 2004 European Championships before later seeing Red in the 2006 World Cup. On both occasions his country went out in the same encounter, so while many back home in England are pinning their hopes on the fiery, ginger faced Scouser, the omens aren’t heavily stacked in his favour.

What Wayne Rooney does have to offer though is some stunning form, both from his club and international duties. Rooney was pivotal during England’s World Cup qualifying campaign, finishing as their top goalscorer with 9 goals after 9 qualifiers. However, it’s his form at Manchester United which has catapulted him into Golden Boot contention after a blistering season in the Premiership. After 38 competitive games with man Utd, Rooney has netted on 32 occasions averaging nearly a goal every-other-game. He’s not just about goals though, far from it. Rooney’s model like work ethic is something for our kids back home in England to aspire to. We’ve yet to see a game yet where Rooney just hasn’t turned up and performed, especially for England. He’s rapidly becoming one of the most consistent players around and he’ll set the bar in South Africa for the rest of the England players to follow– Let’s hope the rest match his high standards.

Luis Fabiano

Country: Brazil

Club: Sevilla

International Apps: 36

International Goals: 25

Club Form: 11 Goals in 21 Appearances

Odds: 13/1 bWin

Surprise-Surprise, Brazil have a nifty goalscorer, although this one isn’t exactly your stereotypical showboating Brazilian striker like those preceded him. Don’t get me wrong, Fabiano does have plenty of skill and wit in his locker, but he’s not as bumptious as say a Ronaldo or a Romario, yet his record for his country is second to none and on course to be up their with the very best in Brazil. That is providing he gets enough games in the forthcoming few years as Fabiano was a late bloomer and has only recently come into the limelight at the age of 29

While Fabiano took a while to really make a name for himself, with one reason perhaps being the ultra competitive forward competition he’s had to face in previous years, the Sevilla forward has shown his worth for Brazil despite his country only recently demanding his regular services. His tally of 25 goals in 36 Internationals is just breathtaking, while his form during qualifying put him firmly in the hat for the summers Golden Boot award. That was until injury put his season on hold, with an ankle injury restricting his pitch time for Sevilla of late. Even so, he’s been averaging a goal every-other-game in Spain, and should he be fit and raring to go by the summer time, Fabiano will definitely pose a threat to those craving a Golden Boot – While this could be Fabiano’s last chance to claim the prize with age clearly not on his side any more.

Lionel Messi

Country: Argentina

Club: Barcelona

International Apps: 43

International Goals: 13

Club Form: 29 Goals in 31 Appearances

Odds: 16/1 Boylesports

Where do we even begin to describe the Golden Boot credentials of thee best player on the planet according to FIFA, and just about every honest footballing pundit. The lad is still just 22 years-of-age yet he’s already known worldwide for his footballing exploits. Messi not only has the potential to be the players of the tournament in South Africa but he could very well end up as the greatest ever player to embrace the beautiful game if he continues at this pace. The little Argentine has been in scintillating form for his club, Barcelona, in Spain, racking up a staggering 29 goals in just 31 appearances. He’s already on track to land the Golden Boot award in Spain, which would be some feat for a winger, but does he have the making of a Golden Shoe winner? Some would say perhaps not.

While there is so much to love about Messi; his silky touches, his mazy runs, the sublime pieces of skill and the downright audacious goals, the criticism with Messi, especially back home, has been that he doesn’t quite emulate his club form at International level, with some journalists back in Argentina claiming Messi only really produces his best for his club, Barcelona. His average goal return while on International duty is perhaps the evidence to back up these claims but we mustn’t forget that Messi is still very young, with his best years still ahead of him, and yet the pressure on the lad from fans and pundits back home must be enormous. He’s done extremely well not to over burn, yet he poured his heart and soul into a lacklustre Argentina qualifying campaign. It would have been a huge blow had Messi and Argentina not made the finals, but they are there and the FIFA World Player of the Year will set out to make a real impact in just his second World Cup finals appearance.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Country: Portugal

Club: Real Madrid

International Apps: 69

International Goals: 22

Club Form: 22 Goals in 24 Appearances

Odds: 20/1 bWin

Despite claiming the 2008 FIFA Player of the Year award, the bookies don’t fancy the cheeky Portuguese star with Cristiano Ronaldo looking rather tasty at 20/1 to finish this summers finals as the most prolific player on the planet. The charismatic forward will certainly be eager to land the Golden Shoe award as it’s about the only accolade the Portuguese superstar, and captain, hasn’t won in what has been a glistering career up till now. There isn’t an awful lot Ronaldo can’t brag about, especially after his £80Million pound move to Real Madrid last summer from Manchester United after two very impressive years in England, even ending the 2007/2008 season as England’s deadliest forward with a sublime return of 42 goals in all competitions. Ronaldo now lays claim to being the most expensive footballer, not only on the planet, but to have ever lived.

Why is Ronaldo such big odds? Well, to put it bluntly, he will be spearheading one of Portugal’s poorest national sides in it’s history in South Africa and they’ll do well just to make it past the group stages. In a group consisting of Brazil and the Ivory Coast, Ronaldo will need to show some of his magic in order to drive Portugal deep into the competition. However, Ronaldo is another big name who hasn’t quite lived up to expectations when playing for his country, yet the burden of success upon his shoulders will be huge this summer as he will head into South Africa as the Portugal captain – God knows why as I couldn’t respect a player who spends a large portion of his game diving and winging, although the other half is usually spent scoring goals, so that’s probably why.

The Portuguese are now a one man team and if they are to go through, we have no doubts that Ronaldo will be to blame – and blame is the correct word as the inevitable will happen somewhere down the line where the winking, take my shirt off whenever possible, Ronaldo breaks English hearts for the third time in a row.

We will try to add others as we go along… But here are few other names, including their respective odds, that could challenge some of the more obvious selections at more appealing odds.

Gonzalo Higuain

Country: Argentina

International Apps: 4

International Goals: 2

Odds: 25/1 PaddyPower

Didier Drogba

Country: Ivory Coast

International Apps: 68

International Goals: 43

Odds: 33/1 bWin

Nicolas Anelka

Country: France

International Apps: 64

International Goals: 14

Odds: 40/1 SkyBet

Alexandre Pato

Country: Brazil

International Apps: 8

International Goals: 1

Odds: 50/1 WilliamHill

Andrea Pierre Gignac

Country: France

International Apps: 10

International Goals: 4

Odds: 66/1 Boylesports

World Cup News Week

October 31 – November 6, 2009

Republic of Ireland boss Giovani Trapattoni stands by his decision to not select Steven Reid and Steve Finnan out of the squad to face France in the qualifying play-off on November 14th…South African Government embraces the “Football Fridays” campaign which sees workers wear the national sides football shirts to the office to show support…Denmark Coach Morten Olson is pragmatic about his sides chances at World Cup 2010 after topping the qualifying group ahead of Sweden and Portugal, they aren’t favourites but could cause upsets…Bahrain coach Milan Macala is hoping not to blow their chance of reaching their first World Cup again, for the second year running they are in a play-off final and square off against Oceanic winners New Zealand, the first leg in Bahrain ended in a 0-0 tie…German striker Miroslav Klose wants to surpass the impact Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo will have at the World Cup…South American qualifying runners-up Chile are looking forward to visiting South Africa 2010, with Chilean ambassadors arriving in Johannesburg to scope things out…the World Cup Trophy tour hits Namibia…Patrick Viera has been left out of the French squad by manager Raymond Domenech, the ex-Arsenal player will not take part in the qualifying games against the Republic of Ireland and he has voiced his disapproval…Cause for concern for Portugal as Cristiano Ronaldo will likely be missing from the line-up for their qualifying play-off games against Bosnia- Herzegovina because of an ankle injury…Strong qualifiers come head to head in a friendly match while the European Qualifiers take place, it’s England v Brazil in Qatar on November 14th.

FIXTURES: November 14th, 2009
Bahrain v New Zealand
Greece v Ukraine
Republic of Ireland v France
Portugal v Bosnia-Herzegovina
Russia v Slovenia
Costa Rica v Uruguay

WORLD CUP OUTRIGHT WINNERS:
Spain: 9/2 at 888Sport
Brazil: 5/1 at Paddy Power
England: 6/1 at 888Sport
Argentina: 10/1 at 888Sport
Germany: 12/1 at William Hill

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

PORTUGAL v MALTA
It may not sound like one of the biggest clashes that would come to mind when considering European qualification, but little old Malta can ruin the dreams of Portugal. Portugal grabbed a crucial home win over Hungary on Saturday, which was enough to move them into second place in Group A. This was all because Sweden, who they replaced, were beaten by Group leaders Denmark, who have now secured themselves a place at World Cup 2010.

Portugal will be without their captain and influential figure of Cristiano Ronaldo, as he was taken off in the first half of the game on Saturday. He had not been fully fit going into the game and the gamble did not pay off, as he now misses their final qualification match. But the injury to his right ankle, something which he insisted himself he was over, has now come back to haunt him. Fortunately there should not be too much problem, as Malta are unlikely to cause much problems. The Maltese are bottom of the group without a win, nor a goal to their name.

It will constitute as something of a remarkable comeback for the Portuguese, after struggling to find as much of winning formula as they would have hoped. While finishing in second place will serve as their potential World Cup 2010 lifeline, they will be disappointed that not to have secured automatic qualification. With the groups finishing, there does not appear to be too easy a passage through the runner’s-up playing system, and the draw will be seeded based on the next set of FIFA rankings. The Portuguese have had to rely on Sweden slipping up and they have. Securing that second place is now in their own hands, and the final fixture could not be kinder to them.
Portugal to win: 1/50 at Bet365
Draw: 20/1 at Boylesports
Malta to win: 100/1 at Ladbrokes