Team: PORTUGAL

[Daniel24]

Originally Posted by Dellas

fair enough...it is just that I know that he has played there before for both Chelsea and Portugal and if you guys don't have a gd Lb he is solid enough to fill in...

Yeah just because I dont like him doesnt mean he wont play. He is most likely going to play that postition anyways..

[jec1]

Carvalho for Captain....

Its DO or DIE for Portugal. All eyes on Ronaldo as SI, and Fox Sports, and the U.S coverage are covering the Euros.

[Daniel24]

Isn't Carvalho one of Portugal's five captains already? With Gomes being number 1?

[jec1]

Five captains is beyond stupidity. The player who is most vocal, and carries himself in manner of sportmanship should be the captain.

Carvalho is one of those players....

[Daniel24]

Originally Posted by jec1

Five captains is beyond stupidity. The player who is most vocal, and carries himself in manner of sportmanship should be the captain.

Carvalho is one of those players....

Yes it is but thats the thing that Scolari does not understand he is really starting to annoy me. I would give it to Carvalho or Simao.. I dont think Ronaldo is ready for it yet..

[Dellas]

Originally Posted by jec1

Five captains is beyond stupidity. The player who is most vocal, and carries himself in manner of sportmanship should be the captain.

Carvalho is one of those players....

Does that mean in each game there will be a different captain??

[Daniel24]

Almeida hoping for starting spot with Portugal

NEUCHATEL, Switzerland (AP) - Hugo Almeida feels he has done his part to earn a starting spot with Portugal at the European Championship.

Now, the Werder Bremen striker needs to convince coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

I'll try to give Scolari a hard time choosing his starters. It's all I can do," Almeida said Monday. "It's up to him to make his decision."

Almeida will compete for a spot with forwards Helder Postiga and Nuno Gomes.

"My main goal was to be here," Almeida said. "But I worked hard during the season and with the national team so I can get a chance as a starter. I'll fight for my opportunity."

Almeida, who has played only nine international matches with Portugal, believes his lack of experience may be a reason he hasn't been given a chance as a starter.

"We know this counts in these decisive stages," the 24-year-old Almeida said. "Nuno is an experienced player and has this edge."

As a striker who likes to play inside the area, he said he would be a perfect fit for a squad which has wingers such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Simao and Ricardo Quaresma.

"They are all excellent crossers and can put the ball in area," Almeida said.

The striker played in the second half of Portugal's 2-0 victory over Georgia on Saturday in the team's final warm-up match. Almeida has until Saturday - when Portugal opens against Turkey in Geneva in Group A - to prove his worth.

"I want to play, of course, and I'll do everything I can to get my chance," Almeida said. "And when I do, I'll try to show that I deserve a place among the starters."

He and his teammates arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to begin the final stage of preparations before the competition begins. The Euro 2004 finalists will also play the Czech Republic on June 11 and co-host Switzerland on June 15.

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/stor...-with-Portugal

[Daniel24]

Brazil-born Pepe feeling at home with Portugal ahead of Euro 2008

NEUCHATEL, Switzerland (AP) -When you listen to Brazil-born Pepe talk about his Portugal teammates, there is little doubt he feels at home.

"We are a family,'' the Real Madrid defender said in Monday's news conference in Neuchatel, where the Portugal squad is preparing for the European Championship. "We left our own families at home and now this is our family.''

He is proud to be called Portuguese, and guarantees he will be able to sing the country's national anthem before matches.

"More important than knowing the national anthem, it is to feel the way I feel about Portugal,'' he said. "Even though it's a small country, we - the Portuguese - make it a big nation.''

Pepe was moved by the reception from the nearly 10,000 Portuguese fans who flooded the lakeside city to greet the team when it arrived Sunday.

"It showed how much the Portuguese people support us, that they have confidence in our work,'' Pepe said. "We can tell they will support us from day one.''

Pepe said he didn't even need to go looking for advice from the other two Brazil-born squad members: midfielder Deco and coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

"They never had to talk to me about this because I'm clear about the way I feel,'' Pepe said.

Just like Deco, Pepe was barely known in Brazil before moving to Portuguese football, when he was 18 years old.

He only gained notoriety after moving to Maritimo in 2001, eventually joining FC Porto and helping the team win the 2004 Champions League and World Club Championship. He signed with Real Madrid in 2007, winning this season's Spanish league title.

With only five days left before Portugal's plays its opening match against Turkey, the 25-year-old Pepe said he can't avoid feeling the jitters. He will be playing in a major tournament with Portugal for the first time.

"I'm anxious, being in my first competition,'' he said. "But we have to leave this euphoria on the side and focus on our responsibility.''

Pepe started in Portugal's final Euro 2008 warm-up, a 2-0 win over Georgia on Saturday, but said his place in the lineup is not secure.

"There is a spot open for either myself, Fernando Meira and Bruno Alves. Only (Scolari) knows what he wants,'' Pepe said.

Brazil-born Pepe feeling at home with Portugal ahead of Euro 2008 - - SI.com

[Daniel24]

Portugal Blown Away By Swiss Welcome
The reception that the Portuguese national team received upon touching down on Swiss soil was described as "unforgettable" by the president of the Portuguese Football Federation Gilberto Madaíl.

Close to a thousand fans, almost all of which were from the sizable Portuguese community in Switzerland, were on hand to greet Felipe Scolar's side at the airport in Geneva on Sunday night, while an estimated 10'000 more were on hand to give the team a rousing reception at their Swiss headquarters in Neuchatel.

"We were sure the reception from the expatriate community would be great but this welcome was beyond all our expectations," Madaíl said.

"What we saw was unforgettable. Now we should focus on working because there are many things we have to do to prepare the first match against Turkey."

Portugal take on the Turks on opening night on Saturday, after which they will also lock horns with the Czech Republic and co-hosts Switzerland.

Goal.com - Euro 2008 - Portugal - Portugal Blown Away By Swiss Welcome

Portuguese got fans all over the world

[Oliver_Kahn]

Originally Posted by Dellas

Does that mean in each game there will be a different captain??

no... it's a way Scolari found to spread out the captain responsibilities to many players instead of it being concentrated on 1/2 players..

[Lemmy]

which is stupid.

[Forza_Roma]

Wow...



Portugal training session draws 12,000 fans

Portugal training session draws 12,000 fans

[jec1]

^^ They had to pay to watch the players practice.... there is a huge influx of portuguese in Neuchatel.

Imagine if Portugal came to Canada, or Italy for that matter!

[Daniel24]

I heard that the place they were training at could only hold 5,000 but they held 12,000 Portuguese Supporters

[Daniel24]

Euro-Portugal squad penpix

Ricardo (Sevilla). Goalkeeper. Born: 11.2.76. Caps: 75. Goals: 0.

Despite being relegated to the bench by his Primera Liga club he remains Scolari’s favourite. An excellent shot-stopper but is sometimes shaky when dealing with crosses. A hero in the Euro 2004 quarter-final penalty shootout win over England for saving a kick and scoring the decisive goal himself.

Quim (Benfica). Goalkeeper. Born: 13.11.75. Caps: 26. Goals: 0.

Quick and agile keeper who excels in one-on-one situations. Was understudy to Ricardo at Euro 2004 and at World Cup 2006 and is likely to be again. Also played for Braga and has never played club football outside of Portugal.

Rui Patricio (Sporting). Goalkeeper. Born: 15.2.88 Caps: 0.

Became a regular in the Sporting Lisbon team this season. Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari sees him as the long-term replacement for Ricardo.

Jose Bosingwa (Chelsea). Defender. Born: 24.8.82. Caps: 8 Goals: 0.

Regarded as one of the best right-backs in Europe confirmed by his $31.75 million switch from Porto to Chelsea at the end of the season. Confident with the ball and good going forward, he is able to whip in telling crosses from the wings.

Pepe (Real Madrid). Defender. Born: 26.2.83 Caps: 3 Goals: 0.

A tall and pacy defender, dominant in the air. He returned to action in February after a lengthy spell on the sidelines and will replace the injured Jorge Andrade. Made his debut in the goalless qualifier against Finland in November last year.

Miguel (Valencia). Defender. Born 4.1.80 Caps: 47 Goals: 1.

Likes to attack down the right flank from where he can fire in raking crosses, he is an experienced viable alternative to Bosingwa at right-back.

Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea). Defender. Born: 18.5.78 Caps: 43 Goals: 4.

An uncompromising tackler with great timing and anticipation, he has proved a key part of Chelsea’s Premier League and Champions League challenges. Moved to Stamford Bridge with coach Jose Mourinho following Euro 2004.

Fernando Meira (VfB Stuttgart). Defender. Born: 5.6.78. Caps: 49 Goals: 2.

A useful player able to move easily between defence and midifield. A fine header of the ball and poses a danger at corners. He was recalled to the squad by Scolari after he was overlooked for the World Cup in 2002.

Bruno Alves (Porto). Defender. Born 27.11.81 Caps: 11 Goals: 1.

Made his international debut against Kuwait last year and has proved a bedrock of Porto’s championship campaign.

Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea). Defender. Born: 18.1.79 Caps 47 Goals 0.

Slight, unassuming but very effective right-back who followed Mourinho to Chelsea from Porto in 2004. Combines solid defensive ability with strong attacking skills.

Deco (Barcelona). Midfielder. Born: 27.8.77. Caps: 53 Goals: 3.

A graceful playmaker with wonderful technique. An authoritive and creative player capable of dictating the pace of a match. Loves scoring from long distance free kicks but his career at Barcelona has been blighted by niggling injuries. Brazil-born, won two league championships with the Catalans in 2005 and 2006 and was part of the team that beat Arsenal in the Champions League final in Paris in 2006.

Armando Petit (Benfica). Midfielder. Born: 25.9.76. Caps: 54 Goals: 4.

When in form, a powerful player with great anticipation. Made his debut against Ireland in Dublin in 2001 in a World Cup qualifier.

Joao Moutinho (Sporting). Midfielder. Born: 8.9.86 Caps: 13 Goals: 1.

With a sweet left foot and great vision, he is a natural replacement for Deco if he fails to be fit. Tireless ball-winner who does a lot of the hard work for his attacking team mates.

Raul Meireles (Porto). Midfielder. Born: 17.3.83. Caps: 9 Goals: 0.

Key player in Porto midfield because of his passing and shooting ability from long distances. A stalwart of this season’s title-winning campaign.

Miguel Veloso (Sporting). Midfielder. Born: 11.5.86. Caps: 6 Goals: 0.

Impressed for Portugal in last year’s under-21 European championships, his father was a successful player for Benfica. Promising defensive midfielder who is strong in the air and good at anticipating trouble.

Jorge Ribeiro (Boavista). Midfielder. Born: 9.11.81. Caps 8 Goals 0.

Just eight caps after making his debut against the Scots in November 2002. Younger brother of Maniche.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United). Forward. Born: 5.2.85. Caps: 55 Goals: 20.

Electrifying season for United in the Premier League, for whom he scored a jaw-dropping 41 goals in all competitions. Was instrumental in United’s title win and also their run to the Champions League final. Scintillating against static defences, but yet to show he can reproduce his trickery to great effect on the biggest stages.

Helder Postiga (Panathinaikos). Forward. Born: 2.8.82. Caps: 32 Goals: 10.

Technically accomplished striker, he returned to Porto in 2004 after a miserable stint in his only season at Tottenham. Sometimes has a fiery temperament, scored the late equaliser against England in the Euro 2004 quarter-final before seeing his side win on a penalty shootout. Currently on loan in Greece.

Nuno Gomes (Benfica). Forward. Born: 5.7.76. Caps: 69 Goals: 28.

Scored in the 1996 Olympics a few months after making his senior debut. Often used as a speedy substitute late in the game, hit his peak form during Euro 2000, scoring the winner in the 3-2 comeback win over England. Also scored in the third-place playoff defeat by Germany in the 2006 World Cup.

Simao Sabrosa (Atletico Madrid). Forward. Born: 31.10.79 Caps: 61 Goals: 15.

Speedy winger, became Benfica’s key player in last season’s first title in 11 years. His fast skills often lure opponents into giving away free kicks close to the box. Free kick specialist.

Ricardo Quaresma (Porto). Forward. Born: 26.9.83 Caps: 21 Goals 2.

Nicknamed the Mustang, the speedy former Barcelona winger is capable of setting any game alight with his repertoire of step-overs. Moved from Barcelona back to Portugal as part of the deal that took Deco the other way.

Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen). Forward. Born: 23.5.84. Caps 9. Goals 2.

Young striker who has done well when given a chance. Strong in the air at 1.90 metres. Scored his first goals for Portugal in the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

Nani (Manchester United). Forward. Born: 17.11.86. Caps: 13 Goals 2.

Joined his former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo at United at the start of 2007. Celebrates his goals with an exuberant joy followed by an acrobatic