2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Campaign

The Portuguese Squad carries high expectations going into the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The Portuguese won two friendlies, one against Scotland and one against Mexico. However, the captain Cristiano Ronaldo had a very disappointing showing in those two games, resulting in the captaincy being taken away from him and handed over to Striker Simao Pedro, before heading into the European Group A Qualifying round.

Group A:
Albania
Denmark
Hungary
Malta
Portugal
Sweden

The Portuguese Squad is the favourite of this group, but don't be surprised to see Denmark or Sweden in it right until the end.

Game 1:
Malta @ Portugal





Captain of Malta, Michael Mifsud would bring his team into Portugal in hopes of stealing a win on Portuguese turf in the first game of the Qualifying Round. Portugal got off to a quick start by drawing a foul just outside the Maltese penalty area, on the ensuing set piece Jose Bosingwa, all-star defender for Chelsea in the English Premier League picked the corner to drive in the games first goal. Right before the end of the half, the Portuguese captain would send in a beautiful cross and fellow striker, Liedson made no mistake and put the ball in the back of the net.

The second half the Portuguese sat back, and allowed Malta to control the ball. This was until Cristiano Ronaldo woke up, made a great sliding tackle, and sent in Deco in all alone where he chipped it over the rushing goaltender, putting Portugal up 3-0. In the 82nd minutes Maltese captain, Michael Mifsud decided to take matter into his own hands and made Portuguese defender Bruno Alves look foolish by dancing around him, and striking the ball into the net, cutting the deficit to 3-1. However, it was too little, too late.

The Portuguese took a 3-1 victory in the first game of the the qualifying stage. They did not look sharp at all in the latter stages of the second half, and they will have to be sharper if they want to contend against Denmark, who they will face next match.

Game notes: Simao picked up a yellow card in the second half.
Paulo Ferreira made his way into the game, replacing Bruno Alves after his blunder on the pitch leading to Malta's goal.

Man of the Match: Liedson





Group A Day 1 Results:

Albania 0 - 1 Sweden
Hungary 2 - 0 Denmark
Malta 1 - 3 Portugal

Game 2:
Portugal @ Denmark


After a surprising loss in their first game, the Danes look to bounce back against the star-studded Portuguese. The Danes will look to their captain, Jon Dahl Tomasson, to get their scoring touch back This game got off to a quick start with Nicklas Bendtner rallying a shot off the crossbar and tapping it into the back of the net, to give Denmark their first goal of the tournament. Play stayed at mid field for the majority of the first half until stoppage time rolled around. Denmark began pressing really hard, and they were awarded with a corner. Christian Poulsen crossed it in, and Jon Dahl Tomasson got his head on it to beat the Portuguese keeper. Denmark took a comfortable 2-0 lead into the half.

At the beginning of the second half we saw a different Portuguese squad, surprisingly Real Madrid star, Cristiano Ronaldo, found himself sitting on the sidelines with Hugo Almeida taking his place on the pitch. The Portuguese began pressing really hard, getting numerous chances but just could not finish. After a scramble in the Danish end, the ball ended up on Christian Poulsen's feet, and he used his speed to rush down the sideline, beating the defender to the edge, and eventually beating the goaltender short side, giving Denmark a 3-0 lead. The game was all but over.

Portugal continued to press for a goal, resulting in Deco being tripped up from about 34 yards out. Hugo Almeida stepped up to take the set piece, and he got all of the ball, beating the goaltender, but not the crossbar, giving Portugal their best chance of the game to score. The Portuguese began to bring up their defenders to try to outnumber the Danish down low, but that only resulted in another break for Christian Poulsen, and another goal. That would be Christian Poulsen's second goal of the night to go along with his one assist.

The game ended a 4-0 Denmark victory over Portugal. It will be a quiet plane ride back to Portugal.

Game Notes: Ronaldo did not sustain an injury, his benching was due to poor play.
Miguel Veloso subbed in for Bosingwa late in the game.
The next game will be a friendly against Romania, where the Portuguese squad hopes to figure out what is going on with their play.

Man of the Match: Christian Poulsen



Group A Day 2 Results:

Albania 2 - 0 Malta
Portugal 0 - 4 Denmark
Sweden 2 - 0 Hungary

Friendly Results & Notes:
Romania @ Portugal

Portugal had to use this game to get back into a rhythm so they could reach expectations for their World Cup run this year, after their lackluster performance against Denmark. In the 19th minute, Ronaldo found Liedson with a lead cross, which Liedson volleyed into the net. only ten minutes later Liedson went inside-outside on a defender and wired one into the net. Giving Portugal a quick 2-0 lead, and what seemed to be their scoring touch back. Their success was short lived, Romania answered back before the Portuguese fans were even done celebrating the second goal by Liedson. The deficit was cut to one. The second half was a back and forth affair, with several chances for both sides. In the 71st minute Portugal took a huge blow, with defender Bruno Alves going down with what appeared to be a leg injury, this injury could be detrimental to Portugal's backside losing one of their most skilled ball moving defenders. Bruno would leave the game and be replaced by Paulo Ferreira. The Romanian's recognized this weakness and attacked the side that Paulo was defending, which ultimately lead to the Romanian equalizer. The Romanians shocked the Portuguese and their fans with a 2-2 draw.

After the game, Bruno Alves underwent medical treatment and it was determined he had a leg strain, and that he would likely miss the next qualifying match against Sweden. As if the injury to Bruno Alves wasn't enough, in the week leading up to the match Cristiano Ronaldo fell on the ball awkwardly in practice and hurt his ankle. He will be a game time decision. With Cristiano and Bruno out, the Portuguese have a tough road ahead of them, battling the first place team in the group. Who will step up to help this nation reach the World Cup Finals in South Africa.

GO DENMARK!!

Game 3:
Sweden @ Portugal





Portugal looking to rebound after a tough loss at Denmark, against Sweden. Portugal received some horrible news when Coach Queiroz confirmed that both Bruno Alves and Cristiano Ronaldo would be out for their match against Sweden. Hugo Almeida would be replacing Ronaldo, and youngster Rolando would be replacing key defender Bruno Alves.

Sweden knowing that Portugal was playing without two of their stars came out on the offensive, firing shots from all angles but the goaltender, Eduardo, kept team Portugal in it with some incredible saves keeping the match at 0-0. The young defender, Rolando, getting his first taste of international soccer had his hands full with the Swedish strikers, and was able to limit their scoring chances. In the 37th minute, Samuel Holmen was able to solve Eduardo by placing a perfectly headed ball into the back of the net. he Portuguese net minder was under siege for the remainder of the first half, but was able to keep the score at 1-0.

Portugal produced some offensive pressure of their own at the start of the second half hitting two posts in a 10 minute span, both by Hugo Almeida who could not find his finishing touch tonight. With less than 10 minutes to go, Portugal made some substitutions, the key one bringing in Tiago to replace Liedson, who was visibly unhappy about being taken off. The Portuguese kept up their offensive pressure and in the 86th minute Deco and Tiago teamed up for an unbelievable give and go play, resulting in Tiago scorching in the equalizer. If Ronaldo is out for an extended period of time, don't be surprised to see Tiago get more time on the field after his clutch performance.

Game notes: Rolando impressed his teammates with his play for 90 minutes, but Bruno Alves will be a welcome addition back to the squad next match.
Bosingwa did an excellent job of stepping into the leadership role for the defenders with the absence of Bruno Alves.
Nuno Gomes has not seen the field yet, but rumours are swirling that he may be in uniform for the next qualifying match as a substitute.
Next match will be a qualifying match against Albania.

Man of the Match: Bosingwa



Group A Day 3 Results:

Hungary 2 - 2 Albania
Denmark 3 - 1 Malta
Sweden 1 - 1 Portugal

Game 4:
Portugal @ Albania


After a surprisingly disappointing start to their campaign, the Portuguese squad marched into Albania on a rainy night to get the win and another 3 points. Bruno Alves returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous match against Sweden. Cristiano Ronaldo however was not able to make his return, and once again Hugo Almeida took his place on the wing. It was believed that Nuno Gomes would get the opportunity to dawn the Portuguese kit for the first time in this campaign, instead if was Ricardo Quaresma who was given the chance to dress for his country as a substitute.

The field was slick due to the rain, so a sloppy game was definitely ahead of these two squads. An Albanian defender slipped, and allowed Liedson to run right past him and put the ball in the back of the net, giving Portugal a quick 1-0 lead at the 15th minute. Albanian striker, Skela, answered only 19 minutes shooting the ball right through the keeper, definitely one the Portuguese goalkeeper wished he could have back. At the end of the first half, Portugal was dominating the possession of the ball 58%-42%, yet the score remained even.

At the 58th minute, Ricardo Quaresma would get his chance to make his country proud, coming in off the sideline to replace Raul Meireles, and he did not waste any time trying to make an impression. In the 60th minute he shot it in from 32 yards out, with the Albanian keeper barely getting his hands on it, and knocking it out resulting in a corner kick. Deco crossed in the ensuing corner, and found Liedson, who placed his head perfectly and beat the keeper, his second goal of the night.

In the 74th minute, Deco and Simao came off the field and were replaced by Tiago and Nani, this seemed to throw off the flow of the Portuguese squad and thy found themselves on their heels for the next 15 minutes, with Albania netting the equalizer on another soft goal let in by Eduardo. This game was not over yet though, in the 88th minute Nani decided to take his game into overdrive. He utilized his speed and superb footwork to dipsy-doodle around two defenders, send the ball into the crease and found Liedson (who else) who tapped it in with his foot, for his 3rd goal of the game and completing the trick. Portugal held on for the rest of the game and took a 3-2 victory over Albania.

Portugal's next match will be a friendly against Brazil.

Game notes: Portugal's goalkeeper, Eduardo, could find himself watching the next game from the sideline after his poor performance. Expect to see Quim backstopping for the Portuguese the next game.
Even though Portugal has not lost a game since Ronaldo went down with an injury, his presence is surely missed because of his speed and ability to create plays and open space down the wing.
Liedson's 3 goal performance puts him at 4 this the campaign, tying in him first for goals with Serbian striker Ivica Dragutinovic

Man of the Match: Liedson


Group A Day 4 Results:

Portugal 3 - 1 Albania
Malta 1 -3 Hungary

**Other countries of interest**
Germany leads Group D with 4 wins, 0 losses and 0 draws. Outscoring their opponents 10-2
Ireland sits in second place, only behind Italy, in Group H with 2 wins, 0 draws, and 1 loss. Drawing even in scoring with their opponents at 5-5.
Denmark is in fourth in Group A with 2 wins, and 1 loss. Outscoring their opponents 7-3.
Canada sits in last place of Group B in the CONCACAF qualifying, with 1 win, 3 draws, and 2 losses. Being outscored 5-9.

Friendly Results & Notes:
Portugal @ Brazil

Cristiano Ronaldo found his way back into the game after missing to consecutive qualifying matches due to an ankle injury. His return to the lineup was certainly evident, as he helped Portugal possess the ball by a wide margin of 58%-42% and create the much needed offense. Portuguese goalkeeper Quim also found his way into the starting lineup following the sub-par performance by the regular starter Eduardo. Portugal dominated possession in the first half, but was unable to put one up on the scoreboard, however Brazil did get themselves a handful of opportunities with Quim stopping them all and looking sharp in his first start.

In the 68th minute, Brazilian forward, Kaka was able to score from a nearly impossible angle to make it 1-0. The ball was just inches from going out of bounds on the goal line, and a sliding effort from Kaka, not only kept the ball in play, but also put it in the net. He was showing exactly why people consider him one of the best footballers in the world. It was certainly a play Quim would like to have back because he is trying to cement himself as the starting goaltender.

In the latter portion of the game Brazil was able to find a weak spot in the Portuguese defense, which was right up the gut. Portugal did a great job of defending the attack on both wings, but the combination of Bruno Alves and Ricardo Carvahlo in the middle of the defense looks like it will be do the undoing of this squad. This is certainly an issue that will need to be addressed before the next qualifying match.

Brazil was able to hang on for the 1-0 victory.
Portugal will face Germany at home next in another friendly. Left winger and substitute Nani was injured during the practice and will miss at least the next two games.

Friendly Results & Notes:
Germany @ Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo was in top form for this game, creating numerous chances for the offense. Germany came out with a very aggressive game plan when off the ball, causing Portugal to play much more of a possession style of game. This bode well for the Portuguese as they were able to dominate the first half and outchancing the Germans 8-2.

In the second half, SImao rushed down the left wing, and crossed it in and having Cristiano Ronaldo finishing it off. However, the play was called on a questionable offside, disallowing the goal. In the later stages of the second half the Portugese defenders were visibly tired, and the Germans tried to take advantage, and Schweinsteiger capitalized with the lone goal of the game. Leading Germany past Portugal 1-0.

Portugal has looked great the past two friendlies against two top-tier teams. Portugal must find a way to finish off their chances in their qualifying round if they have any hope at the grand prize. Their next match will be a part of the qualifying round against Sweden.

Group A Day 5 Results:

Malta 1 - 2 Albania

Game 5
Portugal @ Sweden
Last meeting: 1 - 1 Draw



This match between Portugal and Sweden is a crucial match as we get into the second half of the qualifying round, as both these teams share an identical record, and played to a 1-1 draw in their previous meeting. Portugal has looked sharp in their last two friendly matches despite taking a 1-0 loss in each of those games, and the Portuguese coach was confident that would carry over into the qualifying round.

Only 5 minutes in, Portugal found themselves streaking down the field, and Deco set up a Ronaldo volley for the first goal in the game, and Ronaldo's first goal of the tournament. The monkey was finally off of his back, the highly regarded star has received a lot of criticism for not contributing offensively to the Portuguese squad. A short while later, at the 19 minute mark, Cristiano Ronaldo and Liedson teamed up for an unbelievable give and go, turning the Swedish defender inside out and Liedson beating the goalkeeper short side, for his tournament leading 5th goal of the campaign. Portugal kept their foot on the gas, and earned a corner kick. The ball fell to Simao's feet, and he put everything he could behind it, the keeper got a hand on it and it bounced right to the feet of Ronaldo where he tapped it in for his second goal.

At the end of the first half, Portugal received a scare when mid-fielder Deco sustained an injury and remained on the ground for some time, however he seemed to be fine and came out playing at the start of the second half. Portugal decided a 3 goal lead was enough and decided to sit back on the lead. Deco, Simao, and Pepe were replaced with Veloso, Almedia, and Rolando to put an emphasis on the defense to preserve the 3-0 lead. It was a slow half for the most part until the 88th minute where Sweden began pressing very hard, and hit the woodwork twice, but were unable to find the net. Portugal held on for the 3-0 won.

Game Notes:
Cristiano Ronaldo finally broke out with a 2 goal and 1 assist performance, having a hand in each of Portugal's goal. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.
Liedsen scored his 5th goal of the campaign putting himself in the lead for goals, although in a later game German striker Schweinsteiger scored two goals in Germany's game, which also put him at 5 goals, and a share of the lead.
Portugal is now in the lead of Group A by two points.
Portugal now boasts a 3 - 1 -1 record.
Portugal will next face Albania.

Man of the Match: Cristiano Ronaldo



Group A Day 6 Results:

Albania 3 - 3 Hungary
Malta 0 - 0 Denmark
Portugal 3 - 0 Sweden

Game 6
Albania @ Portugal
Last Meeting: 3 - 2 Portugal



After coming off a huge win over Sweden, Portugal was received some bad news, Cristiano Ronaldo would miss the next match after suffering a leg strain. "It's very frustrating" said Ronaldo "I just started getting my legs under me, and started producing for my country, and now I have to watch from the sidelines again." This will be Ronaldo's 3rd missed match this qualifying round. Huge Almeida would replace Cristiano Ronaldo on the wing.

Portugal dominated ball possession the entire first half but did record many quality chances. In the second half the Albanian defenders looked gas and allowed Portugal to fire a barrage of shots on the net, but not being able to cash in. In the 88th minute, Pepe took a pass from Simao and walked in, and was tripped up just inside the penalty area, resulting in a penalty kick despite the protests of the Albanian players. Simao made no mistake on the penalty shot, not even giving the goal keeper a chance to save the shot. Portugal was able to maintain possession for the rest of the game, stealing a 1-0 victory from Albania.

Game notes:
Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani are expected to return for the next match which is a friendly against Bulgaria.

Man of the Match: Pepe


Group A Day 7 Results:
Denmark 1 - 0 Albania
Hungary 4 - 0 Malta

Group A Day 8 Results:
Albania 0 -1 Portugal
Sweden 2 - 0 Denmark

**Other countries of interest**
Germany leads Group D with 5 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw. Outscoring their opponents 17-3.
Ireland sits in fourth place, behind Italy, Bulgaria, & Cyprus, in Group H with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses. Being outscored 8-12.
Denmark is in third, behind Portugal & Hungary, in Group A with 3 wins, 1 draw, & 2 losses. Outscoring their opponents 8-5.
Canada has been eliminated from contention, finishing last in Group B, Stage 3 of CONCACAF, with 1 win, 3 draws, and 2 losses. Being outscored 5-9.

Friendly Results & Notes:
Portugal @ Bulgaria

The injury bug continued to hit Portugal as now star mid-fielder Deco went down with a rib injury in the weeks leading up to this friendly and he would miss this match, and it is unclear how much more time he will miss. Pedro Mendes, out of the B squad, will step in to replace Deco. Portugal did receiver some good news though as Cristiano Ronaldo returned once again from injury.

This game went pretty much as expected with Portugal dominating the game, getting goals from Ronaldo and Liedson, but Bulgaria was able to find the back of the net once. Portugal took a 2-1 victory.

Goalkeeper Quim has looked marvelous since replacing Eduardo in the net after Eduardo's poor performance in this campaign.
Portugal's next match will be another friendly against England.
Simao and newcomer Pedro Mendes are expected to miss the next match both picking up a strain in the weight room. The siege of injuries continues.

Group A Day 9 Results:
Sweden 2 - 0 Malta