Portugal play their fourth successive friendly since they were last in competitive action with a home fixture against Finland on Tuesday night.
Seleccao coach Paulo Bento had to hear criticism for the first time since he took over after being held to a sluggish 1-1 draw by Chile on Saturday, and the young manager will be hoping to bounce straight back to the stylish and effective football that characterized his first matches in charge.
“The main aim is to win,” said Bento, aware that after a defeat (to Argentina) and a draw in Portugal’s last two games, it is important to get back into the winning habit. “We have to approach this game as if it was a friendly against Spain or Argentina. One of the goals of this match is to cement the team, but I will make a few changes.”
Portugal will again be without captain Cristiano Ronaldo. Silvestre Varela stood in for the Real Madrid man against Chile and the performance of the FC Porto forward was one of the positives from a low-key display.
But Varela picked up a knock against the South Americans and is expected to start on the bench, paving the way for the mercurial talent that goes by the name of Ricardo Quaresma to get himself into Bento’s plans. Since moving to Besiktas, Quaresma has re-found the form that had many pundits tipping him for world superstardom early in his career.
The Portugal coach admits he will be seeking incisiveness from Nani and Quaresma on the flanks. “I want a dominant performance from the Seleccao. We need to take advantage of the speed of our players on the wings,” said Bento.
The match against the Finns will also be a big opportunity for rising star Silvio to stake a claim for the right-back berth. The Braga defender, reportedly a target for FC Porto, has enjoyed a wonderful season, and will replace Joao Pereira who dislocated his right elbow against Chile.
One of the reasons Portugal scheduled this friendly is the perceived similarity of Finland to the Seleccao’s next opponents in Euro 2012 qualifying – Norway. Portugal play the Group H leaders on 4 June in Benfica’s Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, where a victory will propel them to the top of the section.
“The main aim is to win,” said Bento, aware that after a defeat (to Argentina) and a draw in Portugal’s last two games, it is important to get back into the winning habit. “We have to approach this game as if it was a friendly against Spain or Argentina. One of the goals of this match is to cement the team, but I will make a few changes.”
Portugal will again be without captain Cristiano Ronaldo. Silvestre Varela stood in for the Real Madrid man against Chile and the performance of the FC Porto forward was one of the positives from a low-key display.
But Varela picked up a knock against the South Americans and is expected to start on the bench, paving the way for the mercurial talent that goes by the name of Ricardo Quaresma to get himself into Bento’s plans. Since moving to Besiktas, Quaresma has re-found the form that had many pundits tipping him for world superstardom early in his career.
The Portugal coach admits he will be seeking incisiveness from Nani and Quaresma on the flanks. “I want a dominant performance from the Seleccao. We need to take advantage of the speed of our players on the wings,” said Bento.
The match against the Finns will also be a big opportunity for rising star Silvio to stake a claim for the right-back berth. The Braga defender, reportedly a target for FC Porto, has enjoyed a wonderful season, and will replace Joao Pereira who dislocated his right elbow against Chile.
One of the reasons Portugal scheduled this friendly is the perceived similarity of Finland to the Seleccao’s next opponents in Euro 2012 qualifying – Norway. Portugal play the Group H leaders on 4 June in Benfica’s Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, where a victory will propel them to the top of the section.
