PORTUGAL TEAM PROFILE : Pressure to perform

For many years Portugal have been dubbed the Brazilians of Europe. Bursting with flair and sublime skills, they now have the chance to parade their new samba style in their own back garden under the watchful eye of their Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari at UEFA EURO 2004™.

Time for silverware
Once again blessed with a vast pool of wonderfully talented individuals, Scolari's side must now do what Brazil have done so consistently over the years and convert their undoubted potential into silverware.

Home advantage
A poor showing in the 2002 FIFA World Cup saw them exit in the first round, eliminated along with Poland from a group featuring the United States and hosts the Korean Republic which had been seen as a formality for the European sides before the tournament started. But, just as the Korean Republic did at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Portugal will hope they can make their home advantage count as they push for their first taste of European glory.

Gold and platinum
Their current side is an irresistible blend of youth and experience. Although this may be their European Championship swansong, they can still draw upon the key personnel from their "golden generation" of players discovered by Carlos Queiroz in the late eighties. The golden generation came close to success in UEFA EURO 2000™, losing a tightly-contested semi-final to eventual winners France.

Match winner
In Luis Figo, they possess a world-class playmaker capable of practically anything with the ball at his feet. But with Figo, João Pinto and Rui Costa now in the autumn of their careers the real excitement in Portugal surrounds the new "platinum" generation of stars.

New generation
Manchester United FC’s Cristiano Ronaldo is perhaps the pick of this latest batch of players but his contemporaries Hélder Postiga, Hugo Viana, Simão Sabrosa, Tiago Mendes and Ricardo Quaresma give the Portuguese a formidable back up if the old boys fail to perform. Ronaldo can play in any of the attacking positions but is most likely to be employed in more of a cameo role by Scolari, who has so far adopted a 4-2-3-1 system with a packed midfield and Figo on the right wing.

Chance to sparkle
After giving the youngsters the chance to impress at youth and Under-21 levels, Scolari has gently eased them into his side in 2003 with EURO 2004™ in his sights. Doubtless he will combine their youthful exuberance and individual flair with the technically gifted and physically awesome Figo.

World Cup winner
The big question is whether the coach can knit the two generations together to produce a team capable of overcoming the likes of France and Italy. Scolari, who guided Brazil to 2002 World Cup success, appears to think he can. On the day of his appointment he announced that his intent was to win EURO 2004™.

Defensive tactics
In his time with Brazil, Scolari received criticism from some quarters of the Brazilian press who believed that his tactics were somewhat negative. He prefers his teams to play with a European-style pragmatism, instructing his players to use any means possible to prevent the opposition from finding a rhythm.

Attacking zeal
How this will go down with the Portuguese fans who are used to seeing their side deploying the kamikaze attacking game that has been so successful in the past remains to be seen. The current squad is certainly better renowned for its attacking zeal than its defensive muscle. But, if his track record is anything to go by, Portugal could do a lot worse than listening to their Brazilian coach.

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