Portugal could muddle its way through to the final
Print Edition
AFTER teetering on the brink of first-round elimination and being involved in the most boring match of the tournament, there is now a real chance Portugal could muddle its way through to the Euro 2016 final.
A kind draw has left Portugal with an eminently winnable quarterfinal against Poland which would be followed by a semifinal against Wales, Hungary or Belgium.
Portugal has already maintained its record of reaching the quarterfinals on all 10 occasions it has taken part at European championships.
Even so, it has been one of the most enigmatic teams at this tournament and its performances so far would not lead it to be considered a potential finalist.
Portugal has some of the most gifted players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, and an attacking style yet all four of its games have been drawn after 90 minutes, two of them goalless.
It is habitually labeled as an underachiever despite having reached a Euro final, semifinal and World Cup semifinal in the last 12 years, a remarkably good record for a country with just over 10 million people.
Fernando Santos is one of the tournament’s most amiable coaches, yet his team seems to be one of the most unpopular.
Ronaldo, in particular, has been criticized for snubbing Iceland’s players at the end of their 1-1 draw and throwing a reporter’s microphone into a lake when he was asked a question during a team walk.
Portugal began the tournament by taking an early lead against Iceland but conceded a sloppy equalizer and then lacked the inspiration to break down the Icelandic wall for a second time. It then dominated Austria but was held 0-0 with Ronaldo missing a penalty. Needing a point against Hungary, it had to come from behind three times to force a 3-3 draw.
Against Croatia on Saturday, Portugal played for nearly two hours without managing a shot on goal in a dire match before Ricardo Quaresma headed in a dramatic winner.
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