Portugal Is In The Quarter Finals
By Claudia Beckford
The team of Portugal sealed its place in the Euro 2008 quarter finals by beating the Czech Republic 3 goals to 1 last Wednesday. The footballers Pepe and Raul Meireles did a good job in Saturday's 2-0 win over Turkey, while Cristiano Ronaldo and replacement Ricardo Quaresma made the difference against the Czechs after Libor Sionko cancelled out Deco's early opener.
Scolari said: “This squad is very well prepared in physical terms. They do what I tell them to do. They might have a few shortcomings but they are minor shortcomings, technical things I want to improve. The fitness team has been working well with these players and their strength levels have been very high”.
He has not revealed the strategy or secret that is making him win the games, he just says that he feels very proud the players are following his instructions. He saysthey have learned to be very aggressive in the first half and struggle to prove the other team that they are good at what we do.
Scolari is very proud of his team, he said there are still some small details they have to improve but right now and with the kind of game they have been playing and the time they have, he can be able to organize his team for the match against Switzerland which is going to be very difficult. “When you build a new team you have to do things you didn't do in qualifying. Now I have got a good, solid team and I am very satisfied because our team had a wonderful, spectacular, physical performance. I again pay tribute to our fitness staff. Our players, their eyes are shining. They are supporting each other”.
Sunday's match with the Swiss in Basle will now have little at stake other than pride, with Turkey's victory over the co-hosts on Wednesday's late game seeing Kobi Kuhn's side eliminated and assuring
that Portugal will advance as pool winners.
But Scolari will not let his players be very confident since the Swiss team is a very aggressive squad. They have to get organized in a way to assure their victory. Chelsea’s defender Paulo Ferreira was not getting carried away either, and expects the Swiss to come out all guns blazing looking for their first points of the tournament on Sunday.
The 29-year-old right-back said: 'We have to enjoy this victory. It was very important because it means we have already qualified for the next stage and we are very happy about that”. Scolari is getting prepared since he is leaving the Portugal squad to move to the coaching chair of the Chelsea next July the 1st.
