Nations / Dave Farrar / 28 May 2008 / 1 Comments

Dave Farrar has plenty of praise and admiration for Portugal's silky-skilled and fleet-flooted forwards such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Quaresma but the absence of a proven goalscorer may prevent them from going all the way

Group A - Portugal

This is a significant tournament for Portugal, as it's the first since the World Cup in 1986 when commentators can't refer to the Golden Generation that won two Under 20 World Cups in 1989 and 1991. Portugal fans have to accept now that that wonderful side DID underachieve, and that the final chance for Rui Costa and Luis Figo went in the last European Championship final. There is, of course, a new crop of players to get excited about, and Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma head the list of reasons why Portugal could go very well in Austria and Switzerland.

QUALIFYING

Portugal are never the most convincing team in qualifying for major tournaments and they did their best to make things difficult this time around. Before Group 1 started, Portugal and Serbia were strong favourites to qualify, but a resurgent Poland put both in danger. It's to Portugal's credit that they managed to battle through a difficult group, throwing in the occasional inexplicable performance. I still can't understand how they failed to beat Serbia at home, a game which they dominated completely and yet in which they conceded a last minute equaliser. They put away the groups' weaker sides impressively, with the exception of a 1-1 draw in Armenia.

Cristiano RONALDO

Portugals big problem is scoring goals in major Championships, and I was tempted the leave one of "key player" slots empty in this preview, to make the point that they simply don't have a striker. Ronaldo has just won the Golden Shoe for top European scorer, though, and Phil Scolari is rumoured to be thinking of using him as a central striker rather than a deadly dancing winger. He already has two of those in Simao and Quaresma. Ronaldo is important to this team as a goalscorer above all else. If Scolari is brave enough to play him in a front three, and leave out powder puff Nuno Gomes and Hugo Almeida, then they have a chance. Scolari is supposed to be one of the great world coaches. His juggling act with a bunch of rich talents will go a long way to showing whether that is fact, or just lazy conjecture.

Armando PETIT

One of the keys to letting talented sides flourish is the quality of the holding midfielder behind them and Portgual have one of the best around in Armando Petit. Costinha and Vidigal have done this job over the years and the absence of the likes of Tiago and Maniche from this year's squad make the role of the battling Petit all the more important. He's had to battle all of his career and I like that about him. Born in France, he worked his way through the lower divisions via Boavista's title triumph and is now at Benfica. Provides the hunger that Portugal need.

Ricardo QUARESMA

I debated longer in selecting Portugal's three key players than with any other team, and, much though I admire Bruno Alves, Ricardo, Simao and Ricardo Carvalho, I'm allowed at least once to make a self indulgent pick. And that pick is Quaresma - he often flatters to deceive, he drives you crazy and he may be awful this summer. But he's in more consistent form now than in any time in his career and if he turns it on, there won't be a better player to watch. Forget about gambling for a moment when he's on the pitch, and watch this man run and pass the ball. A joy.

COACH: Luis Felipe SCOLARI

There won't be a more passionately involved coach at the European Championships. Scolari has twice outdone Sven Goran Ericsson in the quarter finals of major tournaments, and despite the calmness and clarity of thought needed to do that he's still entertainingly unhinged. He threw a punch (and it was a proper punch) at the Serbian full back Ivica Dragutinovic in a qualifier, a moment that nearly cost him his job. Before he makes a probable move to club management, he has one last chance (for the time being at least) at becoming the first coach to win a World Cup and a European Championship.

VERDICT

Portugal are normally the value bet at major tournaments, because for some reason they're perceived as a minnow which of course has been patronising nonsense ever since that 1984 semi final at the Velodrome in Marseille, still for me the greatest game in European Championship history. The presence of Cristiano Ronaldo in the side, though, not to mention an excellent recent record in major Championships means that people are now fully aware of Portugal's potential. Much though I like them, and much though I can see them winning the title, I can't back a team at [8.8] when I'm unconvinced that they have a goalscorer. I wish them well and will enjoy watching them, but they won't carry my money in the outright market. They can be backed at [2.4] to win Group A, though, and should be shorter. Not the bet of the tournament, but a fair price.

Note to readers: https://betting.betfair.com/football/euro-2008/ will be introducing a new nation guide to its pages every day until the start of the tournament. Tomorrow's team will be: Italy.

Tags: Cristiano Ronaldo, Euro 2008 qualifiers, Eurocup 2008 odds