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Portugal’s Key Weapon and Achilles Heel at 2014 World Cup
Published: June 10, 2014
That will surely suit manager Paulo Bento, as the team still has a number of players trying to overcome injury difficulties and obtain maximum fitness.
Opening-day fixtures don't come much more difficult than Germany and a positive result will set the tone for the rest of the tournament.
If Portugal looks at the bigger picture, they can arrive at the match with confidence, as they have only lost once in their last 13 matches and that was against Brazil.
As with all the nations, they have considerable strengths and weaknesses. Here we identify the main ones.
Key Weapon
It's not a major surprise that Cristiano Ronaldo is the team's key weapon.
The Real Madrid winger was joint top scorer across Europe this season with Uruguay's Luis Suarez and picked up the Ballon d'Or award in January.
His country of birth has naturally built their current system around the former Manchester United player.
Bento's dilemma is how much he can rely on Ronaldo after his recent fitness concerns. The wide man returned to training on Saturday, along with midfielder Raul Meireles, via The Daily Mail.
His speed with the ball is vital to Portugal in transition from defence to attack, whilst his pace without possession causes the opposition just as much anxiety.
As his nation's top goalscorer, there is plenty of pressure on Ronaldo, although he doesn't let it affect him.
"It fills me with pride, satisfaction, pleasure and honour to represent and captain the Portuguese national team but it is also a big responsibility," he told sportslobster.com.
"I hope I win a title with the national team one day."
Achilles' Heel
There are a number of issues that could cause Portugal problems over the coming m...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football
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