Rugged Portugal win to big stage

NUREMBERG, June 26: After 40 years and countless failed attempts Portugal will again shine on football's biggest stage after setting up a mouthwatering World Cup quarter-final against England by beating Netherlands 1-0.

With 1966 World Cup semi-finalist Eusebio cheering them on from the stands, the Portuguese won a bruising encounter riddled with yellow cards and a World Cup record of four sending-offs and proved they had learned a valuable lesson yesterday.

Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who took over after their shock 2002 World Cup first round exit, has instilled a sense of professionalism that had been lacking in all their previous campaigns on the European and world stage.

Portugal, who reached the Euro 2004 final on home soil using Scolari's methods before surprisingly losing to rank outsiders Greece, outsmarted the Dutch on Sunday with sharp, quick passing moves and cluster defending that shackled most attacks.

While Eusebio's 1966 team and the gifted side that reached the 1984 European Championship semi-finals were only devoted to playing beautiful football, Scolari has built a team of rugged defenders, smart midfielders and lightning quick strikers.

'Big Phil', as he is known, guided Brazil to the title four years ago and has won all the matches, 11 to date, that his teams have played in two World Cup tournaments.

With only captain Luis Figo and Pauleta still remaining from Portugal's golden generation of players who won the 1989 and 1991 World Youth titles and nothing else, the Portuguese managed to hold on to a first-half goal by Maniche against the Dutch.

Brazilian-born Deco distributed the ball well in midfield while Figo constantly drew defenders on to him, allowing team mates Miguel, Pauleta and Maniche to move forward.

Even when livewire winger Cristiano Ronaldo left the pitch injured early on after a vicious foul by Khalid Boulahrouz, who was strangely enough not sent off by Russian referee Valentin Ivanov, the Portuguese still looked dangerous.

When the Dutch attacked in waves midway through the second half, Portugal, down to 10 men and later nine, kept their cool.

Some speedy counter-attacks on the right by Miguel, who had all but eliminated the biggest Dutch threat in Arjen Robben, allowed the defence to take some valuable breathers.

What neither the explosive Ivory Coast nor talented Argentina had managed to do in the group stage, Portugal did with only half the possession of the Dutch.

No wonder they had not lost a single match in 12 qualifying games, conceding a mere five goals and scoring 35.

The win came against a team that had also not lost in their qualifying campaign, letting in a mere three goals.

The last team to beat Netherlands in a competitive match were Portugal in the Euro 2004 semi-finals.

The referee, who FIFA president Sepp Blatter said could have been yellow carded himself after dishing out four reds and booking eight other players, had reduced the game to a farce by the end but still the Dutch could not take their chances.

They played most of the second half with a one-man advantage but Dutch coach Marco van Basten, who many hoped would guide his young team to a surprise World Cup triumph, was left dejected as they looked an equaliser but lacked a clinical finisher.

By the end the former striker, a strong supporter of the late Dutch coach Rinus Michel's concept of ''Total football'', may have wished he had a couple of battling Portuguese on his team.

Reuters