Portugal’s Hopes Riding On Ronaldo’s Back – 2010 World Cup Preview
by Charles Jay
Soccer betting fans know that Portugal is capable of some very strong play, as evidenced by a World Cup semifinal appearance in 2006, and as they prepare for South Africa, they know much of their hopes will ride on their star, who is one of the world's best players. If he's on his game, this is a team that is fully capable of getting to the "final four" again. With Christiano Ronaldo in tow, the Portuguese are listed at +300 to win what could be a brutal Group C, while Brazil, the top-ranked team in the world, is the betting favorite in this group at -200.
The World Cup
June 11 - July 11
South Africa
To Win Group G
Brazil -200
PORTUGAL +300
Ivory Coast +500
North Korea +10000
Portugal actually had a scare during qualifying, because it won just one of its first five matches, but the team eventually got itself together under coach Carlos Queiroz and won six of its last seven, finishing second in European Group One and then winning a two-legged playoff with Bosnia-Herzegovina. Portugal is listed at -160 in the betting odds to get to the next round of play. Two teams from Group G will advance, and obviously the overwhelming opinion is that Brazil will be one of them.
After failing to make the 32-team field in three straight attempts, Portugal got to the World Cup in 2002 and was knocked out during group play. Then came some serious results, as they won the European championship in 2004 and got to the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup.
For the sake of betting information, here are Portugal's most recent results in the World Cup:
1990 - Did Not Qualify
1994 - Did Not Qualify
1998 - Did Not Qualify
2002 - First-Round Exit
2006 - 4th Place
Of course, when you talk about Portugal's national team, the first name that comes to mind is Christiano Ronaldo, the 2008 World Player of the Year after scoring 42 goals for Manchester United, who has had to surrender that mantel to Lionel Messi of Argentina. Ronaldo came over to real Madrid, having been transferred for a record $132 million and scored 26 goals in 29 matches, but Messi was the one who captured the Player of the Year award. At age 25, he's not looking to surrender anything to anybody. Having scored one goal in the '06 World Cup, he recognizes that with questions about Messi's dominance in international matches, he has an opportunity to take back some of the thunder. He is, quite naturally, the betting favorite to score the most goals for his team (+125).
He is, however, buy no means the only scoring threat. The guy who is going to be in the middle of the front line, along with Ronaldo on one wing and Simao Sabrosa on the other, is Liedson De Silva, and he is a key element in putting together scoring opportunities. Actually, there is a lot of pressure on him, and hey, maybe that betting proposition, which lists him at +300 to be this team's leading goal-scorer, would make him feel even more pressure. An established star for Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese Liga, he may be feeling a little "revenge," having failed to make the Brazilian national team years ago.
Another big star for Portugal is Deco (+2000 odds to be the top goal scorer), who will be calling it quits after this tournament is over. He is a pivot around which some of this offense is going to revolve, and he can still get it done at age 32. Nani, who can play at forward or midfield, and scored three goals during qualifying, was sent home with a shoulder injury and will not participate. Queiroz is hoping that a staunch defense, which held its last five qualifying opponents scoreless, can hold up against better competition.
As for the "head of steam" argument, let's just say that is tenuous at best. In the friendlies that led up to their trip to South Africa, Portugal beat Cameroon 3-1 and Mozambique 3-0, but had a scoreless draw with the Cape Verde Islands. There would still appear to be something for Ronaldo and his teammates to prove, especially considering that he missed six qualifying matches with an injury and failed to score in any of them where he was healthy.
In the latest FIFA Rankings, Portugal is #3 in the world. They are not getting the same kind of respect from the oddsmaker. Bettors can get +500 odds that they will get to the semifinals for the second straight World Cup and +220 that they will get to the quarterfinals.
