“Trabalhar e acreditar naquilo que se faz”
The Portuguese national team continued training today for their second World Cup match against North Korea Monday morning. Friday, Carlos Queiroz decided to speak to the media following the team in South Africa in order to clarify the situation of the national team and speak up against stories that the Portuguese coach said has been invented by the media.
“My feeling is that everything is good, only too good that this opens some space, for those who have the imagination, to invent stories and facts in order for this to become a bit more lively and exciting.” Queiroz guaranteed that the team continues to be focused on the path before them and their will and determination is unwavering in bringing home a World Cup title. Queiroz also used the time to confront questions that he had forced Deco to apologize to the media after the frustrated midfielder talked to the press following the nil-nil draw with Ivory Coast Tuesday stating that Queiroz’s tactics and substitutions were, “strange” and “not as good as they might have been.” Queiroz shrugged off any allegations of animosity in the squad telling the press, “Sometimes we make mistakes, but this has not damaged the atmosphere of the team and this is all behind us.”
The comment by Deco is just one case of players speaking out and causing a ruckus in the Portuguese camp. Ricardo Carvalho was the first Portuguese player to unintentionally shake things up for the squad after he made the comment that Portugal’s 2006 World Cup squad was the strongest he’d played in, a comment in which many made the assumption that this World Cup team was not good enough in his opinion.
In the previous week the squad faced criticism from winger Nani, who was sent home due to a bruised left collarbone before the start of the World Cup. Nani returned back to Lisbon where he told the media that he would be fit within a week. Heartbroken the winger told the press, “I thought this was going to be my World Cup, I was training and playing well, but that’s life,” Nani said. “I worked a lot for this World Cup but I had the misfortune to injure myself before the start.”
Queiroz spoke briefly about the comments by the winger stressing, “”We never said that Nani could not do normal life activities, carry bags, but the exams showed that the bone lesion that hit the player does not leave him fit for this competition.” Queiroz believes that with the arrival of Ruben Amorim, there is a clear sign that there is no favoritism in the selection.
Brazilian born Liedson spoke on behalf of the selection today, just one of the many voices of the team speaking ahead of their meet up with North Korea on Monday. “On Monday it will be totally different. The goals will appear naturally. We need them and expect them to appear as early as Monday,” the striker told the press. 
In the spirit of uplifting the mood of the Portuguese fans, Guloso sent out 100 pounds of ketchup to Johannesburg which will be delivered to the team’s hotel. The case of ketchup is a response to winger Cristiano Ronaldo’s comment, “The goals will come. They’ll come naturally,” … “It’s like a great player once told me: goals are like ketchup …… you keep on forcing it, then it comes all at once.” The case of ketchup being delivered is accompanied by a letter of encouragement in which they hope will help bring goals to the selection. Guloso has asked Portuguese fans to watch the match with a pack of ketchup for good luck.
