qualification

Ronaldo Hat-trick Enough to Quell Armenia Comeback

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Photo: Lusa

Photo: Lusa

Armenia 2-3 Portugal

Euro 2016 Qualifying

A superb hat-trick from Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was enough to earn Portugal a 3-2 victory against Armenia in tonight’s Euro 2016 qualification match. Portugal came into this match knowing that a win would all but guarantee them a place in next summer’s tournament. Despite going behind in the first half, Portugal responded well, scoring three goals to swell the lead to 3-1. But in the 62nd minute, Tiago received his marching orders, after picking up a second yellow. Just ten minutes later, Armenia scored, narrowing Portugal’s lead to one goal. That prompted a tense end to the match, but Portugal did enough to hold on for the win.  Continue reading →

Liga NOS Players Rewarded by Fernando Santos; 25-Man U-21 Squad Named

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Fernando Santos - Denmark vs PortugalPortugal head coach Fernando Santos named today a squad of 25 to face Armenia and Italy. The Portuguese National Team faces Armenia in a Euro 2016 qualification match on June 13th, before facing Italy in a friendly match three days later. Santos used this opportunity to call up a number of players who have impressed this season, both in Portugal and Spain. Danilo Pereira, Pizzi, and André André all earned calls, after excellent seasons for Marítimo, Benfica and Vitória Guimarães, respectively. In addition, Daniel Carriço earned his first call, after his excellent season saw him lift the Europa League trophy with Sevilla for the second time in two seasons.  Continue reading →

Fernando Santos Releases List of 24 for Upcoming Seleção Matches

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Fernando SantosPortugal National Team coach Fernando Santos has released a list of 24 players for the team’s upcoming match against Serbia. The team plays Serbia at home on the 29th in a qualification match for Euro 2016 before facing Cape Verde in a friendly match two days later, also to be played on home soil. Santos is slated to call up an additional dozen players or so for the Cape Verde match. Expect Santos to name the additional names on Monday.

Adrien Silva, Raphael Guerreiro, Tiago Gomes, Beto, and Helder Postiga, who were all included in the last squad, were excluded this time out. Other than those exclusions, the team is largely unchanged. Here’s the full list:  Continue reading →

U-19s Qualify for Elite Round

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Renato Sanches - Portugal U19

Renato Sanches is one of the stars of the team. Pictured here after scoring against Albania. Photo from FPF.PT

Following three successive wins, the Portuguese Under-19 team has qualified for the Elite Qualification round for next summer’s UEFA U-19 European Championship. Led by rising stars such as Renato Sanches, Gil Dias, and Goncalo Guedes, the team qualified with relative ease, which shows just how strong Portugal’s youth system is at the moment. Should Portugal qualify for next summer’s tournament, it will be the fourth year in a row that the team has managed an appearance in the competition. That statistic is encouraging, and with players such as Marcos Lopes, Bernardo Silva, Andre Gomes, Joao Mario, and Bruma in recent years, there is every reason that this current group of U-19s is destined for success.  Continue reading →

Preview: Portugal vs Armenia

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Tiago Gomes could start against Armenia. Photo Record.xl.pt

Tiago Gomes could start against Armenia. Photo Record.xl.pt

Fernando Santos will look to build on a sound start to his tenure in the Portuguese dugout ahead of a clash against Group I dark horses Armenia in the Algarve. Having come away with the three points in Copenhagen after a last-gasp Cristiano Ronaldo effort, A Seleção da Quinas will be confident of building on a professional display in their last hit-out in front of a packed Faro crowd. Continue reading →

Preview: Denmark vs Portugal

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This was the scene the last time Portugal traveled to Denmark in qualification

This was the scene the last time Portugal traveled to Denmark in qualification

The Portuguese National team face a difficult away trip to Denmark tomorrow, as they look to turn their Euro 2016 qualification campaign around. The team lost to Albania in their first qualification match, which led to Paulo Bento’s departure as coach of the team. With Fernando Santos now in charge, the team looks revitalized, as was shown in their 2-1 loss to France two days ago. That France game was a good test for tomorrow’s match in Denmark, as both are very difficult teams to play away from home. Continue reading →

Rui Jorge Names Squad of 23 for Playoff Matches

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Rui JorgePortugal Under-21 coach Rui Jorge named yesterday a 23 man squad to face the Netherlands in the playoff for the 2015 UEFA U-21 European Championship. The playoff is a two-match series, with first played in Netherlands on the 9th and the other in Portugal on the 14th.  Needless to say, these two matches are of great importance. This is the closest the U-21 team has come to qualification to a major tournament since 2007, which is the last time the team appeared in a U-21 Euro.  Continue reading →