FIFA ranks Portugal as the fifth-best team in the world, but the same squad was 14th as recently as October. Is it a powerhouse side or an over-ranked, vulnerable opponent? Noah Davis reports.

BY Noah Davis Posted

December 09, 2013

2:59 PM SHARE THIS STORY



Editor's Note: American Soccer Now will be all over Group G and the entire World Cup experience from this day forward. We also have early looks at Ghana and Germany ready for you.

ESSENTIALS

If FIFA used the November 2013 rankings, Portugal, fifth at the time, would have earned a seed. But the squad was just 14th in October after a string of disappointing results, and it missed out on landing in the coveted pot A. As a result, A Selecção finds itself in the group with the highest average ranking. But all is not lost: Portugal has one of the best players in the world in Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, and he has plenty of talent around him including club teammates Pepe and Fábio Coentrão, Manchester United's Nani, and Monaco's João Moutinho.

Still, Brazil might represent the last, best chance for this generation to make its mark in world soccer. It hasn't been a bad run—the team finished fourth at the most recent European championship—but it hasn't won any medals, either. While that's unlikely to happen in 2014, Portugal could get hot, Ronaldo could destroy a few nets (and more than a few bottles of hair product), and the squad could make a deep run. (You're saying there's a chance...) More than likely, however, Portugal will battle with the United States (6pm, June 22; ESPN) and Ghana for second place in Group G, especially if it loses to Germany in the first match.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Portugal, drawn into what seemed an easy European qualification group, struggled and ultimately finished second to Russia. The team lost in Moscow, tied Northern Ireland at home in Porto, and drew both legs with Israel—not exactly a dominant showing. In the playoff against Sweden, Cristiano Ronaldo (four goals) outdid counterpart Zlatan Ibrahimovic (two) and A Selecção was through. Still, the road to Brazil was more difficult than it should have been.

THE COACH

Paulo Bento took over the team after a poor start to the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign doomed Carlos Queiroz. The 44-year-old Lisbon-born former defensive midfielder, who earned 35 caps for his native country between 1992 and 2002–he came on in the 69th minute of the 3-2 loss to the U.S.–led Portugal to a semifinal appearance in the tournament and through its successful albeit rocky World Cup qualifying campaign. Before taking the top spot with his nation, Bento helmed Sporting Clube de Portugal for four years, where he won a number of trophies and earned the nickname "Papa-Taças" ("Cup Eater"). As a player, Bento was known as a fiery competitor who occasionally lost his head; UEFA suspended him for five months for bad behavior after a semifinal defeat to Spain at the 2000 Euro.

KEY PLAYERS

A Selecção live and die with one man: Cristiano Ronaldo. But its best player has struggled to show up on the biggest stages. He scored a single goal in the 2006 tournament–a penalty against Iran–and his only tally during the 2010 World Cup came in a 7-0 pasting of North Korea. But perhaps the four goals Ronaldo put in over the two-leg playoff against Sweden signal that the 28-year-old is learning to step up. He has never played against the United States, not even in a friendly.

Portugal, however, is not a one-man attack. Nani can be trouble on the wing with blinding pace and more than proficient stepovers. The speedster has evolved into a classic winger, attacking from both flanks. He doesn't score that many goals—just 14 in 72 matches with Portugal—but he's a wonderful distributor with the vision to see the pass and the skill to complete it.

AS Monaco's Joao Moutinho is a stalwart in central midfield, capable of going forward or defending. He made the best 23 at Euro 2008 and played every minute during the 2012 event. His partner, the exquisitely tattooed Raul Meireles, adds some bite to the midfield but also has a knack for making a key pass here and there. He can lose his head, however, and the U.S. would be smart to try to exploit his occasional mental lapses.