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This is a team that is certain to find favor with the neutrals. Portugal loves nothing more than to attack, and with players of the caliber of Luis Figo, Rui Costa, Paulo Sousa and Fernando Couto, they represent perhaps the most dangerous of all the darkhorses. The Germans are known to be more worried about Portugal than they are about England or Romania. The Portuguese may have qualified as the best-placed runner-up, but throughout the qualifying campaign they looked formidable opponents going forward scoring 32 goals in their 10 games. Defense has traditionally been their Achilles heel and probably will be again, although in Vitor Baia they will have one of the best keepers in the competition provided he recovers in time from a knee injury. As holders of the next European Championship in 2004, having beaten favorites Spain to the vote, Portugal has a particular reason for doing well and has come a long way since winning the youth championships. They have a settled side and plenty of class and provided they can ally that to application, their opponents could be in for an interesting time. Indeed, it is hard to wonder how such a gifted side can fail to do well in Holland and Belgium. The midfield would be the envy of any coach in Europe, but one semifinal and one quarterfinal appearance is scant reward for a nation that has produced European club champions in both Porto and Benfica. In truth, this is the last chance for the country's so-called golden generation -- feted as the Brazilians of Europe at Euro 96 where they lost in the quarters -- to bring home a trophy at senior level. This time they must not flatter to deceive just like their Iberian rivals Spain. "Perhaps for some of them, this will be the last opportunity," said coach Humberto Coelho. CNNSI.com's Gabriele Marcotti: The midfield trio of Sergio Conceicao, Rui Costa and Luis Figo is as talented as any in the world. If Euro 2000 had a three-on-three playground version (like basketball) it would be a smart bet to put your money on these guys. Alas, you need 11 men to play soccer, and Portugal has a porous backline and a lightweight attack. Throw in the fact that there are more than a few volatile heads, from Sa Pinto to Fernando Couto, not to mention Joao Pinto, who was dumped by Benfica after the umpteenth run-in with club management, and you get a distinctly uncomfortable feeling.
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Portugal
