Presentation of the Ukrainian national team rivals for Euro-2018 (U-19). Portugal

25.07.2018 19:03

Photo by www.fpf.pt

The rival of the Ukrainian U-19 national team in the semifinals of Euro 2018 - the national team of Portugal - looks like a very powerful team, despite the absence of several bright players born in 1999-2000.

The wards of coach Elio Sousa became the U-2016 European champions in 17, and at the last U-19 European championship it was the boys of 1999 who made up the majority of Portugal's silver team application. A lot of our opponents have already played for the Portugal U-20 and U-21 teams. The company is very serious.

Stars in and out of stock

Most of the players are from the top clubs in Portugal - "Benfica", "Porto", "Sporting" and "Braga". But so far they are playing for the second team, which plays in Segunda - the local analogue of our first league. This is not a youth championship, the experience of the Portuguese junior grands is getting very decent.

Only forward Gomes (Benfica) made his debut for the first team. He played as the basis of his "West Ham" and midfielder Keane. Both, by the way, have already played in the European Cups at the adult level.

But they are not considered the most expensive players of this team according to experts Transfermarkt. The cinema currently has no price tag at all, Gomesh was estimated at 550 euros. It seems that there are not many such players in the Ukrainian U-19 national team - except for goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who is absent at Euro 2018 and is trying to realize his chance in the best club in Europe and the world - Real.

More expensive than Gomez in the Portuguese national team Transfermarkt recognized the goalkeeper Costa from "Porto" (2 million euros), defender Keirush from the same "Porto" (575 thousand), midfielder Florentino from "Benfica" (1 million) and striker Trinkao from "Braga" »(1,5 million). The latter may have to meet the defense and the goalkeeper of "Zorya" in the third qualifying round of the Europa League.

In addition to Kina, the Portuguese have four other legionnaires from England, Switzerland and Spain. He is the second goalkeeper of Virginia (Arsenal), defender Vinagre (Wolverhampton), midfielder Nunez (Sion) and forward Pedro Correia (Deportivo).

But at the same time, Elio Souza, who has been working with the Portugal national team since 2010, missed out on seven players of this generation, valued at more than a million euros, or slightly cheaper, by Transfermarkt.

The biggest loss is right-back Dalot, for whom Manchester United gave 22 million euros to Porto this summer. Sporting center-forward Leoo is valued at € 6 million, Lazio's right-back Pedro Netu at € 3 million and Benfica's attacking midfielder Felix at € 2 million. Benfica ") - 900 thousand, the central defender of Leyte (" Porto ") - 850, the supporting midfielder Valente (" Estoril ") - 800.

But the absence of such a respectable company did not prevent Elio Souzi to bring the Portuguese national team to the semifinals. The coach of our rivals is a very interesting figure. In 1989, he became the U-20 world champion under the famous Carlos Queiroz. Paulo Souza, Jorge Coutu, Joao Pinto, Fernando Coutu, Antonio Folya played in the same team with him. Then Elio Souza spent his entire career at Setubal (1987-2005), for which he played 424 matches and scored 20 goals.

Experience of European and World Championships

As mentioned at the beginning, Portuguese players born in 1999 know how to win European Championship medals. They won Euro 2016 (U-17) - for the first time for Portugal since 2003. From that championship, 2018 players were included in the application for Euro 19 (U-11) - goalkeepers Costa and Virginia, defenders Queiroz, Vinagre and Thierry Correia, midfielders Keane, Luis and Florentina, forwards Filipe, Gomes and Ju. Dalot, Leyte, Fernandes and Leao, who are currently out of the squad, also won gold medals.

Gomes became the top scorer in that championship, and nine Portuguese entered the symbolic team of the tournament. Including Costa, Vinagra, Florentina, Kina, Filipe, Gomes, plus Dalot, Leyte and Fernandes.

The Portuguese missed the only goal in the final match with Spain (1: 1), where they had to score a penalty. Prior to that, the gates remained at the castle: Azerbaijan - 5: 0, Scotland - 2: 0, Belgium - 0: 0 (group), Austria - 5: 0 (quarterfinals), Holland - 2: 0 (semifinals). By the way, Austria then beat Ukraine in the group - 2: 0.

Footballers born in 1999 and in the senior youth age category U-19 were distinguished. Goalkeeper Costa and defender Dalot went to Euro 2016, where Portugal won bronze medals. In the semifinals, the Portuguese were stopped by France - 3: 1, two goals were scored by Mbappe, who today became a world star.

Four of those who came to Finland for Euro 2017 (Costa, Florentina, Luis and Gomes) have already attended the 20 U-2018 World Cup. Portugal played five matches there, and lost to Uruguay in the quarterfinals of the penalty shootout.

And finally, in the same 2017 at Euro U-19, more than half of the Portuguese national team was formed by boys born in 1999 - 11 places in the application. It would have been 12, but forward Gomez did not leave at the last moment due to injury. Probably, the best scorer of Euro 2016 (U-17) was not enough to win gold. In the final, England was stronger - 2: 1.

The symbolic team of the tournament included seven Portuguese, including the current players of the U-19 team - Costa, Queiroz and Ju. In addition to them, silver awards went to Florentina, Luis, Kina and Filipe, who came to Finland (but Dalot, Leite, Fernandes and Leoo, as already mentioned, are absent).

How did they qualify for Euro 2018 (U-19)

Due to its high rating, the Portuguese U-19 team was released from the first stage of selection - along with the Spanish team. And in the draw of the elite round, both teams got to the first basket, which allowed the Portuguese to get quite good opponents.

The national team of Kosovo was defeated - 5: 0, Slovakia lost with a minimum score of 0: 1, Ireland also lost - 4: 0. The best scorer was Fernandes (he did not come to the final tournament) - three goals. Filipe scored two, one more - five more players.

How they performed at Euro 2018 (U-19)

The start was productive, in the match with Norway in the first half were marked by effective shots Trinkao (24) and Luis (41). In the 82nd minute, the Scandinavians revived the intrigue - 2: 1, but Trinkao in stoppage time (90 + 3) put an end - 3: 1.

Portugal (4-3-3): Costa - T. Correa, Queiroz, R. Correa, Vinagre - Florentina, M. Luis, Kina (Santos, 84) - Trinkao, Gomes (Balde, 80), Filipe (Ju, 72 ).

The match with Italy in the second round, on the contrary, started very badly - in the 9th minute the central defender and captain Keirush were removed. The Portuguese lasted almost the entire half - until the 52nd minute. The first goal was scored (Luis on the 69th), but two more shots of the Italians (78, 84) were answered only once - Kina (89).

Portugal (4-3-3): Costa - T. Correia, Queiroz, R. Correia, Vinagre - Florentina, M. Luis (Moura, 88), Kina - Trinkao, Gomes (Ju, 86), Filipe (Carmo, 12 ).

In the third round, Portugal needed a victory over the hosts, who lost their two matches. In the first half, Finland scored two goals (Filipe, 20, Gomes, 33), and in overtime Ju played the role of a joker (90 + 4) - 3: 0.

Portugal (4-3-3): Costa - T. Correa, Carmo, R. Correa, Vinagre - Florentina, M. Luis, Kina (Nunes, 87) - Trinkao (Moura, 72), Gomes (Ju, 54), Philip.

The main composition of the Portuguese team is stable. In three matches in the starting version of the team, only one substitution was made - forced in the center of defense due to the removal of Keirush.